Software Engineer III, Core Services - VALORANT

VALORANT is Riot's take on a character-based tactical shooter. The Core Services team is responsible for continuously improving the capabilities, developer lifecycle, and operations of VALORANT’s backend services, enabling tens of millions of players worldwide to play every month. You will work closely with cross functional feature development teams across the game, as well as central platform and infrastructure teams across Riot, to continuously improve the player experience. 

Riot Engineers have a deep passion for the experience of Riot players and, by extension, that of its developers. You will bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas, but also value the chance to work in a variety of broader domains. As a Staff Software Engineer, you'll also dive into projects that focus on team cohesiveness and cross-team goals. You'll lead without authority and provide other engineers with a clear illustration of extraordinary engineering.

This role will report to the Engineering Manager for VALORANT Core Services.

Responsibilities:

• Improve server reliability and performance as well as the methods in which we observe and report on the health of our platform
• Design and implement backend services and infrastructure to support new gameplay features
• Evaluate and align on longer term technical strategies to keep VALORANT’s Service Platform secure, reliable, and able to scale to the needs of our players
• Collaborate closely with Producers, Product owners, and other engineers across Riot Games to create the best possible outcomes for our players
• Mentor and coach junior engineers to grow and build talent over the long term
• Participate in our team’s on-call rotation

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience as a software engineer
• BS degree or equivalent experience
• Expertise with C#, Java, Golang, or similar language(s)
• Experience with Lean or Agile development processes (Scrum, Kanban, etc)
• Professional experience working with cloud computing and cloud technologies
• Professional experience building large-scale backend systems or game services

Desired Qualifications:

• Professional experience working with Golang
• Professional or academic experience working with C++
• Professional or hobby experience working with Unreal Engine

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!

Our Perks:

Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our for more information.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the and . Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of and our ongoing work to build the .

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

• Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.