Software (Backend) Engineer I

Why PlayStation?

PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.

Job Title: Software (Backend) Engineer I - PlayStation

Location: San Mateo, CA  

Join our Voice & Agent team at PlayStation, where we're developing innovative, next generation, voice services for the gaming industry on a global scale. We’re dedicated to advancing accessibility and voice command features for PS5. Our work is continuously redefining the gaming experience through innovative Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. As a Server Engineer on our team, you'll be a key player in creating a detailed and intelligent gaming environment for millions of users worldwide.

Responsibilities:

• Architect and Develop: Design, build, and maintain highly scalable, reliable, and secure backend systems that drive critical systems for PlayStation.
• End-to-End Delivery: Design, build, maintain and deploy backend systems throughout the development lifecycle, from concept to deployment and beyond.
• Problem Solving & Optimization: Proactively identify, replicate, and resolve backend issues in both test and live environments to maintain high-quality service.
• Code Quality & Reviews: Lead and engage in code reviews, promoting standard processes and ensuring robust, high-performance code.
• Performance Tuning: Define, measure, and continuously improve system performance, resilience, and scalability.
• Mentorship: Mentor junior engineers, fostering technical growth and knowledge-sharing across the team.
• Technology: Keep up with advancements in backend and full-stack technologies, tools, and frameworks to maintain a forward-looking approach.

Qualifications:

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree or relevant experience in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in Server Engineering: 2+ years of experience in designing and maintaining server systems, ideally with exposure to audio processing or ML integrations.
• Proficiency in Backend Languages: Expertise in server-side languages, especially Golang (preferred), with familiarity in Java, Python, etc.
• Cloud Expertise: Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure), and proficiency in cloud-native technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, and related CNCF tools.
• Distributed Systems: Skilled in building and managing distributed systems, with deep knowledge of concurrency, parallelism, and event-driven architecture.
• Networking & Protocols: Familiarity with RESTful services, gRPC, and networking protocols for secure and scalable communication.
• Database Management: Proficient in database technologies, both SQL and NoSQL, and in designing efficient data models.
• Linux & Scripting: Clear knowledge of Linux environments and scripting with Bash.
• Microservices Architecture: Good grasp of scalable microservices and containerized environments.
• Analytical Skills: Exceptional problem-solving abilities with a practical, iterative approach to fix critically meaningful systems.
• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with Agile processes, with a proactive, data-driven approach to improving backend services across the stack.

Desired qualifications:

• Deployment Pipelines: Experience with CICD tools (e.g., Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild) for automated deployment and delivery.
• Monitoring & Alerting: Familiarity with monitoring and alerting systems such as Grafana, Prometheus, and AWS CloudWatch for robust operational support.
• Infrastructure as Code: Knowledge in managing virtual infrastructure with Helm, AWS CloudFormation, or Terraform.
• Incident Management: Experience with root cause analysis and recovery strategies for critical incidents.
• Multi-functional Collaboration: Clear communication and documentation skills for effective teamwork in a multifaceted, fast-paced environment.
• Open-Source Contributions: Contributions to the open-source community (e.g., blog posts, source code) are a plus.

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Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. 

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.