Principal Software Engineer, Zynga
Unity, C#, Mobile Game Technology
Social game developer
Job no longer available
Social game developer
1001+ employees
Job no longer available
1001+ employees
Company mission
To connect the world through games.
Role
Who you are
- We’re looking for exceptional engineers with a strong passion for technology and hands-on experience in Unity and C#
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience
- 6+ years of software development experience
- Strong programming experience using Unity and C# as development environments or one of the following: C/C++, Java, Python
- Expert knowledge in mobile development, Unity, C#
- Deep experience with Xcode, and Android Studio
- Experience with database optimization: SQL, NoSQL, and data caching technologies/in-memory databases such as MemCached and Redis
- Programming RESTful services
- Strong Object Oriented design and architecture skills
- Deep understanding of algorithms, design patterns, debugging and performance optimization
- Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills (verbal and written)
- While this is a client-focused engineering role, exposure to backend systems is beneficial. Familiarity with server-side concepts—or interest in learning them—is a strong plus, especially as our compliance solutions include both client and service components
What the job involves
- Come join our team at Zynga making an impact across all of the company’s games - Mobile Game Tech (MGT)!
- Lead the team by setting technical direction, crafting and implementing backend services for our games
- The Principal Software Engineer will play a key role as part of the MGT Organization, focusing on advanced technology developments for building scalable end-to-end products which can be integrated into the various games
- Define, architect, & develop core engine components and build systems for iOS, Android, Kindle, and webGL using Unity and C#
- Drive end-to-end delivery of complex initiatives, from technical design and implementation to production rollout, monitoring, and ongoing operational ownership
- Offer technical leadership by reviewing and guiding detailed compositions, ensuring alignment with Zynga’s long-term technical vision and standard methodologies
- Collaborate multi-functionally with product, engineering, and operations teams to translate product and customer requirements into robust technical solutions
- Establish and monitor engineering processes, quality metrics, and operational benchmarks to improve software delivery and system reliability
- Guide incident response and postmortems, ensuring root-cause analysis and structural fixes rather than one-off patches
- Mentor and coach engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and knowledge sharing
- While this is a client-focused engineering role, exposure to backend systems is beneficial. Familiarity with server-side concepts—or interest in learning them—is a strong plus, especially as our compliance solutions include both client and service components
Our take
Zynga is a games developer that rode Facebook's platform to success back in the late noughties and early 2010's. It is now one of the biggest casual game producers globally, with a presence across over 170 countries and regions and millions of monthly active users.
Though the company hit a number of roadblocks after its initial success - such as falling stock prices, and numerous calls it was copying other games - its subsequent resurgence is proof of its staying power. It continues to use social media as a distribution channel, and boasts titles such as FarmVille, Merge Dragons! and Words With Friends.
Future success will lie in the company's continued investment in building viral games that people love. It will also need to attune to the social media waves and keep track of where users can be found, as the landscape has become more mobile. In 2024 the company announced it was developing push notifications that enable gameplay without entering the application, which will be an interesting addition to its outputs.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
7% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 7 rounds)
Mar 2011
$490m
SERIES C
Oct 2010
$6.3m
EARLY VC
Total funding: $865.5m
Company benefits
- COMPENSATION - Performance bonuses, opportunities for equity participation & retirement/pension savings support
- HEALTH - Medical, dental & vision covered for employees, with participation for employees eligible dependents, plus disability and life insurance program
- FAMILY - Generous parental leave for birth parents, partners and adoptive families, plus Infertility support, emergency child care and flexible time-off policies
- WELLNESS - Gym benefits, wellness programs, employee assistance programs and generous time-off policies
- FOOD - Food and snacks made in-house or delivered, healthy snack kitchens with drinks and treats, coffee bars, regular social gatherings and happy hours
- WORK & LIFE - Flexible time-off policies (DTO), office rest areas, gaming spaces, employee discounts and more
- TRANSIT BENEFITS - Shuttle service in select locations, commuter/parking benefits, secure bicycle storage, business travel assistance
- RESOURCE GROUPS - Women at Zynga (WAZ), zCares charitable giving, zParents, zEndurance adventure club, BZU, zPride LGBTQ+ inclusion and belonging
Company HQ
SoMa, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Mark Pincus
(Chairman & Co-founder)Previously founder and CEO of Freeloader, Supportsoft and Tribe.net, an early social network
Michael Luxton
(Co-founder)Previously an engineer at NetApp
Salary benchmarks
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