Principal Software Engineer, Riot Games
Riot Client
$218.3-304.3k
+ Equity + Incentive compensation
Player-focused game development platform
Open for applications
Player-focused game development platform
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$218.3-304.3k
+ Equity + Incentive compensation
1001+ employees
Company mission
To be the most player-focused game company in the world.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor's, Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or comparable experience in software development
- 10+ years of industry experience in software engineering. 2+ years of experience in a technical leadership role or comparable experience
- Expertise in C++ and web technology (React, Node.js)
- Experience in building desktop client applications
- Have been responsible for driving the design and leading of development of long-term(1 year plus) efforts across teams, including stakeholder alignment, requirements gathering, planning, testing, and release
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to work collaboratively with across disciplines and organizations
Desirable
- Experience with Electron
- Experience in build pipelines
- Experience in developer efficiency tooling
What the job involves
- As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be the Tech Lead on the Riot Client team
- As a tech lead, you will be responsible for driving technical excellence and long term technical direction for the team, ensuring high-quality deliverables, and fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment
- You will play a crucial role in guiding and mentoring our engineering team through the software development lifecycle
- You will partner with different disciplines, and collaborate across teams and organizations at Riot to deliver the best player experience with sound architecture decisions
- Your work will be instrumental for Riot’s out-of-game ecosystem to be successful by unlocking Riot Client’s next level of capabilities for game distribution, content, social and internal developer efficiency
- Involve in high-level strategic planning and hands-on technical leadership with engineers to ensure the delivery of high-quality, scalable, and reliable engineering solutions
- Manage the wide Riot Client dependency map across Riot, understand the tech complexity and provide strong guidance on how to evolve the application with integrity
- Partner closely with team engineering manager and across disciplines(product, production, QA, design, data insight) to achieve the best player experience
- Collaborate and align across teams and organizations to drive long-term technical solutions
- Develop a strong technical vision that incorporates different customer needs(players, game teams, internal developers) and drive the implementation
- Mentor other engineers in technical and interpersonal skills
- For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes your fellow Rioters, who are the customers of your work
Our take
Riot Games has grown into one of the world’s most prominent online and mobile game developers, due in large part to the success of its 2009 flagship title League of Legends which hosts just under seventy million users every month.
Riot is riding the wave of online gaming growth, having made a well timed switch from PC-only into mobile-based gaming, as capitalising on the rising popularity of esports, with the League of Legends World Championships one of the most watched events in the space.
However, adding further titles to its resume will be key to building on its success, as League of Legends was its only offering for the best part of a decade. Since being acquired by Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2011, the company has grown significantly in Asian markets, opening its Shanghai Game Studio in 2021 and expanding its China Game Studio Group in 2022. These two hubs will help Riot Games make further inroads in a country where PC gaming is already huge and continues to grow.
Regardless of League of Legends' success both online and in live arenas, the company nevertheless experienced a round of layoffs internationally that amounted to 11% of its workforce. Pair that with legal troubles in 2024 concerning the company’s partnership with now bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, and Riot Games appears to be in a period of transition. Thanks to the strength of its gaming products, however, Riot will no doubt maintain a comfortable position within the gaming world.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Some candidates hear
back within 2 weeks
24% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (2 rounds)
Sep 2009
$8m
SERIES C
Jul 2008
$7m
EARLY VC
Total funding: $15m
Company benefits
- We offer medical, dental, and vision plans that cover you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children
- Life insurance, parental leave, plus short-term and long-term disability coverage are also available
- Riot will support your retirement benefits with a company match, and double down on your donations of time and money to non-profit charitable organizations
- Balance between work and personal life is encouraged with open paid time off, and a play fund so you can broaden and deepen your personal relationship with games
Company values
- Player experience first
- Dare to dream
- Thrive together
- Execute with excellence
- Stay hungry, stay humble
Company HQ
Sawtelle, Los Angeles, CA
Articles
Leadership
Brandon Beck
(Co-Chairman)Having studied at the University of Southern California, they worked as a Management Consultant at Bain & Company. they left this role in September 2006 to co-found Riot Games, where they served initially as co-CEO.
Marc Merrill
(Co-Chairman)After a degree at the University of Southern California, they worked as a U.S. Bank Analyst and a Manager of Advanstar Communications. They co-founded Riot Games with Brandon in September 2006, alongside being a Principal of NaHCo3 since 2016.
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