Staff Software Engineer, Riot Games
Services, League of Legends, Motivations
$183.3-256.6k
+ Incentive Compensation + Equity
Player-focused game development platform
Open for applications
Player-focused game development platform
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$183.3-256.6k
+ Incentive Compensation + Equity
1001+ employees
Company mission
To be the most player-focused game company in the world.
Role
Who you are
- 7+ years as a software engineer building and operating software at scale
- Strong proficiency in Java programming language (Java 8+)
- Experience designing and implementing distributed systems with many service integrations
- Proven experience defining a technical vision, and socializing it across an organization
- Proven ability to communicate technical information to non-technical audiences
Desirable
- Proficient in developing C++ or C# services
- Proficient in web development (JavaScript, Ember, HTML, CSS)
- Have working knowledge on matchmaking algorithms like League’s MMR and Trueskill 2
What the job involves
- As a Staff Software Engineer on the League of Legends Casual and Ranked User Experience (CRUX) team, you will bring your deep knowledge of matchmaking algorithms and ranked progressions to help shape the vision for the ranked experience and SR queues on League of Legends
- You will work as part of a diverse team consisting of artists, designers, engineers, producers and QA
- You will be involved in designing & implementing required changes to our system which is composed of a few different technology stacks
- You will report to the team's Engineering Manager in our office in Los Angeles
- Lead, identify and build improvements to League of Legend Client features
- Mentor and coach to lift the expertise of the engineering team
- Collaborate across disciplines and other teams of engineers from within League and central inter-game data teams
- Write and review reliable, maintainable code, and author architectural design documents
- Uphold a high standard of engineering excellence
- Collaborate with the Game Product Manager to identify focus areas and provide the best solution in those areas
- 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 the experiences of players, this could be the role for you!
- If you embody player empathy and care about the experiences of players, this could be the role for you!
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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