Manager, Software Engineering, Core Services - VALORANT (Gamedev)

TL;DR

Manager, Software Engineering (Gamedev): Leading the Core Services team for VALORANT to build and optimize global live-service game infrastructure with an accent on scalability and cross-regional delivery. Focus on designing high-load backend systems, coordinating with Tencent for China operations, and mentoring a team of engineers.

Location: Must be based in the USA (legal mentions of California and Washington states)

Company

Riot Games is a leading game developer dedicated to putting players first and creating immersive experiences like VALORANT.

What you will do

• Manage a team of 5-10 software engineers, overseeing performance, growth, and accountability.
• Lead the development of new core game services and drive evergreen improvements to existing ones.
• Coordinate with technical teams at Tencent to improve services delivery and operations in China.
• Develop and communicate a technical vision for the team in alignment with overall product goals.
• Establish high technical quality standards and frameworks for services development.
• Participate in the team's on-call rotation to maintain system reliability.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience in services development.
• 2+ years of experience directly leading an engineering team as a Manager.
• Expertise in C#, Java, Golang, or similar languages.
• Professional experience with cloud computing and building large-scale backend systems or game services.
• Proficiency in Lean or Agile development processes (Scrum, Kanban).
• English: C1 (Fluent) required

Nice to have

• Fluency in written and spoken Mandarin Chinese.
• Professional or academic experience working with C++.

Culture & Benefits

• Open paid time off policy and flexible work schedules.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and life insurance.
• Parental leave for employees, spouses/domestic partners, and children.
• 401k plan with company match.
• Culture focused on player empathy, collaboration, and diversity.