Principal Software Engineer

Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. As Software Engineers, we work with both new and current technology, creating innovative solutions to overcome high-volume obstacles and to deliver player value.

As a Principal Software Engineer (Major Projects) in the Teamfight Tactics team, you will provide technical leadership, technical designs and hands-on implementations for a wide area of technical areas in a game development environment.  You will report to the Senior Director of Engineering on the Teamfight Tactics team.

Responsibilities:

• Explore, define, and lead the development of technological initiatives, pushing the boundaries of innovation for new features
• Guide and support specialist teams (AI, Engine, Gameplay) through hands-on technical leadership, ensuring the delivery of innovative features
• Collaborate on product, technical and architectural discussions, ensuring alignment with the product vision and engineering strategy
• Lead development with gameplay, engine, and backend teams to deliver technology that enables the game’s evolution
• Build new features and lead the development of systems, services, pipelines, and tools
• Maintain exceptional code quality by promoting best practices in maintainability, scalability, testing, and documentation, with a focus on long-term stability
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to engineers, technical artists, and designers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and engineering excellence

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years experience in professional software development
• Expertise with C++
• 4+ years game engine experience (ex. Unity, Unreal Engine )
• Strong OO C/C++/C# programming experience and data driven design principles
• Strong knowledge of common game and software design patterns
• Experience collaborating with teammates across multiple disciplines
• Product sense, pragmatism, and player empathy in making tech decisions
• BS in Computer Science, or proven understanding of Computer Science fundamentals

Desired Qualifications:

• Previously worked with gameplay ability system (GAS) in unreal
• Online SaaS (software as a service) game development experience
• Mobile or multi-platform performance profiling
• Familiarity with Teamfight Tactics

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 players’ experiences, this could be your role!

Our Perks:

Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner’s Code and Community Code. Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming.

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

• Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.