Software Engineering Manager - VALORANT, Player Dynamics

Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in many broader domains. As a Software Engineering Manager on the Player Dynamics team, you’ll also dive into projects that focus on team cohesiveness and cross-team goals. You’ll collaborate with a multidisciplinary leadership team to lead a small, passionate team of developers in the delivery of exciting new features for VALORANT and our players.

VALORANT is Riot’s take on a character-based tactical shooter (for more info on VALORANT click here!). In this role on the VALORANT Player Dynamics team, you will be responsible for building and improving the full stack of Player Dynamics features in VALORANT: from scalable backend services to performant game client and server tech. You'll own the technical direction for how VALORANT features are built, scale, and are operated in production. You will collaborate heavily with Design, Data Analytics, and Product Management to build in and out of game systems that create new and exciting ways to engage with VALORANT. All the systems you design and build will bring players together and ensure their gaming experience is safe and free of disruptive behavior.

Responsibilities:

• Create, review, and reframe an engineering vision with the team and key stakeholders including the Technology, Product, and Process Leads.
• Be excited to span the entire VALORANT tech stack - from our golang services and infrastructure internals, to our game client in C++ and UE5 blueprints. We’re not looking for someone who’s an expert across the board, but if you want to stick to your expertise / comfort zone this position may not be for you.
• Implement server infrastructure in support of new features.
• Collaborate effectively with art, design, and other disciplines within game development.
• Identify, recruit, interview, and hire software engineers to help teams scale effectively.
• Provide technical expertise throughout the product life cycle including design, implementation, and delivery of features while continuously improving the software engineering quality and efficiency.
• Build and manage strong relationships between disciplines 
• Lead, grow, and coach team members to build talent over the long term
• Demonstrate a high bar of craft excellence for your team
• Cultivate your team's culture of collaboration, creativity and passion for game making
• Partner closely with shared teams at Riot that provide cross game capabilities for things like player inventory

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience as a Software Engineer
• 2+ years experience directly leading an engineering team either as an Engineering Manager or Technical Lead & mentor.
• 1+ years of experience with C++
• 1+ years professional experience building distributed systems at scale
• Experience working in the games industry
• Familiarity working in an agile environment
• Experience collaborating across departments and disciplines to create solutions.
• Interest in developing high reliability systems that players use to acquire content

Desired Qualifications:

• 6+ years of experience
• 2+ years of C++ experience
• Experience working on competitive multiplayer games
• Experience with Unreal Engine
• Deep Engagement with the Shooter Genre
• Experience with social or player dynamics systems, in games or not

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.

At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you’re working directly on a new player-facing experience or you’re supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we’re better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we’re looking forward to your application.

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.