Lead Online Server Engineer

Activision Blizzard, Inc.; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 146,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with match

Paid holidays & vacation

Job summary

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in Irvine, CA or Albany, NY is seeking a Lead Software Engineer, Online to define and evolve the online architecture for Diablo’s connected gameplay.

You will lead a team that builds scalable, resilient services and collaborates with designers and client engineers to translate ambitious concepts into polished online experiences. The role offers a flexible hybrid work week with remote and on-site days; Albany, NY and Irvine, CA are primary studios.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional experience developing online or systems-level features.
• Deep expertise in C++ and strong software engineering fundamentals.
• Hands-on experience with distributed systems or client/server architectures.
• Familiarity with backend data technologies like Redis, Cassandra, Pulsar.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Track record of thriving in dynamic, iterative development environments.

Responsibilities

• Shape and drive the online technical strategy, defining architectures and services for scalable, resilient gameplay.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to elevate engineering quality.
• Build and maintain backend systems delivering reliable online features and interactions.
• Collaborate with design, client engineering, and cross-team leadership to ship social, multiplayer features.
• Integrate shared services across Blizzard ecosystems and align requirements.
• Prioritize work with production and project leadership to ensure smooth execution.
• Champion engineering excellence, maintainability, and scalable workflows.

Skills

C++ expertise

Distributed systems

Online services

Leadership

Communication

Tools

Redis

Cassandra

Pulsar

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in Irvine, CA or Albany, NY is seeking a Lead Software Engineer, Online to define and evolve the online architecture for Diablo’s connected gameplay.

You will lead a team that builds scalable, resilient services and collaborates with designers and client engineers to translate ambitious concepts into polished online experiences. The role offers a flexible hybrid work week with remote and on-site days; Albany, NY and Irvine, CA are primary studios.