Lead Software Engineer, Client Foundations

Activision Blizzard, Inc.; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 122,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) matching

Paid holidays and vacation

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Activision Blizzard, Inc. in Irvine, CA is seeking a Lead Software Engineer, Client Foundations to guide our client foundations team for an unannounced game. This full-time hybrid role blends on-site and remote work to build scalable, high-performance client systems across platforms.

You will mentor engineers, own architecture, and collaborate with art and design while delivering features for mobile, PC, and console games using Unity, C#, and .NET.

Qualifications

• Deep hands-on expertise with Unity, C#, and .NET in game development.
• Experience leading engineers through game client work and optimization.
• Proven ability to balance coding, architecture, and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow the client foundations team with accountability and technical excellence.
• Manage priorities, deadlines, and deliverables with cross‑discipline alignment.
• Surface risks early and drive discussions to address them promptly.
• Collaborate with tech art, UI, and engineers to optimize player experiences.

Skills

Unity

C#

NET

People management

Game development

Multiplatform development

Job description

Team Name:

Unannounced Project

Job Title:

Lead Software Engineer, Client Foundations

Requisition ID:

R026304

Job Description:

Blizzard is looking for a talented and motivated Lead Client Engineer to guide our growing client foundations team as we craft a new, unannounced game. This team is critical in architecting and building systems that will help scale our game’s client to reach the largest player base with a client that is both performant and responsive.

We are looking for a candidate with deep technical expertise with Unity, C#, and .NET. The ideal candidate will also have a proven record of leading engineers through work deep within the game client code, including optimizing for multiplatform development, working with technical artists to build systems that scale and provide delightful player experiences.

We value diverse voices and varied backgrounds, and we’re looking for individuals to help us build fun, compelling, and inclusive gameplay and experiences with us.

This role is a full-time, hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow our team of engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, technical excellence, and accountability while being a key code contributor.
• Manage priorities, deadlines, and deliverables, ensuring clear communication and alignment across peers and disciplines.
• Proactively surface technical and execution risks, drive open discussion, and ensure they are addressed in a timely manner.
• Partner closely with tech art, UI, and engineers across the larger team to optimize our game for player experiences with the game client.

Requirements

• Deep, hands‑on expertise with Unity, C#, and .NET, architecting and delivering projects in service of the game client.
• Experience building and shipping game features for mobile, PC, and console games.
• Proven people management experience leading engineering teams in game development; dedication to building inclusive, high‑performing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to balance technical contribution (coding/architecture) with leadership responsibilities.
• Comfort working in a rapidly evolving, in‑flight game codebase, with the judgment to balance quick prototyping against long‑term scalability and maintainability.
• Background in live operations, content pipelines, and iterative game client updates.
• Strong cross‑functional communication skills, with experience bridging engineering, art, and design.

Pluses

• Experience guiding a team through multiple stages of development (prototype, production, alpha/beta, launch, live service).
• Familiarity with data‑informed development and/telemetry‑driven insights for measuring player impact.
• Contributions to an inclusive team culture, fostering psychological safety and collaboration across disciplines.
• Experience building and shipping games across multiple platforms (PC, console, and mobile).

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre‑defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world’s largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well‑being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast‑paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under‑represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [e-mail]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well‑being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full‑time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $121,500.00 - $224,880.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.