Principal Software Engineer, Services/DevOps - Wild Rift

Riot Games; California (MO); On-site; USD 229,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

401k with company match

Open PTO

Job summary

Riot Games in Los Angeles is seeking a Principal Software Engineer for Wild Rift to lead key features and set engineering standards across global services and infrastructure. You will mentor a cross-disciplinary team and translate technical vision into actionable roadmaps that delight players worldwide.

You will collaborate with leadership, Riot Central teams, and product partners to deliver high-impact, scalable systems while maintaining cost-effectiveness in live environments.

Qualifications

• 8+ years professional experience as a software engineer.
• 4+ years as a tech lead guiding game services, infra, devops and live ops.
• Experience translating long-term technical vision into a roadmap.
• Experience leading technical reviews across organizations.
• Mandarin fluency required.

Responsibilities

• Define the engineering strategy and technical roadmap for global services and infrastructure.
• Manage and scale multiple engineering disciplines to support product needs.
• Lead long-term evolution of game services and infrastructure ownership.
• Collaborate in technical discussions, provide direction, and drive decisions.
• Partner with product and delivery to define features and roadmaps.

Skills

Years of experience

Technical lead

Mandarin fluency

Roadmap planning

Technical discussions

Education

BS in Computer Science

Job description

Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the chance to work in many broader domains. Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. We work with both new and current technology, creating innovative solutions to solve complex, large-scale challenges and deliver player value.

As a Principal Software Engineer on Wild Rift, you’ll lead the development of key features and model high standards of engineering excellence. You will leverage your deep technical expertise, technical vision to enhance the player experience across the game. You'll work closely with the leadership team to set technical vision, align stakeholders across Riot to deliver high-impact results and memorable moments that last a lifetime. You’ll support and grow a cross-disciplinary engineering team. Joining a passionate and driven team, you'll help shape the premier mobile League of Legends experience enjoyed by millions of players worldwide.

Responsibilities:

• Define the engineering strategy and technical roadmap to develop our global service and infrastructure with an understanding of our audience and product goals

• Manage and scale multiple engineering disciplines to support product needs across the product lifecycle and ongoing live operations

• Lead the long-term evolution of game services and infrastructure ownership, including transitioning capabilities into the team and building the organization and operating model to run them sustainably over time.

• Collaborate in technical/architectural discussions, provide direction and drive decision-making

• Partner with product and delivery as they define product features and product roadmap, and collaborate to develop strategies for improving team health and effectiveness

• Collaborate and coordinate with Riot Central technology teams to efficiently deliver world-class solutions

• Drive the planning and execution of engineering work including requirements gathering, technical discovery, technical design, and work breakdown and estimation.

• Directly accountable for the technical success of the team including ownership of our systems, services, AI adoption, infrastructure, and devops operating well and in a cost-effective manner in live environments

• Identify, interview, and hire software engineers to support Wild Rift team and goals

• Support engineers with performance management, and career management and development including stretch opportunities for them to grow

• Create a culture of leadership across engineering by seeking different perspectives at all levels to solve problems and contribute ideas

Required Qualifications:

• BS in Computer Science, computer engineering or related field (or equivalent experience).

• 8+ years professional experience as a software engineer working in a game development team, Infra/SRE, or Software engineering teams

• 4+ years as a tech lead guiding the direction and implementation of game services, infrastructure, devops, and live operations

• Experience translating a long-term technical vision into a roadmap that your teams successfully executed against, with evidence of course-correcting when priorities shifted.

• Experience leading technical discussions such as technical design reviews and code reviews across organizations

• Mandarin fluency required

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working in co-dev environments

• Experience working on Game Client, Around game systems, Infrastructure, privacy/security, Trust and Safety and operating live services games

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players and fans. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about the experiences of players, this could be the role for you!

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.

(Los Angeles Only) Base salary range between $229,200.00 - $319,500.00 USD + incentive compensation + equity + 401K with company match + medical, dental, vision, and life insurance + short and long-term disability + open PTO.