Principal Software Engineer - Content Access Platform

Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. As a Principal Software Engineer, you’ll work alongside other engineers to implement technical solutions at a company-wide scale. You’ll collaborate with teams to ensure high quality and stack applicability, and provide other engineers with a clear illustration of extraordinary engineering. As a Principal Software Engineer on the Content Access Platform (CAP) team, you will be responsible for the design and operation of numerous back end services that are the foundation of all of Riot’s games worldwide. The Content Access Platform team owns and operates large-scale, globally distributed systems that support millions of players and fans. Our systems and services power a wide variety of in-game experiences ranging from missions and battle passes, to virtual currencies and player inventories. Through collaboration with internal platform teams and Riot’s game development teams, you’ll identify opportunities to centralize functionality and accelerate development by creating systems that are easy to use, scalable, reliable, and deployed around the globe. Your role will also extend beyond coding – you'll be a visionary leader, defining domain architecture and aligning technology strategies with enterprise goals. You'll mentor teams, drive innovation, and champion solutions that showcase the immense value of our work to Riot’s game development teams and players. You will report to the Engineering Manager of the Content Access Platform team within Player Platform. Responsibilities: Lead and drive the design and construction of critical, large scale services that fuel Riot’s thriving ecosystem for virtual goods. Lead the development and execution of a long-term service architecture strategy that delivers scalable, high-performance, and reliable solutions that support Riot’s strategic goals. Be a center of innovation, helping the team identify new technologies and new approaches to solving hard engineering problems. Collaborate and communicate with teams and technical leaders across Riot to resolve cross organizational engineering challenges. Implement and operate essential services used by Riot engineers and millions of Riot gamers world-wide. Work with the team to level-up systems design, infrastructure, quality, and operational capabilities. Be part of a rotational on-call schedule for live product and internal customer support. Contribute to the growth of the team and its members through technical leadership and mentoring. Work closely with non-technical partners and customers to understand their vision, clarify requirements, and drive delivery of features. Required Qualifications: Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience 10+ years of hands-on software development experience, with a focus on back end services Prior experience as a technical leader setting technical vision and building alignment with senior level engineering leaders across multiple teams Experience developing large-scale, performant, distributed solutions on cloud infrastructure Desired Qualifications: Extensive experience with Cloud Platform providers like AWS, GCP, or Azure (AWS preferred) Experience with building services using Java, Kotlin, or Go (Java/Kotlin preferred) Experience with performance analysis and optimization Experience with event driven architectures and technologies (Kafka, Event Hubs, Kinesis, etc.) Experience leading and mentoring small engineering teams For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes your fellow Rioters, who are the customers of your work. Being a dedicated fan of games is not necessary for this position! 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.