Senior/Staff Backend Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining large-scale, highly available backend microservices for 'Sky: Children of the Light', a real-time multiplayer game serving millions of concurrent players. The role focuses on ensuring low-latency, reliable online experiences through scalable systems for account management, matchmaking, live updates, and more at thatgamecompany.
What You'll Do
- Design and implement large-scale, highly available backend microservices that serve millions of concurrent players
- Aim for zero downtime in system operations
- Monitor system health and quickly respond to any failures or glitches to deliver a smooth online experience to players worldwide
- Improve quality through code reviews, expanded test coverage, technical post-mortems, and improved documentation
- Encourage collaboration and domain knowledge sharing; reducing bus factor is a feature
- Work and iterate very closely with members of the (distributed, remote) Gameplay, Engine, and Ops teams
- Design testable, flexible features & systems that can withstand frequent changes to functional and performance requirements
- Deliver by striking a deliberate balance between speed and quality
What We're Looking For
- 8+ years experience working on the back-end for an MMO or high-volume, distributed, low-latency web services (relaxed slightly for Senior level)
- Fluency in both a functional language such as Erlang/Elixir and a multi-paradigm language such as Go. You realize languages are just tools and you are already fluent in at least these two types. (relaxed slightly for Senior level)
- Have strong opinions on the different approaches to managing network communication, resource scaling, automated deployment, security, reliability, and data tracking/analysis
- Be familiar with (and have passion for) creating unit tests, stress tests, and integration tests. We are behind the curve with automated testing and aim to get ahead of it
- Be proficient with Linux, container-native development, CI/CD, GitOps, and debugging in network environments
- Have a thorough understanding of the tradeoffs involved in building highly available, at-scale backend systems, caching strategies, and distributed systems
Nice to Have
- (Shareable) hobby projects relevant to the role, eg: a game engine, a networking app, a multiplayer game using an existing engine
- Experience with Kubernetes, Helm, and Docker
- Experience with UDP, bit-level serialization, delta compression, and other techniques for developing efficient network code for real time games
- Our custom game engine is written in C++; the more familiarity you have with performant C++, the better
- Have experience with both relational and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis)
Technical Stack
- Erlang, Elixir, Go, Linux, CI/CD, GitOps, Kubernetes, Helm, Docker, UDP, bit-level serialization, delta compression, C++, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
Team & Environment
- Distributed, remote team collaborating across Gameplay, Engine, and Ops teams
Benefits & Compensation
- Paid Time Off, Holidays, and Two Weeks Winter Break
- Employees and their dependents get medical, dental, and vision coverage, regardless of their level, tenure, or position within the company
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage start on the first day of the job—no waiting period
- Pet Insurance for those who need it too
- Compassionate leave for employees who needs to take care of their family members
- Pre-tax wellness stipend
- Pre-tax work from home stipend
- Access to savings plan (401K program) with company match
- Mental health resources including Headspace membership and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Discount portal for everyday goods and services
- Employee inclusive and diversity initiatives such as Grow Together
- Support for personal professional development
- $125,000 USD to $220,000 USD annually
- Opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus
Work Mode
- Fully remote within the U.S. and Canada
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S or Canada. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
