Lead Game Services Engineer

31st Union

. Lead and manage backend engineers across US and EU studios .

Posted 11/9/2026full-timeRemote • California • United StatesSenior💰 $169,100 - $250,280 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates extensive experience in backend architecture, server-side development, and managing engineering teams, particularly in the context of live-service games. Proficient in C#, Python, and cloud services, with a strong focus on optimizing distributed systems and ensuring operational excellence.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Backend Architecture OwnershipTeam Leadership in AAA TitlesProficiency in C# and PythonExperience with AWS and KubernetesStrong Knowledge of Distributed Systems

ATS Keywords

Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills

Server-Side DevelopmentDistributed SystemsNoSQL DatabasesPerformance OptimizationIncident ResponseAPI DevelopmentMicroservice ArchitectureReal-Time MessagingC++ ProgrammingGame Systems Design

Soft Skills

Team ManagementTechnical LeadershipCommunication SkillsProblem-SolvingCollaboration

Tools & Technologies

AWSKubernetesHelmMongoDBRedisUnreal EngineCI/CD PipelinesMonitoring ToolsAPI GatewaysIncident Reporting Tools

Industry Keywords

Live-Service GamesAAA Title DevelopmentGame Features ImplementationCapacity PlanningCost Management

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSDistributed SystemsKubernetesMongoDBNoSQLPythonRedisUnreal EngineC++Go

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead and manage backend engineers across US and EU studios
Own the architecture of studio-hosted services and infrastructure, including service boundaries, data models, APIs, and deployment topology
Write and review technical designs and backend implementations for new services and game features
Plan backend work, maintain the backlog, estimate work, and set sprint priorities
Set engineering standards for code review, testing, documentation, and on-call readiness
Align backend roadmaps with studio release schedules
Diagnose, fix, and deploy backend hotfixes
Maintain continuous integration pipelines and deployment automation
Own monitoring, alerting, dashboards, runbooks, and incident reporting
Run the backend on-call rotation and respond to backend incidents
Load test services, fix performance bottlenecks, and optimize service costs
Implement and test failover and disaster recovery
Integrate proprietary studio services with 2K and external platform services
Debug cross-service issues with external engineering partners
Report to the Director - Online Services

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years of server-side development experience
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience
Led or managed backend engineers on a shipped AAA title, preferably a live-service or competitive multiplayer game
Fluent in C# and proficient in Python or Go
Strong grasp of distributed systems, concurrency, and scalable service design
Hands-on experience with NoSQL databases such as MongoDB or DocumentDB, and Redis
Experience deploying and operating production services on AWS
Kubernetes, Helm, and microservice architectures
Profiling and optimizing distributed systems, including database queries and service calls
Real-time messaging such as MQTT and API gateways
C++ and Unreal Engine experience
Online game systems such as matchmaking, social, progression, commerce, and telemetry
Experience running a live title, including incident response, capacity planning, and cost management
Legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship

Benefits

Comp & perks

Bonus and/or equity awards may be included in total compensation
Medical, financial, and/or other benefits
Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities
Equal employment opportunity and inclusive workplace