Principal Software Developer - Full Stack (Unity, C#)

Position Overview

Zynga is looking for a Principal Software Engineer level in the Austin, Eugene, Toronto, San Mateo, Carlsbad, or Chicago areas. This position will be to develop and maintain the core client technology, engine-level systems, and infrastructure for a game with a cozy vibe targeting a casual audience. You should have a passion for engineering excellence and be comfortable diagnosing and solving deep, systemic technical problems, such as improving load times, frame rate, memory footprint, and other cross-cutting performance concerns. You’ll need to operate with rigorous engineering discipline while working largely independently to plan and execute complex, multi-week technical initiatives.

What You'll Do

• Define, architect, and develop core systems and client infrastructure in Unity and C#
• Diagnose and resolve complex, game-wide technical issues such as slow load times, low frame rates, memory pressure, and build/runtime stability
• Own the evaluation, upgrade, and maintenance of third-party libraries, SDKs, and engine dependencies
• Design and implement foundational architecture changes that enable future feature roadmaps for feature-focused engineers to build upon
• Produce technical design documentation and implementation plans for infrastructure and systemic initiatives
• Scope and cost work accurately from loosely defined requirements, presenting estimates with clear assumptions and identified risks
• Adapt plans and technical approaches when requirements or platform constraints change
• Review code, technical design documentation, and implementation plans for other team members
• Proactively profile, optimize, and refactor code to meet team performance and stability KPI goals
• Explore, develop, and integrate new technologies and tools that benefit the broader engineering team
• Work closely with other engineers to lead multi-week or month-long infrastructure and tooling efforts
• Give team and divisional tech talks on architectures that you’ve built
• Help to mentor other engineers

What You Bring

• B.Sc. in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent education / work experience
• 6+ Years game industry / mobile app experience as a software developer
• Shipped titles and/or live games experience, especially mobile (iOS / Android)
• Expert knowledge in C#
• 3+ Years Unity experience, including engine-level and low-level systems work
• A solid understanding of client/server architecture in modern mobile games
• Understanding, interest and knowledge of server-side architecture in mobile games
• Solid foundation in data structures, algorithms and software methodologies
• Demonstrated experience diagnosing and resolving performance issues such as load times, frame rate, and memory usage
• Experience upgrading, integrating, or maintaining third-party libraries, SDKs, or engine versions
• Experience with the AWS ecosystem, Kubernetes, and back end monitoring technologies such as Datadog
• Excellent communication skills and comfort working in a collaborative environment
• Excellent ability to foresee and proactively resolve blockers, technical risk, and points of failure
• Excellent ability to function in an asynchronous distributed work environment while still tuning in to key team meetings
• Experience with git
• Experience with performance profiling and optimization tools

Bonus Points

• Experience with Unity engine source modification or custom engine forks
• Experience with build pipeline, CI/CD, or dev tooling for game teams
• Experience playing and working on games that target a casual audience
• Experience using Claude Code or a similar AI coding tool

What We Offer You

• A world-class benefits package that helps support and balance the needs of our teams
• Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses.

Pay Range

The pay range for this position in Toronto at the start of employment is expected to be between $114,300 and $164,300 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $133,900 and $180,000 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. The pay range for this position in Illinois at the start of employment is expected to be between $120,600 and $170,000 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.