Senior Backend Engineer (C++)

About the role

Rushdown Studios is looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join us in support of our partner studio! In this role, you'll work alongside our team to build and integrate central technologies capable of servicing multiple games with unique needs. Our ideal candidate is a self-motivated and demonstrated team player with the ability to juggle and jump between different tasks as necessary. Game development experience is preferred due to the nature of this project, but it's not mandatory; we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all of the requirements listed below!

Work Location: For this role, we are only able to consider candidates willing to work from our office in Saratoga Springs, NY on a hybrid basis (e.g., Tuesday–Thursday). This is not a fully remote position and, in this case, Rushdown is not able to offer relocation assistance to successful candidates located outside of a reasonable commuting distance.

Disclaimer: Please note that this is not a gameplay engineering role.

Responsibilities

• Prototype and build cloud-based microservices in the backend.
• Contribute to a healthy technical culture that encourages engineers to learn and grow.
• Partner with designers to iterate on features and optimize for a smoother player experience.
• Integrate first-party platform features and ensure console certification requirements are met.
• Collaborate with external programmers to enable their features to run as quickly and efficiently as possible.
• Develop new services and author software design documents.
• General support for live features and releases.
• Solve crashes and other problems on both PC and console.
• Work closely with our partners and take / provide technical feedback.

Requirements

• Four (4) years of professional experience with C++.
• At least one (1) year of professional experience with Golang.
• Experience developing and shipping commercial games, as well as the broader ability to write clear, maintainable, and portable code.
• Experience integrating with online systems and related best practices.
• Experience building and debugging networked features for multiplayer games.
• Ability to dive into a game engine to complete a task.
• Proficiency with scalable non-relational database solutions (e.g., MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis).
• Ability to comfortably navigate and integrate with one or more cloud service providers (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Willingness to selflessly put player experiences first — before even your own code and ego.
• Proactive approach to communication, particularly when it comes to unblocking yourself and navigating obstacles as part of a team.

Nice-to-Haves

• Familiarity with game server scaling and orchestration frameworks.
• Experience with PlayFab, Epic Online Services, or other popular backend game services.
• Experience with multiple game engines, including Unreal Engine or bespoke game engines.
• Experience integrating Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo APIs or adhering to their Technical Requirements Checklists (TRCs).
• Experience developing SDKs or plugins to be used by other developers you may not be working with directly.

Benefits

• Compensation: $115,000–135,000/year. Please note that final base pay will ultimately depend upon a combination of factors, including your prior experience, general qualifications, and broader skill set.
• 9 Paid Holidays plus Flexible PTO and Annual Winter Break Closure
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Annual Video Game Budget
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Paid Parental Leave