Sr. Manager, Software Engineering (Services Lead) - Unpublished R&D Product
Riot Games
| Company | Riot Games |
| Category | Engineering |
| Location | Los Angeles |
| Remote | On-site (inferred) |
| Employment | Not stated |
| Level | Manager |
| Salary | Not stated by the employer |
| Posted | 14 Apr 2026 |
| Last verified | 9 Aug 2026 |
| Source | Employer ATS (greenhouse) |
Description
Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. As Engineering Managers, we gain organizational alignment by building a strong engineering vision and offering creative solutions to organizational design. We also serve as mentors for a team of engineers, overseeing their performance and trying to find stretch opportunities for their growth while maintaining a focus on results.
As a Senior Manager, Software Engineering within Riot Discovery Studio, you will report to the Tech Director on an unpublished R&D product, directing internal and external teams of engineers to support product exploration, integrate, and extend critical backend technologies, and scale our technology to meet the needs of a live Riot title. You will be accountable for all technical decisions of your teams’ focus areas and help shape the product. In addition to leading the team, you will be hands-on in implementation, at least initially.
Responsibilities:
Define the engineering strategy and technical roadmap to develop our global backend infrastructure with an understanding of our audience and product goals
Manage and scale multiple engineering teams to support product needs through pre-production, production and post-launch
Partner with product and delivery as they define product features and product roadmap
Collaborate and coordinate with Riot Central technology teams to efficiently deliver world-class solutions
Direct development and manage performance of external engineering teams in other geographies
Collaborate in technical/architectural discussions, provide direction and drive decision-making
Drive the planning and execution of engineering work including requirements gathering, technical discovery, technical design, and work breakdown and estimation.
Directly accountable for the technical success of the team including ownership of our systems and services operating well and in a cost-effective manner in live environments
Identify, interview, and hire software engineers to support team and Riot hiring goals
Support engineers with performance management, and career management and development including stretch opportunities for them to grow
Create a culture of leadership across engineering by seeking different perspectives at all levels to solve problems and contribute ideas
Required Qualifications:
6+ years of experience as a software engineer
2+ years of game development experience working in various platforms (i.e. mobile, console, PC, etc.)
3+ years in a leadership position, working directly on the production of a game as an Engineering Manager
Experience leading teams through feature development (planning, execution, delivery, post-release support)
Experience building reliable, scalable, and maintainable backend distributed systems
Experience with the full software development lifecycle, including shipping one or more products on large code bases that span a range of platforms and tools
Experience collaborating across non-engineering departments to create solutions
Experience with Golang or Java
Desired Qualifications:
Experience developing or managing development of full-stack solutions
Experience managing co-development or outsourcing relationships
Experience shipping a game on Unreal Engine
Experience with build and release pipeline management
Experience with the pre-production, production, and post-production phases of game development
Familiarity with modern game platforms and practices
For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about the experiences of players, this could be the role for you!
Our Perks:
Riot focuses on work/