Want to get hired at Riot Games?

Staff Software Engineer, Player Expressions

Riot Games

Los Angeles, California, United StatesOn Site

Original Job Summary

About the Role

Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas and work across broader domains. As a Staff Software Engineer, Player Expressions, you will drive technical initiatives, mentor engineers, and lead projects that focus on cross-team objectives and player experience. You will work with a small, multidisciplinary team including product leads, technical artists, designers, and other engineers.

Responsibilities

  • Identify, prioritize, and implement custom Unreal tooling, workflows, and data repositories.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional team members to gather requirements and plan technical initiatives.
  • Lead architecture, technical design, and implementation efforts for key systems.
  • Shape the technical direction and standards for the team.
  • Iterate on robust, scalable, and performant solutions as development advances.
  • Mentor and guide other engineers in your area of expertise.

Required Qualifications

  • 6+ years of development experience in the game industry.
  • Fluency in C or C++.
  • Experience on at least one shipped game title.
  • Strong understanding of game/software design patterns and debugging skills.
  • Professional experience with Unreal 4 or 5 tool creation.
  • Ability to collaborate across multiple disciplines.

Desired Qualifications

  • 3+ years of tools/workflow development experience.
  • Experience with UE4 or UE5 and visual scripting systems.
  • Background in agile development and managing game development workflows.

Perks & Benefits

Riot Games emphasizes work/life balance with an open paid time off policy, flexible work schedules, comprehensive medical, dental, life insurance, parental leave benefits, and a 401k with company match.

Culture & Mission

At Riot Games, players are always the priority. The company values collaboration, innovation, and a deep personal connection to the gaming experience, aiming to create an environment where every employee’s unique perspective enhances the outcomes.

Key skills/competency

  • Game Development
  • Unreal Engine
  • C++
  • Tool Development
  • Architecture
  • Debugging
  • Collaboration
  • Agile
  • Mentorship
  • Technical Design

How to Get Hired at Riot Games

🎯 Tips for Getting Hired

  • Customize your resume: Highlight relevant game development experience.
  • Emphasize technical skills: Focus on C++, Unreal, and tooling.
  • Research Riot Games: Understand their mission and projects.
  • Prepare for interviews: Practice technical and behavioral questions.

📝 Interview Preparation Advice

Technical Preparation

Review C/C++ coding challenges.
Practice Unreal Engine tool development.
Study game architecture and design patterns.
Debug sample game development scripts.

Behavioral Questions

Describe a complex project collaboration.
Explain your mentorship experiences.
Discuss conflict resolution in teams.
Detail decision-making under pressure.