Los Angeles, United States
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$226K–$312K/yr
Estimate — the employer hasn't published pay.
Based on 494 similar staff/principal Software Engineer jobs in United States that show pay. The range is the middle half of their posted pay (25th to 75th percentile), not an offer — ask the employer for the real range.
Software Engineering salaries →Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. As a Principal Software Engineer, you’ll work alongside other engineers to implement technical solutions at a company-wide scale. You’ll collaborate with teams to ensure high quality and stack applicability, and provide other engineers with a clear illustration of extraordinary engineering.
Developer Connections (DevCon) connects Riot's developers across Game Studios, R&D, and Central Tech to help teams reliably and efficiently ship and operate games. Our mission is to provide the core systems and capabilities that enable Riot teams to deliver games to any audience on any platform with confidence and ease, keeping developers focused on building exceptional player experiences. As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll serve as a senior technical leader for Riot’s game release ecosystem. In this highly collaborative, game-facing role, you will partner closely with Release Team leadership and game teams across Riot to shape technical direction, bring clarity to complex release challenges, and build trust across partner teams. The ideal candidate possesses deep, firsthand experience with game shipping mechanics—including clients, servers, services, content, publishing constraints, and first-party requirements (console or mobile experience is a major plus)—and will leverage this expertise to drive sound technical decisions and improve how Riot delivers games globally.
For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes your fellow Rioters, who are the customers of your work. Being a dedicated fan of games is not necessary for this position!
Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.
At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you’re working directly on a new player-facing experience or you’re supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we’re better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we’re looking forward to your application.
It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.
Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:
These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.