Principal Software Engineer Lead, Gameplay Systems - Minecraft
About the role
Overview
At Mojang Studios, the creators of Minecraft, we are on a mission to build a better world through the power of play.
Why play? Well, play is at the heart of everything we do. It’s the blocky backbone of our games, the core of our development philosophy, and even the origin of our name. From the relentless experimentation of our endlessly inspiring community to the classrooms where Minecraft has become an essential teaching tool, play is the bedrock of our existence.
We enable millions to create and play together, connect people across the globe, and foster a community that is among the most active and passionate in the world. Our community is global and incredibly diverse. When we are developing anything within our franchise, we keep this in mind. We want everyone to not only feel included in Minecraft, but also to see themselves in what we make. Our goal is for the Mojang Studios team to be as diverse as our community.
The Gameplay Systems team is looking for a hands-on Engineering Lead who will drive innovation through a group of software engineers. Your team will be responsible for building the platform that empowers content creators to deliver a diverse set of Minecraft gaming experiences to players across multiple platforms.
As Engineering Lead, you will be accountable for the technical direction, architecture, and delivery of core gameplay systems through your team, supporting them in evaluating requirements, designing solutions, estimating development, and integrating high quality features into our products. Collaboration with peers in development, product, design, and quality will be key. You will lead by example while also growing a talented team of engineers.
You and your team will help shape the creation experience for Minecraft.
Responsibilities
Grow a high performing team with a healthy culture based on trust. Nurture each individual’s growth and create the conditions for the team to deliver effectively.
Own the technical strategy for the gameplay systems that your team supports and promote great engineering practices as well as continuous improvement.
Lead by example and coach engineers to design elegant solutions which result in simple, extensible, and maintainable high-quality code.
Foster collaboration. Partner closely with the team’s Product Manager and engineers to ensure alignment. Build close partnerships with stakeholders in the US and Sweden.
Communicate technical direction, decisions, and tradeoffs clearly across disciplines to drive successful outcomes.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to C++, Java, or JavaScript
OR equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications
4+ years of experience developing game/entertainment technologies or native applications. Experience helping teams deliver timely, high-quality products.
3+ years of people management experience. Passion for developing people.
Proficient design, programming and debugging knowledge with the ability to lead others to do these at quality through solid engineering practices
Strong communication and teamwork skills and an eagerness to reach goals in a collaborative manner
#MojangJobs #GamingJobs
Software Engineering M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.
Responsibilities
- Grow a high performing team with a healthy culture based on trust.
- Own the technical strategy for the gameplay systems that your team supports.
- Lead by example and coach engineers to design elegant solutions.
- Foster collaboration with the team’s Product Manager and engineers.
- Communicate technical direction, decisions, and tradeoffs clearly.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field.
- 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including C++, Java, or JavaScript.
- 4+ years of experience developing game/entertainment technologies or native applications.
- 3+ years of people management experience.
- Strong communication and teamwork skills.
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Retirement Benefits
- Paid Time Off
- Professional Development
Skills mentioned
About Mojang Studios
Mojang Studios is a Microsoft-owned game studio based in Stockholm (Sweden) and Redmond (WA) with additional locations in London, Shanghai, and Tokyo as well as a partially remote workforce. We created Minecraft, the sandbox video game turned franchise that now includes two more games, novels, board games, apparel, and much more. We believe in the power of play and our mission is to build a better world through our work. At our studios, you’ll meet passionate and welcoming people with the same goal: to create games and products with a positive impact. Four core values guide everything we do: Fuel Passion. Minecraft encourages players to stay sharp and constantly evolve. We mirror that by bringing together enthusiastic people who are eager to innovate in their fields and giving them the resources to reach their goals. We’re passionate about our industry and strive to empower our employees and future generations of gaming professionals. Create Fun. We aim to create fun, enriching experiences for our players, whether they’re playing our games, learning in Minecraft Education, or discovering a new product. Thanks to our incredibly talented creator community and Minecraft Marketplace, the fun is virtually endless and there’s something for everyone in our blocky universe. Celebrate Creativity. Creativity is at the core of Minecraft, whether you’re making art in Creative mode or finding clever ways to get through the night in Survival mode. Fresh ideas, out-of-the-box thinking, and new perspectives are what allows us to evolve the franchise and keep surprising our players after more than a decade of Minecraft. Craft together. Minecraft welcomes everyone because we believe that we’re better together. Our players’ feedback and the work of our community creators have made Minecraft what it is today. To support collaboration in our studios, we’ve built comfy, connected spaces that allow our local and remote teams to work closely together.