Senior Software Engineer (L5) - Games

At Netflix, our mission is to entertain the world. Together, we are writing the next episode - pushing the boundaries of storytelling, global fandom and making the unimaginable a reality. We are a dream team obsessed with the uncomfortable excitement of discovering what happens when you merge creativity, intuition and cutting-edge technology. Come be a part of what’s next.

Games are our next big frontier and an incredible opportunity for us to deliver new experiences to delight and entertain our quickly growing membership. You will be joining us at an exciting time as we roll out more games on both mobile and cloud and be in a position to help us redefine what a Netflix subscription means for our members around the world.

You will be joining the Games Data Science & Engineering team at an exciting time as we roll out more games on both mobile and cloud. This isn't a traditional data engineering role, we are looking for a hybrid engineer to bridge the gap between core software engineering and massive-scale data processing. You won't just be analyzing game data; you will be building the infrastructure that captures, validates, and transports it at a global scale. You will specialize in recognizing patterns and turning them into efficient, scalable frameworks usable by multiple teams. Your goal is to create shared abstractions that lower the barrier to entry for the entire Games organization.

What You'll Do:

• Build Telemetry Services: You will design and own Java/Spring Boot services that act as the gatekeeper for millions of global events, ensuring data integrity before it ever touches our core.

• Manage the Distributed Core: You will oversee the "journey" of data through a heavy-hitting stack including Kafka, Flink, and Spark into storage solutions like Iceberg, Cassandra, and Redis.

• Create Shared Abstractions: You will develop frameworks that evolve from data processing patterns into high-efficiency platforms, making it easier for others to build data-driven experiences.

• Architect the SDK Layer: You will write high-performance, multi-language code that bridges Unity/Unreal engines with our cloud infrastructure. Your code must be "invisible" to the game’s frame rate while ensuring 100% telemetry accuracy.

• Technical Leadership: You will proactively identify and resolve technical debt, increase automation, and champion best practices in data engineering and software development across the team. Mentor junior team members and help raise the technical bar for the entire DSE organization.

Who You Are:

• We value people over process and look for humbly confident, action-oriented collaborators with deep technical expertise.

• A JVM Expert: You have deep mastery of Java or Kotlin and thrive in a Service-Oriented Architecture.

• A Hybrid Specialist: You possess a software engineering mindset and view data engineering as a software discipline. You may even be a software engineer with a focus or passion for data-driven solutions.

• System Architect: You are proficient in System Design and Architecture and have experience with massive streaming pipelines and distributed storage.

• Scale-Obsessed: You have a background in building systems that require high fault tolerance and can handle high writes/reads per second.

• Stunning Colleague: You are a sharp communicator who can break down complex data problems. You relate to the Netflix Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, working independently while giving and receiving candid, constructive feedback.

 

Generally, our compensation structure consists solely of an annual salary; we do not have bonuses. You choose each year how much of your compensation you want in salary versus stock options. To determine your personal top of market compensation, we rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience to determine your compensation in the market range. The range for this role is $388,000.00 - $619,000.00. This compensation range will vary based on location.

Netflix provides comprehensive benefits including Health Plans, Mental Health support, a 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer match, Stock Option Program, Disability Programs, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, Family-forming benefits, and Life and Serious Injury Benefits. We also offer paid leave of absence programs. Full-time hourly employees accrue 35 days annually for paid time off to be used for vacation, holidays, and sick paid t