Principal Software Engineer Lead, Minecraft

Microsoft
Redmond, Washington
Report

Job Description
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 great leader to manage a group of software engineers who will build the engine and systems that power a diverse set of Minecraft gaming experiences over a dozen platforms. As a lead, you will take end-to-end ownership of adding new features: evaluating requirements, designing solutions, estimating development, and integrating high quality features into our products. You will help shape the creation experience and will be responsible for features visible to all Minecraft creators and players.

You will work with peers across disciplines (Design, Production, and Quality) to build robust features on a predictable schedule. Identifying technological opportunities for improvements will be critical in the success of the role. Successful candidates will be able to guide the work of other engineers.

Responsibilities

  • Grows a team with a healthy culture and good software engineering. Nurtures each individual’s growth.
  • Designs elegant solutions for systems which results in simple, extensible, and maintainable high-quality code.
  • Leads design, implementation, and code reviews across the feature area. Mentors other team members on doing these at quality.
  • Effective communicator who can reach successful outcomes through collaboration.
  • Optimizes team processes to improve productivity and responsiveness to feedback and changing priorities.

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications
  • Has 3+ years of experience managing a group of engineers.
  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, or related technical discipline AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
    o OR equivalent experience
Additional or Preferred Qualifications
  • Has 5+ years of experience developing in C++.
  • Experience working with mobile, console, or PC entertainment. Understands the architecture of modern game engines (component-based, event-driven, etc.)
  • Proficient design, programming, and debugging knowledge. Ability to quickly prototype, iterate, and take initiative to drive progress.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills with an emphasis on collaboration and inclusivity.
In the end, it’s the people of Mojang Studios that make this place truly special. When you join, you’ll find yourself in the company of incredibly bright, warm, and creative individuals – all united and working toward a single goal. Come help us reach it!

#mojangjobs #gamingjobs

Software Engineering M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $133,600 - $256,800 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 $173,200 - $282,200 per year.

Microsoft has different base pay ranges for different work locations within the United States, which allows us to pay employees competitively and consistently in different geographic markets (see below). The range above reflects the potential base pay across the U.S. for this role (except as noted below); the applicable base pay range will depend on what ultimately is determined to be the candidate’s primary work location. Individual base pay depends on various factors, in addition to primary work location, such as complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. Base pay ranges are reviewed and typically updated each year. Offers are made within the base pay range applicable at the time.

At Microsoft certain roles are eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, annual bonus and stock. These awards are allocated based on individual performance. In addition, certain roles also have the opportunity to earn sales incentives based on revenue or utilization, depending on the terms of the plan and the employee’s role. Benefits/perks listed here may vary depending on the nature of employment with Microsoft and the country work location. U.S.-based employees have access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, and wellbeing benefits, among others. U.S.-based employees also receive, per calendar year, up to 10 scheduled paid holidays, and up to 80 hours Holistic Health Time Off. Additionally, hourly/non-exempt employees accrue up to 120 hours paid vacation time, and salaried/exempt employees have Discretionary Time Off (DTO).

Our Commitment to Pay Equity
We are committed to the principle of pay equity – paying employees equitably for substantially similar work. To learn more about pay equity and our other commitments to increase representation and strengthen our culture of inclusion, check out our annual Diversity & Inclusion Report. ( https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/annual-report )

Understanding Roles at Microsoft
The top of this page displays the role for which the base pay ranges apply – Software Engineering M5. The way we define roles includes two things: discipline (the type of work) and career stage (scope and complexity). The career stage has two parts – the first identifies whether the role is a manager (M), an individual contributor (IC), an admin-technician-retail (ATR) job, or an intern. The second part identifies the relative seniority of the role – a higher number (or later letter alphabetically in the case of ATR) indicates greater scope and complexity.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

Microsoft
Software Development
Full Time
Onsite
Competitive
See Description for Experience
2 years, 3 months ago