Principal Backend Engineer

Blitz is a quickly growing and self-sustaining start-up that provides gamers with personalized stats and insights powered by billions of matches. High performance is at the core of our values. We are a team of gamers and entrepreneurial technologists with big ambitions. At Blitz, you will find co-workers who are friendly, eager to collaborate, and work creatively to ship market-defining software. If you thrive in an environment optimized for autonomy, innovation, teamwork, and embody our principles, Blitz is the place for you to make an outsized impact.

Overview

As a Principal Backend Engineer, you will play a crucial role in architecting and developing robust, scalable backend systems that power our innovative applications. This role demands a highly skilled engineer with deep technical expertise in backend architecture and a proven ability to design and deliver complex, scalable systems. You will collaborate closely with Frontend, Product, QA, and Data teams to ensure seamless integration and performance across our technology stack. As a technical leader, your influence will shape the core of our products, ensuring they are reliable, efficient, and aligned with our company's long-term objectives.

This position requires all hires to be onsite Monday - Thursday out of our Los Angeles (Playa Vista) or San Francisco, CA office, with the option to WFH on Friday.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of large-scale backend systems, focusing on scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, frontend developers, and data scientists, to align backend solutions with business goals.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to backend engineers, fostering a culture of innovation and high performance.
• Make key technical decisions on software architecture, infrastructure, and cloud deployments.
• Drive and enforce best practices for coding, architecture, and operations, ensuring high-quality deliverables.
• Contribute to strategic planning with leadership to influence product and engineering roadmaps.
• Optimize cloud infrastructure to ensure efficient resource utilization and control costs.

What It Takes

• 5+ years of experience in backend engineering, with a deep understanding of Rust programming and backend architecture.
• Proficiency with Postgres, Redis, and experience in designing and optimizing database solutions for performance and scalability.
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools like Prometheus, Grafana, and Sentry.
• Expertise in cloud computing platforms (AWS/GCP), with a focus on efficient architecture and cost control.
• Strong understanding of Git, GitHub, and CI/CD pipelines, including tools like CircleCI.
• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity, proposing solutions that address both immediate needs and long-term goals.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence without authority across teams and leadership.
• Proven track record of delivering scalable, high-performing backend solutions in cloud environments.

Nice To Have

• Experience in backend engineering and systems programming using Elixir with Phoenix, LiveView, Oban etc.
• Experience with Rust Tokyo/Axum and RocksDB.
• Experience in optimizing cloud resources for high-traffic backend systems.
• Familiarity with the gaming industry, particularly with backend systems for online games.
• Knowledge of MOBAs, shooters, or other game genres is a plus.

What We Offer 

• Competitive salary: $220-260k
• Annual performance bonus
• Stock options program
• Unlimited paid vacation
• Option for employer paid coverage (Medical, Dental, Vision) plan
• 401(k) matching
• Gaming laptop and peripherals
• Company-wide team building events

Salary for the successful applicant depends on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.

Blitz is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and the use of affirmative action programs to ensure that persons are recruited, hired, trained, transferred and promoted in all job groups regardless of race, color, religion, age, disability, national origin, citizenship status, military or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal, state or local law.