Principal Server Engineer - NBA 2K (REMOTE)

Visual Concepts is one of the world’s top game development studios, known for creating critically acclaimed titles. They are seeking a Principal Engineer with a passion for server-side development to join the NBA 2K team, where the role involves taking ownership of backend architecture and services that support online features and ensuring high-performance backend services.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the backend architecture and services that support NBA 2K's online features
• Design and optimize distributed systems to ensure scalability, reliability, and fault tolerance
• Build and maintain large-scale computing solutions that handle millions of concurrent players
• Develop efficient database structures and queries to support high-volume, real-time transactions
• Deliver high-performance backend services with a focus on low latency and stability
• Partner with engineering and design teams to enable seamless online gameplay experiences

Requirements:

• 12+ years of professional software development experience, with a strong focus on backend and server-side systems
• Strong proficiency in C++ with a solid understanding of object-oriented programming principles
• Proficiency in one or more scripting languages such as Python, PHP, Perl, or Ruby, with a strong preference for Python
• Deep understanding of distributed and scalable systems, with a track record of designing and delivering reliable, high-performance backend architectures
• Proven experience with multithreaded programming, driving efficiency and stability across large-scale, real-time environments
• Leadership in technical direction, mentoring engineers and setting best practices for system design, performance, and scalability
• Demonstrated ability to research, evaluate, and integrate emerging technologies and trends to enhance team capabilities, platform performance, and product innovation
• BS in Computer Science or equivalent experience in large-scale software development
• Experience developing secure transaction systems, including virtual currency and account-based features, a strong plus
• Skilled in database optimization, including connection management and query performance tuning
• Familiarity with online gaming architectures and service design for live, connected player experiences
• Working knowledge of SQL databases such as MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or similar systems
• Video game console development experience is highly beneficial
• Love for video games (not just ours!)