--- title: 'Lead Backend Engineer at 2K' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-backend-engineer-2k-san-mateo-7rqkse7rtm34' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-19' --- # Lead Backend Engineer at 2K - **Company:** 2K - **Location:** San Mateo, CA - **Posted:** 2026-10-15 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-19 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/2k/jobs/8035080003 ## Job description ## WE ARE GAMEMAKERS Who we are: We are a diverse team of developers driven by a passion for our art, united by our core values and inspired by a culture of inclusivity to build amazing games that thrill players everywhere. We pursue growth and innovation in an environment of safety and trust. Our culture is built on the belief that the more varied voices in our collective will strengthen our team and our games. We are looking for our next teammate who will raise our bar and make us better. We are currently working on Project ETHOS, a new free-to-play, 3rd person rogue-like hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre! Who You Are: 31st Union is looking for a Lead Backend Engineer to lead the team that builds and runs our studio-hosted services. You will manage backend engineers in our US and EU studios, own the architecture of our services and infrastructure, and write code alongside the team. You are the first point of contact for backend technical decisions and backend incidents. This role reports to the Director - Online Services. This role is based in our San Mateo, California studio and is open to fully remote candidates. Responsibilities: ## Team Leadership - Manage backend engineering team: hold regular 1:1s, set goals, give performance feedback, and lead hiring. - Run the backend team's planning: maintain the backlog, estimate work, and set sprint priorities against the online services roadmap. - Set the team's engineering standards for code review, testing, documentation and on-call readiness. Architecture and Development - Own the architecture of our studio-hosted services and infrastructure, including service boundaries, data models, APIs and deployment topology. - Scope backend work for new game features. - Write and review technical designs for new services and major changes. - Implement and review implementations for proprietary studio backend services. Releases and Deployment - Align backend roadmap with studio release schedule. - Diagnose, fix and deploy backend hotfixes through the studio hotfix process. - Maintain the continuous integration pipelines and deployment automation for our services. Operations - Own monitoring, alerting, dashboards, runbooks and incident reporting for studio services. - Run the backend on-call rotation, and act as first responder and escalation point for backend incidents. - Load test services before major releases, fix performance bottlenecks, and optimize service costs. - Implement and test failover and disaster recovery for our services and their data. Platform Integration - Integrate studio proprietary services with 2K and external platform services. - Debug cross-service issues with external engineering partners. Required Qualifications: - 10+ years of server-side development experience, complemented by a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience. - Has led or managed backend engineers on a shipped AAA title, preferably a live-service or competitive multiplayer game. - Fluent in C#, and proficient in Python or Go. - Strong grasp of distributed systems, concurrency and scalable service design. - Hands-on experience with NoSQL databases such as MongoDB or DocumentDB, and with Redis. - Has deployed and operated production services on AWS. - Gives direct, constructive feedback and invites it from others. Relevant Experience: - Kubernetes, Helm and microservice architectures. - Profiling and optimizing distributed systems, including database queries and service calls. - Real-time messaging, such as MQTT, and API gateways. - C++ and Unreal Engine. - Online game systems such as matchmaking, social, progression, commerce and telemetry. - Running a live title: incident response, capacity planning and cost management. The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $169,100 and $250,280 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for employees in regular roles may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, provided that temporary or intern roles will not be eligible for many of these payments or benefits. Details of participation in compensation and benefit plans (if applicable) will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.If hired, employee will be in an ~at-will position~ and the company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. 31st Union prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities. For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination. This means that employment at 31st Union depends on your substantive ability, objective qualifications and work ethic – not on your age, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), height, weight, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and expression), alienage or citizenship status, transgender, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability (actual or perceived), medical condition, AIDS/HIV, denial of family and medical care leave, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, pregnancy status, childbirth, breastfeeding (or related medical conditions), marital status or registered domestic partner status, political activity or affiliation, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, arrest record, or taking or requesting statutorily protected leaves, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws. As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation. Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts. Please note that 31st Union is unable to provide visa sponsorship or assistance for this position. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in United States without requiring current or future employer sponsorship. #LI-Remote ## About 2K ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: 2K is a major video game publisher and developer, best known for iconic franchises like *NBA 2K*, *Borderlands*, *Civilization*, *BioShock*, *Mafia*, *WWE 2K*, and *XCOM*. - **Entity Type**: Private subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive (public parent company, NASDAQ: TTWO) - **Headquarters**: Novato, California, USA (with global offices across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia) - **Founded**: January 25, 2005 (as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive) - **Founders**: Founded as a corporate entity by Take-Two Interactive; key early leaders included Christoph Hartmann (former President). Current President is David Ismailer. ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Video game development and publishing (AAA, sports, and strategy games) - **Target customers**: B2C (consumers/gamers globally across PC, console, and mobile platforms) - **Mission or purpose statement**: "We enable all gamers to build, connect, escape and dream big!" (from their official values page) ## Products & Services - **NBA 2K Series**: Flagship basketball simulation franchise, released annually across console and PC. - **Borderlands Series**: Acclaimed first-person shooter looter-shooter franchise. - **Civilization Series**: Legendary turn-based strategy series (developed by Firaxis Games, a 2K studio). - **BioShock Series**: Critically acclaimed narrative-driven first-person shooter series. - **Mafia Series**: Open-world crime drama franchise. - **WWE 2K Series**: Professional wrestling simulation franchise. - **XCOM Series**: Tactical strategy franchise. - **PGA Tour 2K Series**: Golf simulation franchise. - **Top Spin Series**: Tennis simulation franchise (revived in 2024). - **2K Foundations**: Social impact program that builds community and youth engagement programs, including refurbishing basketball courts globally. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: 2K is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive. Take-Two's market cap is approximately **$30+ billion** (as of mid-2025), with 2K being one of its two core publishing labels alongside Rockstar Games. - **Key Metric**: 2K is a private subsidiary; exact revenue is not disclosed separately. However, Take-Two Interactive’s total net revenue for fiscal year 2024 was approximately **$5.6 billion**, with 2K contributing a significant portion. The company employs approximately **4,000 people**. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Parent company is Take-Two Interactive. Key development studio partners include Visual Concepts (NBA 2K), Firaxis Games (Civilization), Gearbox Software (Borderlands), and Hangar 13 (Mafia). - **Growth Signals**: 2K has been actively expanding its development network, including the acquisition of Gearbox Software in 2024. The company continues to launch major franchise entries and invest in new IP. It has a growing presence in mobile gaming and live-service models. ## Competitive Advantages - **Iconic IP Portfolio**: Owns some of the most valuable and long-running franchises in gaming (*NBA 2K*, *Borderlands*, *Civilization*, *BioShock*). - **Massive Global Reach**: Games sell tens of millions of copies annually across all major platforms. - **Strong Parent Backing**: As a core label of Take-Two, 2K has significant financial resources for marketing, development, and acquisitions. - **Diverse Studio Network**: Operates a wide range of internal studios with specialized expertise (sports, strategy, action, RPG). - **2K Foundations**: A unique social impact program that builds brand goodwill and community engagement. ## Strategic Focus - **Franchise Expansion**: Continuing to grow its flagship franchises with annual releases, new entries, and expanded content. - **Live Service & Engagement**: Deepening post-launch engagement through in-game events, battle passes, and microtransactions (especially in *NBA 2K*). - **Mobile & New Platforms**: Expanding into mobile gaming and new platforms. - **Studio Investment**: Acquiring and investing in top-tier development talent (e.g., Gearbox). - **Technology & AI**: Investing in R&D for game engines, AI, and data science to improve game quality and player experiences (evidenced by job postings for AI R&D, data science, and Unreal Engine roles). ## Why Work Here - **Work on Iconic Franchises**: Opportunity to contribute to some of the most beloved and best-selling game series in the world. - **Culture**: Described as a blend of "NYC roots with a Northern California vibe," with a focus on being direct, open, and friendly. The company emphasizes "Come As You Are" and "Give a ^%$*" as core values. - **Remote/Hybrid/Office Policy**: 2K has a hybrid work model. Many roles are listed with specific locations (Novato, Los Angeles, Montreal, Bengaluru, etc.), but some positions offer remote flexibility. - **Notable Perks**: Located in a unique headquarters (converted airplane hangars in Novato, CA) near hiking, biking trails, and wine country. The company also runs a motion capture studio in Petaluma, CA. - **Engineering Culture**: Strong emphasis on technical innovation, with dedicated teams for AI R&D, Core Tech/Tools, Data Science, and Online Services. Many job postings focus on Unreal Engine, data engineering, and systems architecture. - **Social Impact**: Employees can participate in 2K Foundations, which refurbishes basketball courts and builds community spaces globally. ## Sources 1. [2k.com/careers/](https://2k.com/careers/) 2. [2k.com/about/](https://2k.com/about/) 3. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/2k](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/2k) 4. 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