Principal Backend Programmer

At Kabam, we’re constantly raising the bar of excellence in free-to-play gaming. We hire for passion and diversity so that we can triumph in our collective skill. Our teams are made up of a fusion of personalities and interests bound together by a collaborative nature, fun-loving culture, and a drive to do what it takes to make great games. And this is where you come in…

We are looking for an individual who is passionate in building and maintaining advanced gaming systems and tools. Working collaboratively with other engineers and designers, you will have a significant impact and influence in the direction of Kabam’s games. If leading and solving complex problems excites you, this is the job for you!

This role is a full-time, on-site position based 5 days a week at our Montreal studio.

In this role, you can expect to:

• Design and architect some of the most advanced modular gameplay systems that are robust, flexible, and high-performing.
• Translate requirements into technical designs and identify appropriate technologies, frameworks, and cloud infrastructure strategies.
• Evaluate and select appropriate tools, libraries, and technologies to meet project goals.
• Ensure scalability, performance, security, and maintainability in the software design and underlying server infrastructure.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and define technical specifications.
• Follow and advise on coding standards and best practices to ensure high-quality and maintainable code.
• Iterate on software based on feedback, testing, and performance analysis.
• Architect, provision, and manage cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP) using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to support scalable backend services.
• Design, implement, and maintain robust CI/CD pipelines to automate testing, deployment, and zero-downtime updates for game servers and APIs.
• Analyze and debug some of the most complex software and infrastructure issues, identifying root causes, and implementing effective solutions.
• Conduct thorough testing and verification to ensure the software meets functional and non-functional requirements.
• Investigate and resolve performance bottlenecks, optimize software for efficiency, and implement real-time monitoring and alerting systems (e.g., Datadog, Prometheus).
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and other engineers, to understand requirements and deliver large-scale software solutions.
• Document software designs, code, infrastructure topology, and technical processes to facilitate understanding, maintainability, and future enhancements.
• Actively participate in code reviews and provide constructive feedback to improve the overall codebase quality.
• Implement server-side logic, including APIs, databases, authentication systems, and data processing pipelines.

To be successful in this role, your background includes:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in software development, preferably in gaming.
• Strong experience with JavaScript, TypeScript, or C#.
• Strong understanding of software engineering with back-end/server-side technologies such as Node.js.
• Worked on a RESTful API system.
• Strong experience with cloud providers (AWS or GCP) and core services related to compute, networking, and managed databases.
• Hands-on experience with containerization and orchestration tools (Docker, Kubernetes) for deploying and scaling game servers.
• Strong experience using Non-Relational Databases such as MongoDB.
• Experience with real-time multiplayer applications using Sockets or WebSocket.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform is a plus.
• Shipped multiple online titles (on Console, PC, or Mobile).
• Ability to write clean, simple, well-documented code from design requirements.
• Proven track record of working independently and collaboratively in a dynamic team setting.
• Strong experience working with source control such as GIT or Perforce.
• Experience in Android / iOS Mobile application development.
• Proven track record of building and maintaining continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins).
• Up-to-date knowledge of the latest mobile gaming trends.
• Ability to effectively communicate with technical and non-technical team members.
• Experience working in Agile, Kanban, or similar project management methodologies.
• Bilingual (French and English) is considered an important advantage.

Our success is due to the hard work of our people. We share our success with our people through flexible benefits and reward programs, sweet swag, snacks, and more. Here’s a look at some of the support we provide our people:

• Extended Health Coverage: effective day one, no waiting period! Our benefits cover health, dental, life, disability, and extended paramedical services such as vision care, mental health practitioners, massage, physiotherapy, acupuncture, and much more.
• DEIB Benefits: DEIB is important to us and to our people - that’s why our benefits include gender-affirming care, fertility care, and other hormonal treatments and drugs.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: our benefits are built on a flex credit model, so you’re able to choose the coverage levels that are right for you, and allocate the rest to a group RRSP/TFSA, Health Spending account, and/or Personal Spending Account.
• RRSP Matching: everyone retires eventually, and we help our people save for their futures with a contribution matching program once you reach 90 days with us.
• Commuter Benefit: we believe in the power of in-person collaboration, and want to support you in making it work for you! We provide a flexible, monthly cash allowance to help cover the costs of transit, parking, or even personal logistics like childcare and pet care.
• PTO and Parental Leave: we offer paid parental leave, flexible paid time off, paid time off for volunteering, sick leave, and holiday closures.
• Employee and Family Assistance Program: t his program provides crisis management support, immediate mental health care, and generalized support for emotional, mental, and financial well-being.
• Telus Virtual Health: we provide increased access to remote healthcare providers for prescription refills or referrals from the comfort of your home.
• Learning and growth: We encourage people to grow both personally and professionally, and support this through regular lunch & learns and an education stipend.
• Pay transparency: We share with employees the pay range their role falls within and clear career maps to determine how they can grow within their role or level-up to a promotion.
• Cool spaces: Our offices are in Vancouver, Montreal, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Whether it’s summers on the rooftop patio in Downtown Vancouver, or watching the fireworks in Montreal’s South Shore - we want our people to feel like their time spent in office is worthwhile!
• Giving back: Kabammers have a dedicated paid day off every year to volunteer to a cause close to their hearts. Some teams even band together for group volunteer days off-site!