Principal Software Engineer (backend) - Payments

Principal Software Engineer (Backend) - Payments

Austin, TX; Bay Area, CA; Chicago, IL; Toronto, Canada

Level Up Your Career with Zynga!

At Zynga, we bring people together through the power of play. As a global leader in interactive entertainment and a proud label of Take-Two Interactive, our games have been downloaded over 6 billion times—connecting players in 175+ countries through fun, strategy, and a little friendly competition.

From thrilling casino spins to epic strategy battles, mind-bending puzzles, and social word challenges, our diverse game portfolio has something for everyone. Fan-favorites and latest hits include FarmVille™, Words With Friends™, Zynga Poker™, Game of Thrones Slots Casino™, Wizard of Oz Slots™, Hit it Rich! Slots™, Wonka Slots™, Top Eleven™, Toon Blast™, Empires & Puzzles™, Merge Dragons!™, CSR Racing™, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells™, Match Factory™, and Color Block Jam™—plus many more!

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in California, our teams span North America, Europe, and Asia, working together to craft unforgettable gaming experiences. Whether you're spinning, strategizing, matching, or competing, Zynga is where fun meets innovation—and where you can take your career to the next level.

Join us and be part of the play!

Position Overview:

Come join the team at Zynga making an impact across all of the company's games - Central Technology! We focus on shared client & server tech that drives the core gameplay experience under the hood. We're looking for outstanding engineers with a passion for technology and the desire to work in a team with dynamic strengths. The Principal Software Engineer will be working with a complementary team of software engineers to craft and maintain Zynga's core Payments platform, which enables flawless integration with app stores, consoles, and payments processing providers. They will play a key role in helping architect, build and improve the next-gen framework for our games.

What You'll Do:

• Design and architect new backend applications/services running in AWS
• Optimize and refactor existing services to improve reliability, scalability and to lower cost
• Document and build plans for architecture and system designs
• Take a hands-on approach in architecting, writing and reviewing code
• Review detailed tech plans from others, aligning with the team and Zynga-wide technical vision
• Proactively identify and recommend improvements to address systemic problems and tech debt
• Follow engineering standard methodologies to ensure code quality, performance and reliability
• Work collaboratively across teams to understand product/customer requirements and propose technical solutions
• Provide production and integration support for shared technology across Zynga games

What You Bring:

• Degree in a technical field (e.g., Computer Science, Computer Engineering) or equivalent experience
• 6+ years of hands-on software development experience
• Experience in programming RESTful services using Java
• Solid understanding of backend server applications and web services
• Strong familiarity and experience using AWS and/or other cloud computing platforms (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
• Strong familiarity and experience with database systems (SQL, NoSQL)
• Experience with C#/C++ and mobile client development is a strong plus
• Familiarity with containers and Kubernetes
• Familiarity with web development using JavaScript, Angular, and/or React
• Deep understanding of algorithms, design patterns, debugging and performance optimization
• Experience in object-oriented design of applications/systems
• Experience with agile development methodologies and tools
• Excellent interpersonal skills - particularly the ability to discuss timelines, design concerns, work with distributed teams, and provide effective feedback to team members
• Experience working with AI tools

What We Offer You:

Zynga offers a world-class benefits package that helps support and balance the needs of our teams. To find out more about our benefits, visit the Zynga Benefits site

The pay range for this position in Toronto at the start of employment is expected to be between $114,300 and $164,300 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.

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $133,900 and $180,000 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.

The pay range for this position in Illinois at the start of employment is expected to be between $120,600 and $170,000 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 this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company's discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses.