Backend Engineer (Java, SQL)
About The Company:
Gardens Interactive is a fully remote game studio dedicated to creating games that emphasize connection, collective adventure, and emergent storytelling. Our core belief is that the spirit in which we build games is reflected in the experiences our players have. We foster a collaborative environment where curiosity, resilience, ambition, and mutual care shape the worlds we create. Our team is passionate about delivering magical, shared experiences that bring players together. Founded by creators behind acclaimed titles such as Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Guild Wars 2, Gardens is developing a flagship multiplayer fantasy adventure inspired by friendships, discoveries, and unforgettable stories that emerge through exploration.
About The Role:
We are seeking a Lead Backend Engineer to manage and grow our backend engineering team while contributing hands-on to critical systems. This role involves leading a team of backend engineers by setting goals, mentoring, and supporting career development. You will own backend architecture evolution, reliability, and infrastructure cost management. You will collaborate closely with game design, marketing, production, and technical leadership to align engineering efforts with the creative vision and technical roadmap. This position requires a strong technical background, leadership skills, and the ability to operate with high ownership in a lean, dynamic environment.
Qualifications:
- 6+ years of professional backend engineering experience, preferably in games or live-service development 2+ years of experience managing or leading engineering teams
- Proficiency in Kotlin or Java
- Familiarity with Kubernetes, Grafana, Terraform, and load-testing tools
- Experience scaling backend systems for a global audience, including debugging, monitoring, and alerting
- Strong understanding of software architecture and design patterns with sound judgment
- Experience working cross-functionally with design, marketing, and production teams on shipped or in-development games
- Excellent communication skills, capable of explaining technical trade-offs to non-engineers
- Ability to operate with high ownership in a lean team environment, wearing multiple hats
Nice to have: Experience launching and operating live-service games
Nice to have:
Experience at independent or mid-size studios Legal authorization to work in the United States or Canada and willingness to work within North American time zones (EST–PST)
Responsibilities:
- Lead, mentor, and grow a team of backend engineers through goal setting, feedback, and career development support
- Create hiring plans and conduct technical interviews aligned with product needs
- Own team processes including planning, code review standards, on-call duties, bug triage, and work scoping/estimating
- Foster a healthy, high-trust engineering culture at a mid-size studio scale
- Review pull requests and unblock engineers facing complex technical challenges
- Develop and evolve backend architecture and write production code for critical systems
- Manage system reliability, service level objectives, incident response, and infrastructure cost optimization
- Collaborate closely with game design, marketing, production, and technical leadership to align engineering with creative vision and technical roadmap
- Communicate engineering status, risks, and trade-offs clearly to studio leadership
Benefits:
- Competitive salaries with pay transparency
- Stock options
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage (100% for individuals, 90% for dependents)
- Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance 401(k) contributions in the U.S. and RRSP + DPSP contributions in CanadaPaid parental leave
- Fully distributed remote work environment across North American time zones
- Supportive and inclusive culture focused on collaboration, growth, and shared success
Equal Opportunity
Gardens Interactive is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to apply. We believe diverse teams make stronger games and better workplaces, and we welcome individuals who may not meet every qualification but demonstrate curiosity, growth mindset, and a willingness to learn. Gardens provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.