Senior Backend Engineer (Golang)

About the role

This role centers on owning the server-side architecture that transforms Draft Showdown into a competitive, trustworthy experience. You will be responsible for designing and implementing the backend systems that validate every critical action, ensuring fairness and consistency for millions of future players. The position requires you to build the economic and progression logic that moves from client control to secure server validation. You will collaborate daily with game designers and client engineers to refine features from concept through production. Your work will directly influence the integrity and performance of a high-potential title within Voodoo's portfolio. You will also contribute to the shared gaming backend platform used by other major titles, expanding your impact across the company. This role is pivotal for securing the transition to server-authoritative gameplay and implementing essential cheat detection measures. Your expertise will ensure the game logic is robust, scalable, and ready for competitive multiplayer.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Architect and implement server-side validation for the metagame economy, including currency flows, card upgrades, and chest openings, staged by risk to ensure system integrity.
• Drive the transition toward server authority for competitive features, establishing a single source of truth for game state that clients cannot manipulate.
• Develop and refine matchmaking algorithms and integrate robust cheat detection safeguards within a Deterministic lockstep architecture for PvP.
• Design and expose resilient APIs and player-state management systems that the Unity client consumes, defining clear boundaries between client and server responsibilities.
• Collaborate closely with client developers and game designers from initial feature design through delivery, validation, and iterative improvement.
• Build infrastructure components on Golang that are scalable, performant, and aligned with the patterns of Voodoo's existing gaming backend platform.
• Extend the shared backend platform to power Draft Showdown, leveraging proven solutions that also drive titles like Mob Control and Block Jam 3D.
• Analyze complex scalability and performance challenges, proposing solutions that maintain responsiveness and reliability under high concurrency.
• Act as a backend owner, balancing the focus of a dedicated game engineer with the support and stability of a battle-tested platform.
• Influence technical strategy by proposing new tools and methodologies that improve development speed and system reliability.
• Partner with security specialists to harden the game against exploits, cheating, and fraudulent activities across live environments.
• Guide junior engineers through code reviews and technical discussions, fostering a culture of quality and best practices.
• Participate in on-call rotations to diagnose and resolve production incidents, ensuring minimal disruption to players.
• Continuously optimize database queries and data flows to reduce latency and improve the player experience.

Requirements

• Bring a minimum of 5 years of professional backend development experience to the table, with a strong track record of delivering reliable systems.
• Demonstrate extreme fluency in Golang, backed by at least one year of hands-on experience in a professional engineering environment.
• Show mastery of SQL and NoSQL databases, understanding how to model data for performance, consistency, and scale.
• Prove deep knowledge of computer science fundamentals, including algorithms, networking, and system design principles.
• Have substantial background working with high-scale systems that handle millions of users and transactions without failure.
• Be thoroughly comfortable with Unix-like environments, using command-line tools and scripts to maintain and debug services.
• Exhibit experience working within cross-functional agile teams, collaborating effectively with product, design, and engineering peers.
• Possess strong analytical skills, with a history of solving complex problems related to scalability, performance, and integration in high-stakes environments.
• Communicate excellently in both written and verbal forms, capable of influencing technical decisions and aligning stakeholders with differing priorities.
• Operate effectively with a high degree of autonomy, taking ownership of tasks and driving them to completion with minimal supervision.
• Maintain a deep interest in game development, understanding the unique constraints and opportunities of interactive entertainment.
• Be based in or be willing to relocate to Paris, aligning your location with the team to ensure seamless collaboration.

Nice to have

• A deep interest in game development is a plus.
• Based or willing to relocate in Paris

Practical notes

• Based or willing to relocate in Paris