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Senior Backend Game Developer Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Senior Backend Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$85 - $115/hr

Location Chicago Employment Type Full time Location Type Hybrid Department Engineering At Yourco, we're bringing traditional industries into the future. AI unlocks the opportunity to empower ...

You dislike over-engineering and can design simple solutions to complex problems. * You have experience planning your own work. You prefer planning work before coding. * You enjoy working with and ...

Senior WordPress Backend Developer

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$115K - $135K/yr

Teal Media is looking for a Senior WordPress Backend Developer who's a thoughtful problem-solver and hands-on builder. This role is a client-facing technical lead who partners with designers ...

Senior Backend Software Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$126K - $166K/yr

We're expanding our engineering team in Chicago, a major hub for our customers and the heart of U.S. freight operations. In this role, you'll be a full member of our core engineering team, but ...

Senior Scala Developer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$120 - $160/hr

Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend services using Scala and Java * Build and enhance ... Collaborate with architects and cross‑functional engineering teams on solution design and ...

Senior .NET Backend Engineer

Peru, IL · On-site

$113K - $147K/yr

What Does a Semi Senior Developer Do at redbee? * Scrum Software Development: Develop high-quality software using Scrum methodology, ensuring adherence to acceptance criteria. * Code Review: Review ...

Sr. Developer - Java Backend

Chicago, IL

$124K - $161K/yr

String experience in Java 8, Spring Boot, Restful API development Hands-on experience in Pivotal Cloud Foundry (PCF) and Microservices SonarQube experience is required

That's what keeps us at the top of our game. We're proud that our workplace has been recognized for ... Collaboration with frontend, DevOps, and data teams will be key to optimizing system performance.

Principal Backend Engineer (Remote)

Nauvoo, IL · On-site +1

$133K - $179K/yr

That's what keeps us at the top of our game. We're proud that our workplace has been recognized for ... Collaboration with frontend, DevOps, and data teams will be key to optimizing system performance.

Showing results 21-40

Senior Backend Game Developer information

What does a senior backend game developer do?

A Senior Backend Game Developer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the server-side components of online and multiplayer games. They develop systems for player authentication, game logic, data storage, matchmaking, and real-time communication. Senior developers often lead backend architecture decisions, optimize performance, and ensure the security and scalability of game services. Additionally, they collaborate closely with other developers, designers, and QA engineers to deliver seamless gameplay experiences. Their role is critical for supporting large numbers of concurrent players and managing in-game events or transactions.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior backend game developer?

To thrive as a Senior Backend Game Developer, you need deep expertise in server-side programming (such as Java, C#, or Node.js), experience with scalable systems, and a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with cloud platforms (like AWS or Google Cloud), databases (SQL/NoSQL), and version control systems (like Git) is typically required, along with experience in deploying and maintaining live game services. Strong problem-solving abilities, collaboration, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for working in multidisciplinary teams and addressing complex technical challenges. These competencies ensure robust, high-performance game infrastructure that can support engaging, reliable player experiences.

How does a senior backend game developer typically collaborate with other teams during the game development cycle?

As a Senior Backend Game Developer, you will work closely with frontend developers, game designers, and QA teams to ensure smooth integration of backend services such as matchmaking, leaderboards, and player progression systems. Regular cross-team meetings and code reviews are common, and you’ll often provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior developers. Effective communication and a collaborative mindset are essential, as you’ll be aligning backend architecture with gameplay features and addressing any technical challenges that arise throughout the development process.

What is the difference between Senior Backend Game Developer vs Backend Game Developer?

AspectSenior Backend Game DeveloperBackend Game Developer
Required Experience5+ years, leadership skills1-3 years, technical skills
ResponsibilitiesDesigning system architecture, mentoringImplementing server-side features, coding
Work EnvironmentLarge gaming studios, collaborative teamsStartups, smaller teams, development-focused
Common CertificationsGame development, cloud computingProgramming languages, cloud basics

The main difference between a Senior Backend Game Developer and a Backend Game Developer lies in experience, responsibilities, and leadership. Senior developers typically have more years of experience, oversee system architecture, and mentor junior staff, while backend developers focus on coding and implementing features. Both roles are essential in game development teams, but senior roles involve more strategic planning and team coordination.

What are the most commonly searched types of Backend Game Developer jobs in Illinois?

The most popular types of Backend Game Developer jobs in Illinois are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Backend Game Developer jobs in Illinois look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Backend Game Developer jobs in Illinois are:

What cities in Illinois are hiring for Senior Backend Game Developer jobs?

Cities in Illinois with the most Senior Backend Game Developer job openings:

Senior Backend Java Engineer (Chicago Hybrid)

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

Chicago, IL • On-site

$130K - $150K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 8 days ago


Motorola Solutions rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 40 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

18th of 159 rated electronics manufacturers


Job description

Company Overview
At Motorola Solutions, we believe that everything starts with our people. We're a global close-knit community, united by the relentless pursuit to help keep people safer everywhere. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions foster the collaboration that's critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses, and ultimately, safer nations. Connect with a career that matters, and help us build a safer future.
Department Overview
Join our dynamic, agile R&D team as a Senior Backend Java Engineer, where you will serve as a key architectural driver for our Device Provisioning and Management platform, deployed on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
You will be responsible for the end-to-end success of major features-from proposing architectural approaches for large-scale device configurations to defining service contracts for AI-driven automation. In this role, you will serve as a Technical Lead, actively mentoring junior developers, elevating engineering standards, and pioneering the use of advanced LLMs to optimize device lifecycles.
Job Description
Responsibilities
  • Architectural Ownership: Propose and facilitate technical discussions to arrive at agreed-upon architectural plans for high-throughput device provisioning, zero-touch enrollment, and lifecycle management services.
  • Contract Definition & Coordination: Own the APIs for the Device Management Domain, coordinating with external hardware and consumer teams to ensure seamless integration, rapid registration, and data integrity.
  • Feature Grooming & Delegation: Groom technical stories from Product Management requirements and break down complex tasks for the team to enable rapid, parallel development.
  • Database & Storage Leadership: Lead the implementation, optimization, and scaling of relational data layers using AlloyDB (and PostgreSQL), ensuring data integrity, high availability, and efficient indexing for millions of device records.
  • Advanced AI Engineering: Architect and implement advanced prompt engineering workflows utilizing Anthropic Claude to automate configuration generation, analyze complex device logs, and power conversational provisioning assistants.
  • Quality, Review & Mentorship: Conduct thorough code reviews, serving as a trusted source to catch edge cases, security gaps, and performance bottlenecks, while actively mentoring junior and mid-level engineers.
  • Pipeline & Tooling Transformation: Actively contribute to development pipeline improvements (e.g., automated guardrails, RAG systems, and AI coding assistants) to significantly cut down PR cycle times.

Requirements
  • Experience & Impact: Bachelor's degree plus 5+ years of progressive technical experience, demonstrating successful ownership of complex, distributed features and a track record of mentoring technical peers.
  • Database Mastery: Practical, deep experience managing and optimizing Postgres-based databases (ideally GCP AlloyDB) for high-concurrency write/read profiles.
  • GCP Proficiency: Proven ability to deploy, manage, and scale microservices on GCP (GKE, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage, and database management).
  • API/Contract Ownership: Extensive experience designing robust service contracts and managing dependencies between Python and Java microservices.
  • Claude & Prompt Engineering: Practical experience leveraging Anthropic Claude (or similar advanced LLMs) for systemic prompt design, structured data extraction, and log parsing.
  • System Integrity: Deep understanding of scale challenges, fault-tolerant design, and the ability to anticipate and address stress points within high-availability provisioning architectures.

Target Base Salary Range: $130,000 USD - $150,000 USD
Consistent with Motorola Solutions values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. Pay within this range varies and depends on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The actual offer will be based on the individual candidate.
Note: Candidate must be in the Chicago office 2 days per week.
#LI-MP2
#LI-HYBRD
Basic Requirements
  • Bachelors Degree with 5+ engineering experience
  • AND 4+ years of Java experience
  • Must be a U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain necessary security clearance as required by government contract.

Travel Requirements
None
Relocation Provided
None
Position Type
Experienced
Referral Payment Plan
No
Our U.S. Benefits include:
  • Incentive Bonus Plans
  • Medical, Dental, Vision benefits
  • 401K with Company Match
  • 10 Paid Holidays
  • Generous Paid Time Off Packages
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Paid Parental & Family Leave
  • and more!

EEO Statement
Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally-protected characteristic.
We are proud of our people-first and community-focused culture, empowering every Motorolan to be their most authentic self and to do their best work to deliver on the promise of a safer world. If you'd like to join our team but feel that you don't quite meet all of the preferred skills, we'd still love to hear why you think you'd be a great addition to our team.
We're committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience for candidates with disabilities, or other physical or mental health conditions. To request an accommodation, please complete this Reasonable Accommodations Form so we can assist you.

What Motorola Solutions employees say

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About Motorola Solutions

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Motorola Solutions, we believe that everything starts with safety. It's the constant that empowers people to confidently move forward. It can fill a flight or sell out a stadium. It can care for a patient or graduate a class. As a global leader in public safety and enterprise security, we create and connect the technologies that help to keep people safe where they live, learn, work and play. Our integrated technology ecosystem unifies critical communications, video security and access control, and command center software, enabling collaboration in more powerful ways. At Motorola Solutions, we're ushering in a new era in public safety and security. Bring your passion, potential and talents to a career that matters.

Industry

Technology, communication and media

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Chicago, IL, US

Year founded

1928