Trainee Backend Game Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

At Netflix, our mission is to entertain the world. Together, we are writing the next episode - pushing the boundaries of storytelling, global fandom and making the unimaginable a reality. We are a dream team obsessed with the uncomfortable excitement of discovering what happens when you merge creativity, intuition and cutting-edge technology.

Come be a part of what's next. Who We Are The Kids Experiences team is part of the Games Player Experience organization at Netflix. We lead the development of Netflix Playground, a curated destination where kids can instantly jump into games and interactive experiences without friction or the concerns that come with open platforms.

We are looking for a Full Stack Engineer (L5) who leads with Android expertise and is equally comfortable building the backend services that power what they ship on device. You will help shape how Netflix Playground evolves, from the native client experiences kids interact with to the application layer that makes those experiences fast, reliable, and safe. Our work involves large-scale A/B experiments, the WebView and JS bridge layer that enables web-based games to run inside native clients, and direct collaboration with game developers to define SDK and integration points.

We partner closely with product management, experience design, game developers, and the broader Games Engineering org. Who You Are Your primary depth is Android. You build production-quality Kotlin or Java code with a strong point of view on architecture, lifecycle, and performance.

You are equally comfortable on the backend. For this role, that means API design, service contracts, application logic, and observability at scale. You understand WebView and JS bridge integration.

You know how to build the communication layer between native clients and web-based games, and you care about making that interface clean, well-documented, and developer-friendly. You have genuine curiosity about the game development problem space. The technical challenges of running games inside a native container are interesting to you on their own terms.

You are comfortable with greenfield work. Netflix Playground is still being built. You can take an ambiguous problem, identify the highest-leverage decisions, and move forward without everything being specified upfront.

You actively use AI-assisted engineering tools in your real work. You have developed strong verification habits, and your workflow has changed meaningfully as the tools have improved. You care about what ships to kids.

Performance, safety, and correctness are part of how you define done. You build strong working relationships outside of engineering. Product managers, designers, and game developers are partners you communicate with directly and push back on when you need to.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications Swift UI or iOS development experience. Game development experience with Unity, Phaser, Three.js, or similar engines. Experience integrating 2D or 3D game assets into mobile experiences

Experience building developer-facing SDKs where your API is another engineer's interface. Experience building for a kids' or family product surface. What You Will Do Design and build Netflix Playground features end-to-end: server-side APIs and application logic through Android client implementations, with contributions to iOS parity where relevant.

Build and maintain the WebView and JS bridge layer that enables web-based games to run reliably within native clients. Define the API and integration contracts that allow game developers to bring their experiences into the Playground hub. Build backend services for game discovery, user state, achievements, and session management, with a focus on clean API design and solid application logic.

Partner with game developers across the Netflix Games ecosystem to understand their integration needs and make the right tradeoffs in SDK design. Architect code for testability and write automated tests to uphold quality on a fast-moving codebase. Use AI-assisted engineering tools to accelerate your work and raise the team's quality bar.

Generally, our compensation structure consists solely of an annual salary; we do not have bonuses. You choose each year how much of your compensation you want in salary versus stock options. To determine your personal top of market compensation, we rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience to determine your compensation in the market range.

The range for this role is $388,000.00 - $558,000.00. This compensation range will vary based on location. Netflix provides comprehensive benefits including Health Plans, Mental Health support, a 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer match, Stock Option Program, Disability Programs, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, Family-forming benefits, and Life and Serious Injury Benefits

We also offer paid leave of absence programs. Full-time hourly employees accrue 35 days annually for paid time off to be used for vacation, holidays, and sick paid time off. Full-time salaried employees are immediately entitled to flexible time off.

See more details about our Benefits here. Netflix is a unique culture and environment. Learn more here.

Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner. We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams.

We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service. Job is open for no less than 7 days and will be removed when the position is filled.