Team Lead Backend Engineer

Job Description

ABOUT US

Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.

For more information, visit xsolla.com.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for a Team Lead Backend Engineer who is passionate about building secure, high-availability identity systems at scale to join our Xsolla ID team. The best candidate will be someone who thrives in a fast-paced, highly collaborative, and exceptionally dynamic setting and is excited to lead a team developing the next-generation IAM platform that serves as the foundation for all Xsolla B2C products.

Strong backend development expertise in Go combined with deep knowledge of authentication and authorization protocols are essential, along with experience in leading engineering teams and building mission-critical identity infrastructure. The ability to architect highly available systems while growing and mentoring a high-performing team will be key to your success in this role.

If you’re passionate about identity and access management at internet scale and love leading teams that build foundational platforms impacting millions of users, we would love to hear from you!

About the project

Xsolla ID is a strategic core service — the centralized identity provider for the entire Xsolla ecosystem. It’s not just a login form; it’s a comprehensive IAM platform enabling authentication and authorization across all B2C products.

Products & Integrations:

• Xsolla ID Platform — Core IAM service with Web2 and Web3 authentication

• Authentication Widget — Universal login UI supporting multiple auth methods

• SDKs — Client libraries for seamless integration across platforms

• Migration Services — Zero-downtime migration from legacy Xsolla Login

Auth Methods Supported:

• Email + Password with secure hashing

• One-time passwords (OTP) via email and SMS

• Social login (Google, Apple, Steam, Discord, etc.)

• WebAuthn (passkeys, biometrics)

• Web3 wallet authentication

• Single Sign-On (SSO) across Xsolla products

Tech Stack:

• Language: Go (idiomatic code, concurrency patterns, performance profiling)

• Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL (schema design, query optimization, migrations at scale), Redis

• Distributed SQL: CockroachDB (multi-region deployments, clock skew handling, survivability trade-offs) for geo-distributed data residency

• Message Streaming: NATS, Kafka (event-driven patterns, consumer groups, at-least-once delivery), RabbitMQ

• Identity Stack: Ory ecosystem (Hydra, Kratos, Keto) with a custom Auth API orchestrator and plugin architecture

• Protocols: OAuth 2.0 / OIDC (authorization code + PKCE, client credentials, device flow, token introspection, refresh strategies), WebAuthn, JWT

• Web Security: cookie security, CSRF, XSS, secure token storage, TLS, secure session management, bcrypt, PKCE

• Infrastructure: Docker, Kubernetes, Nginx

Key Architectural Problems:

• Custom auth methods without forking Ory

• SSO without third-party cookies

• Zero-downtime migration with bidirectional identity sync

• Geo-distributed data residency via CockroachDB

Team Scope:

• Team of 4-6 backend engineers (target: up to 8)

• Ownership of core IAM services and authentication flows

• Collaboration with Frontend (widget/SDK), DevOps, and Security teams

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership (60%):

• Own the technical strategy and architecture of the Xsolla ID IAM platform, covering authentication, authorization, and session management at scale

• Design and evolve OAuth 2.0 / OIDC flows (authorization code + PKCE, client credentials, device flow), token lifecycle (introspection, refresh strategies), and security primitives to meet product and compliance requirements

• Lead decisions on the Ory ecosystem (Hydra, Kratos, Keto): extending APIs, custom auth methods without forking Ory, and the custom Auth API orchestrator / plugin architecture

• Own web security fundamentals across the platform: cookie security, CSRF, XSS protection, secure token storage, TLS, secure session management

• Drive the CockroachDB strategy for geo-distributed data residency (multi-region deployments, clock skew handling, survivability trade-offs)

• Review complex security-critical code and ensure best practices

• Drive migration strategy from legacy Xsolla Login with zero downtime and bidirectional identity sync

• Identify systemic risks and performance bottlenecks; lead initiatives to resolve them before they become incidents

• Make key decisions on system design, security architecture, and technology choices

• Maintain hands-on contribution to critical security features

People Management (40%):

• Lead and mentor a team of up to 8 backend engineers

• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and career development conversations

• Hire and onboard new team members with IAM/security expertise

• Foster a security-first culture with focus on code quality

• Manage team workload and delivery commitments

Delivery & Stakeholder Management:

• Own team’s delivery predictability for this mission-critical platform

• Collaborate with Product to define IAM roadmap and priorities

• Coordinate with dependent product teams (Xsolla Pay, Wallet, App, Backpack)

• Report on security posture, platform reliability, and team progress

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

Technical Skills:

• 5+ years of commercial experience with Go (or 7+ years with other backend languages with Go proficiency): idiomatic code, concurrency patterns, performance profiling

• Deep expertise in OAuth 2.0 / OIDC and IAM systems:

• Authorization code + PKCE, client credentials, device flow, token introspection, refresh strategies

• Understanding of JWT, token refresh flows, session management

• Knowledge of password hashing (bcrypt, Argon2) and secure storage

• Web security fundamentals: cookie security, CSRF, XSS, TLS, secure session management

• Strong knowledge of MySQL/PostgreSQL (schema design, query optimization, migrations at scale) and Redis

• Experience with distributed systems and their trade-offs (consistency, availability, failure modes)

• Experience with high-availability system design (99.9%+ uptime requirements)

• Understanding of security best practices and common vulnerabilities (OWASP)

• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and production deployments

Leadership Skills:

• 2+ years of experience leading engineering teams

• Track record of delivering mission-critical infrastructure

• Proven ability to lead multi-quarter technical initiatives across teams and influence architecture beyond the immediate team

• Experience with security-focused code review processes

• Strong written and verbal communication — RFCs and design docs that people actually read

• Ability to balance security requirements with delivery timelines

Preferred:

• Hands-on experience with the Ory ecosystem (Hydra, Kratos, Keto) — operating it in production or building on top of its APIs

• Experience with CockroachDB or other distributed SQL databases (multi-region deployments, clock skew handling, survivability trade-offs)

• Experience with NATS or Kafka — event-driven patterns, consumer groups, at-least-once delivery

• Experience with WebAuthn/FIDO2 passkey implementations

• Knowledge of Web3 authentication (wallet signatures, EIP-4361)

• Experience building or integrating with SCIM, SAML, or enterprise SSO (LDAP / Active Directory)

• Background in fintech, payments, or gaming identity systems

• Familiarity with compliance requirements relevant to IAM: SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR data minimization, audit logging

• Contributions to open-source security or identity projects

• Background in platform or infrastructure engineering — building systems other engineers build on top of

• Experience with large-scale user migrations (millions of accounts)

• Practical, up-to-date experience with modern AI tools (e.g. Claude, Copilot, Cursor) for code generation, review, and accelerating day-to-day engineering work

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

First 3 months:

• Deep understanding of Xsolla ID architecture and security requirements

• Established team rituals and 1:1 cadence

• Delivered improvements to at least one critical authentication flow

First 6 months:

• Team consistently delivers secure, well-tested code

• Progress on migration from legacy Xsolla Login

• Improved platform reliability metrics

First year:

• Xsolla ID successfully serving multiple B2C products

• Team grown and developed with clear succession planning

• Platform achieving target availability (99.9%+) and security posture

We are passionate about fostering a supportive environment for our team, so we prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our employees through a comprehensive Benefits Program. This includes:

• Unlimited Flexible Time Off for work-life balance

• Private health insurance (ДМС) with dental coverage for you and your family

• Personalized career roadmap with clear growth paths

• Professional development through training, security certifications, and conferences

• Annual corporate events and team gatherings

• Remote-first culture with flexible working hours (10:00–19:00)

• Leadership development programs and executive coaching

• Competitive compensation reflecting leadership and security expertise

Together, we’re not just building a business; we’re cultivating a community that values creativity, collaboration, and the transformative power of play.

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

• Location: Remote (worldwide)

• Employment Type: Full-time

• Schedule: 10:00–19:00 (flexible)

• Contract: Employment agreement (entity or EOR arranged per candidate location)

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT

Xsolla is dedicated to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, language, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, political beliefs, disability, age, marital status, social background or other characteristics.

We are committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

CONTACT

If you have questions regarding our hiring practices, please contact [email protected].

For more vacancies, visit: xsolla.com/careers

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.