Infrastructure Software Engineer Internship - Microsoft

Rare is a one-of-a-kind game studio where we create the kind of games the world doesn't have, games that are uniquely Rare! Working here offers opportunities unlike anywhere else. You'll be providing players with unforgettable shared experiences in games loved by millions worldwide. Our pirate adventure Sea of Thieves, launched in 2018, continues to thrive – and alongside that we're busy creating our next magical world, Everwild, announced in 2019 to a global audience.

We strive to make Rare an amazing place to work, embracing a culture of respect and building a supportive environment for our developers. Our custom-built Twycross studio is situated in the beautiful English countryside, surrounded by woodland and wildlife, with plenty of room for us to grow.

By joining Rare, you'll be joining one of the finest studios in the industry with support from the wider Xbox Game Studios network. We're always on the lookout for exceptional people who can bring their expertise and unique thinking to help make our team even stronger!

Could you be our next Infrastructure team Software Engineer Intern? We’re looking for applicants with a growth mindset who aren’t afraid to get involved in areas they know little about first-hand. As an intern in one of our Engineering teams, you can expect to have a diverse experience working on a huge range of areas in the studio.

We expect you to go all in and bring your passion for gaming, regardless of the team you join. It all begins with your onboarding into a real job role, where you’ll belong to an established team working alongside industry experts.

Throughout the placement, your learning and development won't stop, and you’ll receive on-the-job coaching, mentoring and personal development from colleagues. As a valued part of the team, we’ll expect you to give your insights and opinions and make a real contribution to our business!

RARE'S INFRASTRUCTURE & LIVE GAME SERVICES TEAM

Engineers in this team will have opportunities to work across varied aspects of Rare’s infrastructure that empowers game teams, artists, musicians and others to achieve more in their work. You’ll get to create and improve bespoke tools, work on continuous integration and deployment systems, building and packaging games for Xbox and PC, working on platforms such as Xbox Live and PlayFab, Azure services and cloud infrastructure and more.

Leveraging our Azure infrastructure, you will get the chance to write microservice applications in C# to run in Azure and get to learn and write C++ game code that will utilise the services. You will be deploying the services into Azure, monitoring and updating them as needed, and observing live how your code has an impact on players and their experience! Services that we engineer range from storing player inventory, progress and achievements between game sessions to multiplayer matchmaking.

Key accountabilities include:

• Design, implement and iterate on tools in conjunction with other engineers, designers, artists and testers.
• Identify and surface risks in the areas that are being worked on.
• Research and develop software systems to support the development of our products in conjunction with other engineers.
• Solve problems through the application of sound engineering practice.
• Continuously work to minimise technical debt and maintenance hazards.
• Deploy and run services in an Azure environment.

To qualify for an internship position, we require:

• Experience with programming.
• Demonstrable experience of its practical application.
• Experience with a managed, object-oriented language (e.g. C#, Java), preferably using .NET framework.

OR

• A strong background in cloud platforms, application development or web app development.
• A solid grounding in Computer Science/Software Engineering theory.

Please note: it is not essential to have experience in computer games development or to be on a games-specific course.

Desirable skills (these are not necessary but if you have them, we’d love to hear about that):

• Experience with either C or C++.
• A scripting language (e.g. Python, Perl, PowerShell).
• Automated Testing (e.g. NUnit).
• Source Control (git, Perforce, etc.)
• Understanding security over the internet (e.g. https, certificates, PKI).
• Working within a team.
• Experience with commercial game engines like Unreal Engine, Unity or Godot.
• Web service development (e.g. Azure Services, ASP.NET, NodeJS).
• Cloud deployment (e.g. Azure, AWS, GCP).
• CI/CD (e.g. TeamCity, Octopus, Jenkins, GitHub Actions).
• Contribution to an open-source community.
• Game-related engineering (e.g. rendering with DirectX/OpenGL, 3D modelling).
• Any other skills you have that you think we would love to see!

HOW TO APPLY

Please include a copy of your CV with a cover letter and portfolio. We realise that your portfolio may be a work in progress and that’s fine, it’s your potential that will catch our eye. Here are some things you can do to help you stand out:

• Have a portfolio of things you are genuinely proud of – this is your chance to show off.
• A covering letter that demonstrates why you want to work for our team at Rare. (We’re a creative lot though, so it doesn’t have to be a letter. Previously we’ve had videos, comics and games!)

TIMELINE

November 2022: Intern intake opens.

January 2023: Intern intake closes.

February 2023: Candidates undergo video and in-person interviews.

March 2023: Successful candidates informed.

July 2023: Candidates begin 12-month placement.

If you haven’t been selected for interview by the end of February, unfortunately you haven’t been successful this year. Due to the volume of applications, we’re unable to respond personally to each applicant.

DETAILS

Microsoft and Rare are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.