Co-op, Software Engineer

About Skillz

If you want to build, own, and see your impact — join Skillz and level up your career.

Skillz is the competition infrastructure platform that powers real-money, skill-based tournaments inside mobile games. We didn't just enter the competitive gaming market — we invented it. Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur and inventor Andrew Paradise, Skillz built the category from scratch: the patented matchmaking, identity, payments, fraud protection, and developer tools that make fair, real-stakes competition possible at scale.

Skillz hosts billions of casual mobile gaming tournaments for millions of players worldwide and is revolutionizing the gaming industry. By fostering social competition within games, the Skillz platform helps developers build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling real-money activity in their games and providing operational support while connecting players through fair, enjoyable, and meaningful competition.

Today, Skillz is part of FIRY — a global holding company operating at the intersection of gaming, AI-powered performance marketing, and developer infrastructure. Alongside RZR, our AI-driven ad network, and Beamable, our backend and LiveOps platform, Skillz sits at the center of a compounding data flywheel that no standalone competitor can replicate. 800,000+ daily tournaments. $7.5 billion in lifetime prizes paid to players. 90 million registered users.

We're a high-conviction team of builders who came from Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Tesla, X, Roblox, Zynga, Samsung, Lyft, EA, Riot, Nexon, Gameskraft, PlayStation, Unity, Scopely, Tinder, Intel, Deloitte, EY, Twitch, DraftKings, Wynn Resorts, and more. We operate like a startup, hold ourselves to high standards, and move fast with purpose. If you want to work on infrastructure that matters — and be part of a team that fights for what it builds — Skillz is the right place.

• Duration: 6-12 months, running from January 11, 2027 to August 20, 2027, with the opportunity to extend for a second term
• Location: In-office role based in our Las Vegas office, requiring onsite presence 5 days a week, 40 hours a week (relocation support provided)
• Eligibility: You must be an enrolled student at the start of the program and graduate no more than 1 year after the program begins
• Strong performers may be considered for a full-time opportunity at the end of the program

Responsibilities 

• Develop and maintain backend services and APIs supporting Skillz's payment infrastructure and real-money player flows
• Collaborate with the team on sprint planning, code reviews, and technical discussions
• Write clean, well-tested, and well-documented code
• Participate in debugging and resolving production issues across deposit, withdrawal, and payout systems
• Contribute to architectural discussions and technical documentation for payment and platform services

Key Competencies 

• Strong fundamentals in computer science (data structures, algorithms, system design)
• Experience with server-side languages (Java, Kotlin, Go, or similar)
• Understanding of RESTful API design and microservices architecture
• Familiarity with payment systems, financial data integrity, or distributed transaction patterns (preferred)
• Ability to work collaboratively in an agile team environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Experience 

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's program in Computer Science or a related field
• Prior internship or co-op experience in software engineering (preferred)
• Minimum 3.3/4.0 GPA required
• Familiarity with version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies quickly

Total Starting Compensation: $32/hour

Location: Onsite, Las Vegas, NV

Why Skillz

• You're building infrastructure, not just features. Skillz is the competition layer for mobile gaming — the matchmaking, payments, identity, and fraud systems that make real-stakes competition trustworthy at scale. The work here compounds. Every improvement to the platform makes every tournament on it better.
• Founder-led. Andrew Paradise founded Skillz in 2012 with a single conviction: that fair, real-money skill-based competition should exist at scale. Thirteen years later, he’s taken the company public on the NYSE, built a portfolio of three independent businesses, earned 90+ patents, and won the largest false advertising verdict in U.S. history. He is still here — still the founder, still the CEO, still building. That kind of long-term commitment and alignment is rare in any company. At Skillz, it defines the culture from the top down.
• Part of a compounding ecosystem. Skillz is one of three businesses inside FIRY — alongside RZR, our AI-powered performance ad network, and Beamable, our developer backend platform. Your work spans gaming, ad tech, identity, payments, and ecommerce. The platform you build on gets smarter and more valuable with every player, developer, and advertiser that enters the ecosystem.
• Comprehensive Benefits. 100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents. 401K matching, equity incentives, pre-tax benefit options, and more.
• Wellness Support. Meditation and mental health resources, physical fitness coaching and classes, family planning assistance, health and parenting guidance, virtual therapy sessions, and more.
• Time Off. Competitive PTO and company holidays.
• Las Vegas Headquarters. Skillz operates in a five-day-a-week, collaborative office environment at our 36,000+ square foot Las Vegas HQ. Free daily catered lunch, snacks, a full-size gym with showers, commuter benefits, team events, and more.
• Recognized Success. Skillz has earned recognition as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, CNBC's Disruptor 50, San Francisco Business Times' Best Places to Work, Forbes' Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and the #1 fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000 list, and many more.

Join Skillz and Let's Redefine the Boundaries of Gaming!

Together, we'll create a world where skill, passion, and innovation thrive. We look forward to having you on board!

Skillz embraces diversity and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As part of our commitment to diversifying our workforce, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, gender, gender identity, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, veteran status, or disability status, and we operate in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

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