Director of Data Engineering

About 2K

2K is renowned for producing some of the most iconic and culturally impactful video games globally, including top-selling franchises like NBA® 2K, and critically acclaimed titles such as BioShock®, Borderlands®, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization®, and XCOM®. Our diverse portfolio is developed by a collection of leading game studios including Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, and others, crafting exceptional experiences across various platforms.

We are driven by our people and are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace where creativity and innovation thrive.

Role Overview

The Director of Data Engineering is a pivotal role responsible for defining and executing the data engineering vision that supports 2K’s worldwide ecosystem. This role encompasses shaping the engineering approach, telemetry standards, and infrastructure needed to convert player data into insightful and actionable intelligence.

You will spearhead advancements in our data platform, shifting towards AI-enhanced processes and collaborating closely with studio leads and cross-functional executives. Additionally, you will apply financial operations principles to ensure infrastructure cost-effectiveness and that technical investments align with business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a cutting-edge data engineering strategy that supports diverse divisions including Sports and R&D, emphasizing scalable telemetry and anticipatory data modeling.
• Lead the transformation of 2K’s data infrastructure by integrating AI tools like Snowflake Cortex or Databricks Genie to automate and improve data workflows.
• Manage cloud infrastructure expenditure by enforcing FinOps best practices to oversee and optimize data processing expenses.
• Balance efforts between addressing technical debt and fostering innovation, ensuring sustainable scaling with measurable returns on investment.
• Oversee the complete telemetry lifecycle, assuring tight integration between game client events and downstream analytics.
• Set and enforce telemetry specifications that deliver high-quality, low-latency data capture across all platforms and titles.
• Create and scale an ML Ops platform enabling Data Scientists to efficiently deploy, monitor, and iterate AI models.
• Promote proactive data modeling strategies to anticipate player behavior and business needs.
• Build strategic partnerships with Studio Engineering, DevOps, and Commercial leadership to align data initiatives with product priorities.
• Collaborate with the Director of Product for 2K Data to design and implement a modern, comprehensive data strategy.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop an elite team of data engineers, telemetry experts, and ML infrastructure engineers.
• Cultivate a culture fostering technical excellence, financial responsibility, and collaborative innovation.

Qualifications and Experience

• Extensive expertise in Data or Software Engineering, especially with large-scale distributed systems and telemetry infrastructures.
• Proven leadership of engineering teams within complex, multi-title environments, with a record of advancing team members technically and in role scope.
• Deep understanding of telemetry design, event-driven systems, and schema development that reflects product activity.
• Experience delivering scalable global data streaming and feature pipelines supporting real-time machine learning operations.
• Strong FinOps skills managing large cloud budgets optimizing performance and costs.
• Exceptional at building relationships and turning complex stakeholder dynamics into productive alliances.
• Growth-oriented mindset focused on learning and organizational change management.
• Ability to function effectively in matrixed, product-driven organizational settings.
• Demonstrated operational excellence, with knowledge of SRE or DevOps to build scalable, automated, and reliable data systems.

Preferred Extras

• Experience encompassing the full Data Science lifecycle from feature engineering to model deployment and monitoring.
• Background in software engineering including full-stack or system architecture.
• Hands-on familiarity with game engines like Unreal, Unity, or proprietary platforms related to data emission.
• Proficiency with AI-integrated data tools such as Snowflake Cortex, Databricks Genie, Langchain, or Rust.
• A passion for gaming and focusing on player experiences.

Additional Information

2K is dedicated to equal opportunity employment and supports reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process.

Note: 2K Games and its studios do not use instant messaging applications or personal email accounts for recruitment communications. Official correspondence will be through 2K.com accounts only.