Lead Software Engineer, Data Engineering

At Rockstar Games, we create world-class entertainment experiences. 

Become part of a team working on some of the most rewarding, large-scale creative projects to be found in any entertainment medium - all within an inclusive, highly-motivated environment where you can learn and collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry.

Rockstar NYC is seeking an experienced Lead Software Engineer to join our Data Engineering team, as someone who can lead a talented and diverse team of developers. 

With the continued growth of Grand Theft Auto Online and the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, the successful candidate will lead both the evolution and operation of the data platform supporting what will be the largest game launch in history, ensuring it scales to deliver an exceptional experience for millions of players worldwide. 

We are looking for someone who is passionate about games, eager for new challenges, and ready to continue our legacy of creating the greatest games in the world. 

This is a full-time, in-office position based out of Rockstar’s NYC headquarters in Downtown Manhattan. 

WHAT WE DO

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and mentor a team of data engineers, fostering growth, innovation, and engineering excellence. 
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define the technical vision and strategy for our data platforms, ensuring scalability, reliability, and efficiency. 
• Oversee the design and development of data pipelines, orchestration frameworks, and real-time data streaming services. 
• Ensure engineering best practices: code quality, testing, CI/CD, system design, and performance optimization. 
• Partner closely with other teams across Rockstar to deliver high-impact data solutions. 
• Manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables while scaling the team and evolving its capabilities. 
• Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders, focusing on understanding their needs and translating complex data engineering concepts into clear, actionable objectives. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 8 years of professional software development experience at an enterprise level organization. 
• Minimum of 3 years leading an engineering team of 4 or more people. 
• Strong background in building software for data platforms and distributed systems. 
• Knowledge of Python and data processing frameworks (Spark, Kafka, Airflow). 
• Experience with cloud-based data platforms (Azure preferred). 
• A strong sense of ownership, with a proactive nature, and a drive to accomplish objectives and drive a team to success. 

SKILLS

• Proven ability to develop and maintain good relations and communicate with people at all seniority levels.  
• Establishing relationships with team members to foster growth. 
• Work with production and product management teams to define schedules and product roadmaps. 
• Proven ability to reconcile technical and business perspectives. 
• Proven ability to break down technical problems from requirements. 
• Plan and prioritize work. 
• Autonomy and entrepreneurship. 
• Passion for mentoring and coaching team members to foster professional growth. 

PLUSES

Please note that these are desirable skills and are not required to apply for the position.

• Experience working with Real-Time, Near-Real-Time streaming pipelines. 
• Experience with Java, C#, or C++ programming languages. 
• Experience with event processing frameworks. 
• Experience with Snowflake. 
• Passion for Rockstar Games and our titles. 
• Game industry experience. 

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply with a resume and cover letter demonstrating how you meet the skills above. If we would like to move forward with your application, a Rockstar recruiter will reach out to you to explain next steps and guide you through the process.

Rockstar is committed to creating a work environment that promotes equal opportunity, dignity and respect. In line with this commitment, Rockstar will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants with disabilities during the recruitment process in order for such applicants to be considered for the position for which they are applying, as well as to qualified employees to enable them to perform the essential functions of their roles. If you need more information about Rockstar’s reasonable accommodation policies or process, or need to request an accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Department.                                   

If you’ve got the right skills for the job, we want to hear from you. We encourage applications from all suitable candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief, race, or any other protected category.