Manager - Data Engineering

Why PlayStation?

PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation.

About the Role:

We are seeking an innovative, solution-oriented Engineering Manager to lead our dynamic, globally distributed Data Engineering team. As the leader of a team with members located in Berlin, the US, and Australia, you will manage seven highly skilled engineers responsible for designing and scaling PlayStation’s data infrastructure for game streaming telemetry. This role involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including Analytics, Applied AI, R&D, and Service Reliability Engineering. Your ability to manage global teams, communicate effectively with stakeholders (primarily US-based), and address complex data challenges will be key to your success in this role.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Collaboration:

Manage and mentor a geographically distributed team of talented engineers (Berlin, US, and Australia).
Foster a collaborative, high-performing environment through regular communication, promoting innovation, and cultivating a culture of learning.
Ensure team alignment across time zones and facilitate seamless collaboration with other teams.

Data Engineering Strategy:

Lead the design, implementation, and optimization of scalable data pipelines and real-time processing frameworks using technologies like Kafka, Flink, and Kubernetes.
Oversee the development and maintenance of telemetry systems, ensuring they meet the demands of PlayStation’s game streaming services.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Serve as the main point of contact for key stakeholders, primarily based in the US, ensuring clarity on requirements and timely delivery of solutions.
Build strong relationships with stakeholders by effectively communicating technical solutions in business terms.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Work closely with teams such as Analytics, Applied AI, R&D, TechOps, and Service Reliability Engineering to ensure seamless data integration and optimize performance.
Collaborate with the engineers building the game streaming stack to align data processing solutions with broader infrastructure needs.

Innovation & Problem-Solving:

Drive continuous improvement by introducing cutting-edge technologies, best practices, and methodologies in data engineering and DevOps.
Encourage creative problem-solving to tackle complex challenges in handling large-scale, real-time telemetry data.

Operational Excellence:

• Oversee the deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of data solutions, ensuring reliability, security, and scalability.
• Establish success metrics and continuously optimize processes to support PlayStation’s data-driven goals.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience managing geographically distributed teams and effectively handling collaboration across multiple time zones.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills to foster a high-performing, collaborative culture.
• Extensive expertise in time-series databases and building/optimizing scalable data pipelines.
• Proficiency with Kubernetes, Kafka, and real-time processing frameworks like Flink.
• Solid foundation in DevOps principles, including CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and system monitoring.
• Hands-on experience with software engineering in languages such as Scala, Python, or Java.
• Strong knowledge of ETL/ELT pipelines, database systems (SQL and NoSQL), and distributed systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with distributed SQL query engines like Trino or Starburst.
• Experience in the gaming, game streaming, or streaming media industries.
• Understanding of microservices architecture and RESTful APIs.
• Familiarity with data governance, privacy, and security best practices.

Personal Qualities:

• A solution-minded individual who thrives in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
• Passionate about innovation, continuous improvement, and data engineering excellence.
• Open-minded, collaborative, and adaptable, with a strong focus on team success.
• Proactive, hands-on, and eager to solve complex problems.

Why Join Us?

As an Engineering Manager at PlayStation, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of game streaming technology. Lead a global team working on cutting-edge projects that impact millions of players worldwide. With the opportunity to collaborate with industry-leading teams and tackle complex, high-impact challenges, this role is perfect for someone passionate about innovation and excellence in data engineering. Located in Berlin or working remotely, you’ll be part of a forward-thinking, fast-paced environment at the forefront of digital entertainment.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. 

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.