Data Platform Engineer

2K; Novato (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Professional development & learning.

Flexible work resources & wellbeing

Job summary

2K Games in Novato, CA, is seeking a Data Platform Engineer to shape the core data platform for billions of events globally. You will lead architecture and development of Snowflake, Databricks, and AWS-based data lakes, while managing real-time streams and enforcing secure data access across multiple studios.

The role requires deep expertise in SQL, Python, Spark, and cloud data services, with a focus on scalable, self-service data capabilities and a SSOT-driven environment supporting global

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 6+ years of professional data platform or distributed systems engineering experience.
• Proficiency in SQL and Python; expert with big data frameworks like Spark.
• Deep AWS expertise (S3, EKS, IAM, SNS/SQS) and Snowflake/Databricks experience.
• Experience with orchestration tools like Apache Airflow.
• Strong data modeling knowledge (Kimball, Inmon, Data Vault).

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve core data platform components (Snowflake, Databricks, AWS S3 Data Lakes).
• Scale streaming systems (Kafka or Kinesis) for real-time telemetry and analytics.
• Develop Data-as-a-Service features to onboard data with minimal friction.
• Optimize Spark/PySpark workloads for large-scale clusters and cost efficiency.
• Design RBAC models ensuring data security and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure interoperability across platforms using standards like Apache Iceberg for SSOT.
• Provide technical leadership and translate business needs into scalable platform features.

Skills

SQL

Python

Spark

AWS

Snowflake

Databricks

Airflow

Kubernetes

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/Engineering

Tools

Snowflake

Databricks

AWS

Kafka/Kinesis

Apache Iceberg

Job description

Who We Are

2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K’s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment.

Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of 2K’s portfolio currently includes several AAA, sports and entertainment brands, including global powerhouse NBA 2K, renowned BioShock, Borderlands, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization and XCOM brands; popular WWE 2K and WWE SuperCard franchises, TopSpin 2K25, as well as the critically and commercially acclaimed PGA TOUR 2K

At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We encourage ALL applicants to explore our global positions, even if they don’t meet every requirement for the role.

What We Need

The Data Platform Engineer is responsible for designing and evolving the core architectural foundation of 2K’s data ecosystem. While Data Engineers build pipelines and DataOps Engineers manage reliability, the Data Platform Engineer focuses on building the underlying platforms—including Snowflake, Databricks, Kafka, and internal frameworks—that enable self-service data capabilities across the organization. this role ensures high-performance environment scalability for billions of global player events and creates seamless interoperability between complex data systems.

What You Will Do

• Platform Architecture & Development: Lead the design, implementation, and optimization of core data platform components, including Snowflake, Databricks, and AWS S3 Data Lakes.
• Streaming Infrastructure: Manage and scale high-throughput streaming systems using Kafka or Kinesis to support real-time game telemetry and low-latency analytics.
• Self-Service Enablement: Develop "Data-as-a-Service" (DaaS) features that allow Business Units and Studios to onboard data and manage access with minimal friction.
• Distributed Systems Optimization: Optimize Spark and PySpark applications for performance and cost-efficiency across large-scale distributed clusters.
• Security & RBAC Architecture: Design and automate granular access control models to ensure data security and compliance with global regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
• Interoperability & Standards: Ensure seamless data flow and interoperability between disparate platforms (utilizing technologies like Apache Iceberg) to maintain a Single Source of Truth (SSOT).
• Technical Leadership: Serve as a subject matter expert for the data platform, translating complex business needs into scalable technical requirements and platform features.

Who We Think Will Be A Great Fit

• Architectural Depth: Demonstrates a deep understanding of how platform components interact and scale within a global data ecosystem.
• Innovation & Efficiency: Drives the adoption of new technologies and methodologies to improve platform performance and reduce operational overhead.
• Problem Solving: Resolves complex, high-impact technical issues related to distributed systems and data availability.
• Collaboration: Partners effectively with Data Scientists, Data Engineers, and Studio Leads to provide a high-quality developer experience.
• Strategic Thinking: Anticipates future platform needs and aligns architectural decisions with long-term business goals.

Required Qualifications, Knowledge, and Job-Related Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience: 6+ years of professional experience in data platform or distributed systems engineering in high-volume environments.
• Core Technical Stack: Mastery of SQL and Python; expert knowledge of big data processing frameworks like Spark.
• Cloud Ecosystem: Deep proficiency in AWS services (S3, EKS, IAM, SNS/SQS) and extensive experience with Snowflake or Databricks.
• Orchestration: Experience building or extending workflow orchestration platforms like Apache Airflow.
• Architecture Mindset: Strong understanding of data modeling methodologies (Kimball, Inmon, Data Vault) and how they apply to modern cloud data platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience handling high-velocity telemetry from massive live-service ecosystems (e.g., gaming or high-volume consumer tech).
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) for provisioning data stacks.
• Knowledge of data observability and cataloging tools (e.g., Monte Carlo, DataHub, or Soda).
• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) in a data platform context.
• AI Infrastructure: Experience building and scaling Vector Databases (e.g., Pinecone, Weaviate, or Milvus) to support Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).
• Interoperability: Knowledge of the Model Context Protocol to enable secure, standardized data sharing between 2K’s data repositories and LLM applications.
• LLM Data Tooling: Familiarity with data preparation and governance for fine-tuning Large Language Models.

What we offer you:

• Great Company Culture. We pride ourselves as being one of the most creative and innovative places to work, creativity, innovation, efficiency, diversity and philanthropy are among the core tenets of our organization and are integral drivers of our continued success.
• Growth: As a global entertainment company, we pride ourselves on creating environments where employees are encouraged to be themselves, inquisitive, collaborative and to grow within and around the company.
• Work Hard, Enjoy Life.Our employees’ bond, blow-off steam, and flex some creative muscles – through corporate boot camp classes, company parties, our Office gaming spaces, game release events, monthly socials, and team challenges.
• Benefits. Benefits include, but are not limited to; Discretionary bonus, Provident fund contributions, 1+5 medical insurance + top up options and access to Practo online Doctor consultation App, Employee assistance program, 3X CTC Life Assurance, 3X CTC Personal accident insurance, childcare services, 20 days holiday + statutory holidays,
• Perks. Gym reimbursement up to INR1150 per month, wellbeing program with the chance to earn up to $93 per annum, charitable giving program, access to learning platforms, employee discount program’s plus free games and events!

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.

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