Senior Director, Software Engineering - Data Streaming Platforms & Operational DBs

Nike Inc; Beaverton, Northern (OR, KY); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

Nike Inc. seeks a senior technology leader to define the strategy, engineering, and operations for its data streaming, data integration, and operational database platforms.

The role requires proven ability to build and scale enterprise platforms, lead through leaders, and deliver measurable business outcomes. You will partner across Platform Engineering, Global Technology, Product, Architecture, Security, Data and AI, and business-domain engineering teams to drive modernization, reliability, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in CS, software engineering, information systems or related field; any combination accepted.
• Advanced degree preferred in CS, software engineering or information systems.
• 12+ years in software, platform, or data infrastructure engineering.
• 5+ years leading engineering organizations through managers and senior leaders.
• Experience with distributed systems, real-time data platforms and high-volume processing.
• Knowledge of streaming, messaging architectures and data contracts.
• Experience with cloud-native platforms, automation, security and resilience.

Responsibilities

• Define the multi-year strategy and roadmap for data streaming, data integration and operational database platforms.
• Modernize platforms to highly available, multi-region, resilient services.
• Establish standards for event-driven architecture, streaming, data contracts, replication and disaster recovery.
• Consolidate foundational capabilities and retire legacy solutions.
• Drive self-service experiences, automation, and developer productivity across Nike teams.
• Own reliability, operational readiness and total cost of ownership.
• Build and develop a diverse, high-performing organization of engineering leaders across geographies.
• Communicate strategy, trade-offs, risks and business impact to senior executives.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Executive communication

Builder-operator mindset

Influence across boundaries

Change leadership

Inclusive leadership

Business acumen

Executive stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS, SWE, IS or related field

Advanced degree in CS, SWE or IS (preferred)

Tools

Kafka-based platforms

Job description

Who We Are Looking For

We are seeking a senior technology leader to set the strategy, engineering, and operations for Nike’s data streaming, data integration, and operational database platforms. These foundational capabilities support critical business experiences across commerce, supply chain, marketing, corporate function and product innovation.

The ideal candidate is a builder-operator with deep experience leading enterprise platform organizations, developing high-performing teams, modernizing distributed systems, and connecting technology strategy to measurable business outcomes. You will lead through leaders, influence across Nike, and build secure, resilient, cost-effective platforms that accelerate the business.

What You Will Work On

• Define the multi-year strategy and roadmap for data streaming, data integration and operational database platforms.
• Modernize platforms toward highly available, multi-region, resilient, and operationally excellent services.
• Establish standards for event-driven architecture, streaming, schema and data contracts, replication, performance, security, and disaster recovery.
• Simplify the technology landscape by consolidating foundational capabilities and retiring legacy solutions.
• Drive self-service experiences, automation, developer productivity, and adoption across Nike engineering teams.
• Own reliability, operational readiness, risk reduction, vendor strategy, and total cost of ownership.
• Build and develop a diverse, high-performing organization of engineering leaders and teams across geographies.
• Communicate strategy, trade-offs, risks, and business impact to senior executives and stakeholders.

Who You Will Work With

You will partner across Platform Engineering, Global Technology, Product, Architecture, Security, Data and AI, and business-domain engineering teams.

Key partners include:

• Engineering and SRE teams on architecture, reliability, and operating standards.
• Product and program leaders on platform capabilities, adoption, and outcomes.
• Domain teams across commerce, supply chain, marketing, corporate function, and product innovation.
• Governance, Security, Privacy, Finance, Procurement, and strategic technology vendors.
• Global Technology leadership on priorities, dependencies, and enterprise alignment.

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, information systems, or a related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education,experienceand training.
• Advanced degree in computer science, software engineering or information systems preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in software, platform, or data infrastructure engineering.
• 5+ years leading engineering organizations through managers and senior leaders in global or matrixed environments.
• Deep experience operating distributed systems, real-time data platforms, and high-volume transaction-processing environments.
• Strong knowledge of streaming and messaging architectures, Kafka-based platforms, stream processing, schema management, data contracts, and replication.
• Strong knowledge of Relational and NoSQL databases, including scaling, performance, partitioning, backup, recovery, and multi-region design.
• Experience delivering cloud-native platforms with automation, infrastructure-as-code, security, and resilience practices.
• Demonstrated ability to define strategy, make architecture trade-offs, drive modernization, and connect technology decisions to business outcomes.
• Experience with enterprise security, privacy, risk management, vendor relationships, and financial stewardship.
• Excellent executive communication, facilitation, and stakeholder-management skills.

Critical Skills

• Strategic leadership and a track record of delivering results at enterprise scale.
• Builder-operator mindset with strong technical judgment.
• Ability to lead through leaders, build organizational capability, and establish accountability.
• Ability to influence across organizational boundaries and drive collective decisions.
• Strong business acumen, executive presence, and change leadership.
• Commitment to inclusive leadership, diverse teams, and continuous learning.

We offer a number of accommodations to complete our interview process including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible and single location for in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other reasonable modifications as needed. If you discover, as you navigate our application process, that you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Candidate Accommodation Request Form.