Director, Data Engineering - Riot Data

The Director of Data is responsible for driving the vision, strategy, and execution of the company’s data engineering, and analytics initiatives. This role is critical in building and maintaining the technology stack, leading data architecture efforts, and delivering high-impact data analytics solutions. This individual will manage teams that span data engineering, data science, and analytics, ensuring that data is accessible, reliable, and delivers actionable insights to drive business performance.

Responsibilities 

• Define and lead the data engineering and analytics strategy ensuring alignment with business objectives and long-term goals. 
• Lead the design and development of scalable data pipelines, ETL processes, data warehousing, and cloud data architectures to support advanced analytics and operational needs.
• Guide the creation of robust analytics frameworks and reporting tools, including dashboards and self-service analytics, to drive data-driven decisions across the company.
• Lead the effort in utilizing advanced analytical solutions to generate meaningful insights about our players and their behaviors to deepen our player understanding and engagement
• Partner with cross-functional teams, including games, publishing, esports, enterprise, and engineering, to understand business needs and deliver insightful analytics solutions.
• Oversee and implement best practices in data governance, security, and compliance, ensuring data integrity and regulatory adherence.
• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that measure the effectiveness of analytics initiatives and their impact on business outcomes.
• Lead and manage large scale projects in a highly matrixed organization
• Lead and mentor a team of data engineers, scientists, and analytics engineers. Build and scale a high-performing organization focused on data excellence and innovation.
• Evaluate and integrate cutting-edge technologies, including AI/ML models, real-time analytics platforms, and cloud-native solutions, to keep the organization at the forefront of data capabilities.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Business Analytics, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in data analytics or related roles, with at least 7 years in a leadership or managerial capacity.
• Proficiency in data analytics tools (e.g., SQL, Python, R), BI platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI), and familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop, Spark).
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities, with a track record of delivering data-driven insights that support business objectives.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex data concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Solid understanding of business processes and how data analytics can drive business value.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a high-growth tech, gaming, or similar environment.
• Knowledge of AI/ML methodologies and how they can be applied to enhance analytics.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) and data warehousing solutions.

Our Perks:

Riot has a focus on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy, in addition to other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner's Code and Community Code. Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming.

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!