Senior Backend Engineer - Data

What are we building?

Hard Rock Digital is pioneering the future of online gaming, aiming to become the world's premier sportsbook, casino, and social gaming company. We're building a passionate team dedicated to creating innovative products and technologies that serve millions of consumers. Rooted in the legacy of Hard Rock and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, we're extending our leadership in gaming, entertainment, and hospitality into the digital realm.

What’s the position?

We're seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to join our growing data engineering team. In this role, you'll be an important technical contributor, supporting our technology, operations, and business needs. You'll work with large distributed datasets, implement and maintain data infrastructure, and apply your expertise in Java and data engineering to drive our success. As we expand our AI capabilities, you'll also have opportunities to build data pipelines that support machine learning models and AI-driven features.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable data pipelines and infrastructure

• Optimize data storage and retrieval systems for performance and reliability

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver data-driven solutions

• Implement best practices for data governance, security, and quality

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers when opportunities arise

• Support AI/ML initiatives by building robust data infrastructure for model training and inference

• Design and implement real-time data streaming solutions for AI-powered features

What are we looking for?

• Strong experience with Java, including:

  Proficiency in identifying and resolving performance issues

  Experience with memory management and garbage collection optimization

• Good understanding of distributed and event-driven systems:

  Experience with Kafka or similar streaming services

  Familiarity with message queues and pub/sub protocols (e.g., SQS, SNS)

• Strong knowledge of relational and NoSQL databases:

  Experience with Snowflake and/or Clickhouse

  Experience with DynamoDB or similar NoSQL solutions

  Ability to explain database strengths and trade-offs

• 3+ years of experience in data engineering roles

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Knowledge of analytical database platforms

• Python proficiency for Airflow or batch jobs

• AWS suite expertise

• Experience with Terraform and Kubernetes

• Proficiency in vector search systems utilizing Elasticsearch or OpenSearch

• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices

• Knowledge of NFL and/or NBA, including understanding of relevant statistics and data sources for these leagues

Preferred AI/ML Knowledge

• Understanding of AI/ML concepts and how they integrate with data engineering workflows

• Experience building data pipelines that support machine learning model training and inference

• Knowledge of AI agents and autonomous systems, including data requirements and infrastructure needs

• Experience with vector databases and embedding storage for AI applications

• Understanding of real-time data processing requirements for AI-powered features like personalization and recommendations

• Knowledge of data preprocessing techniques for machine learning workloads

• Experience with streaming data architectures that support real-time AI decision making

• Familiarity with AI model serving infrastructure and data flow optimization

What's in it for you?

We offer our employees more than just competitive compensation. Our team benefits include:

• Competitive pay and benefits

• Flexible vacation allowance

• Startup culture backed by a secure, global brand

Roster of Uniques

We care deeply about every interaction our customers have with us and trust and empower our staff to own and drive their experience. Our vision for our business and customers is built on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where regardless of background or beliefs you feel able to be authentic and bring all your talent into play. We want to celebrate you being you (we are an equal opportunities employer).