At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead data engineering strategy and build innovative data solutions for PlayStation.
- Company: Join Sony Interactive Entertainment, the powerhouse behind PlayStation.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, private medical insurance, and 25 days holiday.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values innovation and inclusion.
- Why this job: Shape the future of gaming with cutting-edge data technology.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in data engineering and leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 150000 £ per year.
Why Sony Interactive Entertainment? Sony Interactive Entertainment isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand. As a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, we’re part of a proud legacy of innovation and excellence. SIE is a dynamic technology company, delivering cutting-edge hardware and network services to more than 100 million people and an entertainment leader, home to some of the most beloved and recognizable intellectual properties (IP) in the world. Our role at SIE is to create and nurture the experiences under the PlayStation brand, a name synonymous with entertainment excellence and creativity.
Role Overview: The Senior Director of Data Engineering & Services is a critical leadership role at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), responsible for shaping and driving the data product strategy that powers intelligence across the company. This role focuses on designing, building, and scaling decision and AI-ready data assets that enable deeper, faster insights and drive data-informed decisions across Player, Creator, Publisher, and Enterprise experiences. It blends deep technical expertise with strong business knowledge, playing a key role in advancing SIE’s connected data ecosystem and enabling the next generation of intelligence and operational efficiency across the company. You will oversee domain-focused data engineering organizations spanning Player Data, Partner Data, and Enterprise Enablement, driving a unified strategy for how SIE designs, builds, and scales its data products.
In the Player Data domain, you will define how PlayStation’s player data ecosystem evolves—advancing unified attribution, identity and Player360, and trusted metrics that enable lifetime value modeling, next-best actions, causal measurement, and experimentation across player experiences. In the Partner Data domain, you will shape how PlayStation’s partner and creator ecosystem uses data through Partner360, secure data sharing, and self-serve analytics that provide insight into partner performance and lifecycle value—enabling insights that drive creator success, optimize publishing outcomes, and strengthen PlayStation as the preferred platform for partners. In the Enterprise Enablement domain, you will lead the strategy and execution of enterprise data capabilities that make SIE’s core functions—Finance, IT, Supply Chain, and HR—increasingly data-driven. Your leadership will ensure these functions operate with connected, governed, and intelligence-ready data, enabling better planning, forecasting, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making.
What you'll be doing:
- Strategic Leadership: Define and drive the long-term data engineering strategy that powers SIE’s Connected Data Ecosystem — delivering trusted, high-impact data products aligned to strategic business priorities. Partner with business and product leaders to identify and deliver the most valuable data opportunities across Player, Creator, Publisher, and Enterprise domains. Ensure data engineering teams are building for insight velocity, reusability, and scalability, enabling faster and more informed decision-making across the organization. Develop a high-performance engineering culture built on quality, ownership, and continuous improvement across global data teams.
- Data Engineering Excellence: Lead the design, architecture, and execution of SIE’s connected data ecosystem, ensuring seamless integration across business domains and platforms. Deliver decision and AI-ready data pipelines and foundational datasets that power analytics, reporting, personalization, and operational intelligence. Establish and scale guidelines for data modeling, integration, processing, quality, lineage, and observability. Optimize for data usability, trust, and performance while managing cost efficiency and reliability at scale. Ensure all data engineering outputs meet enterprise standards for security, privacy, and compliance.
- Multi-functional Collaboration: Partner with Product, Analytics, and Business teams to understand data needs and translate them into scalable, high-quality solutions. Collaborate with AI/ML, BI, and Platform teams to ensure data assets are discoverable, governed, and integrated into analytical and operational tools. Work closely with Data Governance, Privacy, and Security teams to ensure responsible data use and compliance with regulatory frameworks. Drive adoption of data products by ensuring discoverability, documentation, and seamless integration into workflows and decision systems.
- Innovation & Efficiency: Lead initiatives to optimize data operations, improve pipeline efficiency, and reduce total cost of ownership across environments. Champion innovation in data engineering — advancing streaming, near-real-time, and event-driven architectures that improve agility and insight delivery. Partner with platform engineering to implement new capabilities that enhance data delivery and improve developer productivity.
What we're looking for:
- Experience and Technical Expertise: Proven experience building strong partnerships with product, business, and technology leaders to align on data strategy, accelerate delivery, and improve the strategic value of data across the organization. Extensive experience in data engineering or related fields, with deep expertise in designing, building, and scaling enterprise-grade data solutions that enable analytics and business intelligence. Proven track record of delivering high-quality, reusable, and trusted data assets that power decision-making across complex global organizations. Deep expertise in data architecture and modeling, with experience designing scalable ELT/ETL frameworks and distributed processing systems that support both batch and real-time workloads. Proven success in building and optimizing modern data platforms using technologies such as Databricks, Snowflake, and Kafka, with strong focus on data quality, lineage, observability, and reliability. Skilled in cloud-native data ecosystems (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and governance practices, ensuring performance, scalability, compliance, and trusted access through tools such as Alation and Collibra. Demonstrated ability to design and deliver domain-aligned data products. Experience working across data privacy and regulatory frameworks, ensuring compliance while supporting global data operations. Proven leadership experience in building, mentoring, and growing high-performing global engineering teams, fostering a culture of inclusion, innovation, and accountability. Exceptional communicator and collaborator, capable of bridging technical depth and business impact. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or a related technical field.
Benefits:
- Discretionary bonus opportunity
- Hybrid Working (within Flexmodes)
- Private Medical Insurance
- Dental Scheme
- 25 days holiday per year
- On Site Gym
- Subsidised Café
- Free soft drinks
- On site bar
- Access to cycle garage and showers
Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks. Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.
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.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.
Senior Director, Data Engineering & Services in London employer: Sony
At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we pride ourselves on being not just the Best Place to Play, but also the Best Place to Work. Our dynamic work culture fosters innovation and collaboration, offering employees exceptional benefits such as hybrid working options, private medical insurance, and a supportive environment for personal and professional growth. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, SIE empowers its team members to thrive while shaping the future of entertainment technology in a vibrant location.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Director, Data Engineering & Services in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry, especially those at Sony Interactive Entertainment. A friendly chat can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your expertise! Prepare a portfolio or case studies that highlight your data engineering projects. This is your chance to shine and demonstrate how you can drive SIE’s data strategy.
✨Tip Number 3
Get ready for the interview! Research SIE’s current data initiatives and think about how your skills align with their goals. Be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to their connected data ecosystem.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the SIE team.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Director, Data Engineering & Services in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Director role. Highlight your experience in data engineering and how it aligns with SIE's mission. We want to see how you can contribute to our connected data ecosystem!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:This role is all about strategic leadership, so don’t hold back on sharing examples of how you've led teams or projects in the past. We love seeing candidates who can inspire and drive high-performance cultures!
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point — it shows us you value our time!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our official website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sony
✨Know Your Data Inside Out
As a Senior Director of Data Engineering & Services, you need to demonstrate a deep understanding of data architecture and engineering principles. Brush up on your knowledge of ELT/ETL frameworks and be ready to discuss how you've designed scalable data solutions in the past.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires strong leadership capabilities. Prepare examples of how you've built and mentored high-performing teams. Highlight your experience in fostering a culture of innovation and accountability, as well as how you've collaborated with cross-functional teams to drive data strategy.
✨Align with Business Goals
Make sure you can articulate how data engineering aligns with business objectives. Be prepared to discuss specific instances where your data initiatives have directly contributed to strategic business outcomes, especially in areas like player engagement or partner success.
✨Stay Current with Technology Trends
The tech landscape is always evolving, especially in data engineering. Familiarise yourself with the latest tools and technologies like Databricks, Snowflake, and Kafka. Be ready to discuss how you've leveraged these technologies to improve data quality and operational efficiency.