Senior Java/Scala Engineer

About SPAN Digital

We’re a premium software consultancy partnering with startups to global brands in tech, fintech, and digital media. We build category‑defining products and help engineering teams deliver exceptional digital solutions across three continents. At SPAN, we balance structure with flexibility, autonomy with accountability, and learning with doing.

The Role

Join our expert team executing critical enterprise data retention, migration, and privacy enhancement projects at petabyte scale. This role combines robust software engineering capabilities with technical leadership; you’ll design production‑quality solutions while mentoring teams and driving complex data initiatives from concept to deployment.

Experience Level

8+ years data/software engineering | 4‑7 years technical leadership

What You’ll Do

Data Engineering & Migration Leadership

• Design and implement large‑scale data migration strategies for identity transformation across multi‑petabyte datasets
• Build comprehensive data lineage mapping and validation systems ensuring migration accuracy and data integrity
• Develop scalable data transformation solutions supporting batch and streaming processing with parallel pipeline orchestration
• Execute JDK and Apache Spark upgrades while maintaining production stability
• Implement advanced monitoring and observability for data pipeline performance and system health tracking
• Create testing and validation frameworks for complex migration scenarios

Technical Leadership & Engineering Excellence

• Provide technical leadership for data migration initiatives, taking ownership of critical system components
• Mentor engineers through pair programming, code reviews, and collaborative pipeline development
• Lead technical design discussions for complex data migrations meeting enterprise requirements
• Demonstrate deep expertise across the full data engineering lifecycle—from migration planning through operational support
• Drive work forward by identifying and removing blockers, enabling continuous value delivery
• Collaborate effectively with stakeholders across disciplines to ensure alignment and project success

What You Bring

Required:

• Minimum 8 years in data engineering or related engineering roles
• Bachelor’s/Master’s in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience
• Proven expertise in large‑scale data migration and ETL pipeline development
• Advanced proficiency in Scala and Java with modern build systems (Gradle or Maven)
• Deep experience with Apache Spark and distributed file systems (HDFS) or cloud object storage (S3, GCS)
• Production experience with cloud data platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure, or Databricks)
• Hands‑on AWS EKS (Kubernetes) for containerized data processing environments
• Understanding of data privacy, security, and compliance requirements (GDPR experience preferred)
• Strong knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and distributed systems design
• Excellent problem‑solving skills for fast‑paced, mission‑critical environments

Preferred:

• Enterprise engineering environments with large‑scale tools and development processes
• Data lineage analysis, dependency mapping, and validation frameworks
• Identity management in large‑scale distributed systems
• Modern data formats: Apache Iceberg, Parquet, ORC, Avro
• Streaming platforms: Apache Kafka or AWS Kinesis
• Observability tools: Prometheus, Grafana, Spark UI

Core Competencies

This role requires expertise across technical and leadership areas including Software Design, Programming/Software Development, Testing, Solution Architecture, Requirements Management, Release and Deployment, and Technology Monitoring. You’ll demonstrate autonomy in complex problem‑solving, influence across technical teams, and leadership of technical initiative.

Our Culture = Your Fit (Non‑Negotiable)

We need team members who embrace authentic expression and psychological safety as non‑negotiables, actively contribute ideas and questions rather than waiting to be asked, view mistakes as learning opportunities to share openly, and genuinely collaborate instead of just coordinating tasks. If you thrive in environments where open communication, mutual respect, and genuine teamwork drive excellence, you’ll feel at home here. However, if you prefer working in silos, avoiding difficult conversations, or keeping concerns to yourself, this isn’t the right fit – and that’s okay.

Our Principles

Engage • Communicate • Collaborate • Deliver Value • Grow • Lead • Iterate • Have Fun

Why SPAN Digital

• Work on cutting‑edge data engineering projects at petabyte scale
• Technical leadership opportunities with mentorship responsibilities
• Collaborative environment focused on continuous learning and growth
• Exposure to enterprise clients in entertainment, and technology industries
• Professional development with clear career progression paths
• Flexible work arrangements across our offices
• Competitive compensation package
• Access to latest technologies and tools in data engineering and cloud platforms

Ready to Lead at Scale?

If you’re passionate about large‑scale data engineering, technical leadership, and delivering world‑class solutions, we’d love to hear from you.

Next Steps

Review our culture and values at spandigital.com

Prepare examples of your data engineering leadership experience

Be ready to discuss your approach to technical mentorship and team collaboration