Senior Java/Scala Engineer
SPAN Digital|Posted 25 days ago
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Skills and experience
Location and salary
Role description
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
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About SPAN Digital
What we do
SPAN is a technical strategy and software engineering firm. We conceptualize, develop, and deploy successful SaaS solutions.
For a decade, our team of polyglot software engineers, strategists, and program managers have been on the leading-edge of software development solving tough technical problems for both scaling start-ups and some of the world’s largest companies. We started SPAN as a services company but are ever-watchful for product opportunities we can build out to further meet the needs of a wider range of customers.
At SPAN, we love a challenge—where we get to be inventive and tenacious. Based in San Francisco, Guadalajara, and Cape Town, we’re a fast-paced, action-oriented team that thrives on collaboration. We weave design, development, and strategy together in iterative, interdisciplinary ways enabling our clients to overcome the complexity of accelerating technological change.
Why Work For Us
Advance your career, learn, and have fun by becoming part of our diverse but cohesive crew of computer engineering graduates, reformed punk rockers, self-taught coding connoisseurs, and data wranglers of all stripes. If you enjoy using the latest software tech to solve real-world problems, you’ll fit right in here!
Our Culture
What We Offer:
- Learning organisation based on a reverence for expertise & craftsmanship (Meetups, Conferences, Lunch & Learning sessions, e-Learning, and more)
- Hybrid-remote working model (the best of both worlds)
- Flexible and generous work & leave schedule (as you would expect from a modern, enlightened company)
- Wellness initiatives, charitable community initiatives, employee awards, and leadership training
- MacBook Pro and home office allowance (aka all the tools you want and need to help you do your best work)
You’ll Love It Here If:
- You're excited to work on leading-edge software projects for top Silicon Valley clients
- You are allergic to hierarchical, bureaucratic, business-card cultures
- You're sad that too many sharp minds are focused on tricking people into clicking on ads
- You want to work with very smart colleagues from diverse backgrounds
- You are a voracious learner & an eager teacher of others
- You want to be led from the front, not commanded from the rear
Perks at SPAN Digital
Tech Stack
application and data
utilities
dev ops
business tool
