Title:  Director of Engineering Platform Services

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Engineering – Platform Services is a mission-critical leadership role responsible for guiding and inspiring the platform services team in building, maintaining, and scaling the core platform infrastructure that powers TwinSpires.com and related products. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in platform engineering, cloud infrastructure, DevOps practices, team leadership, and project management, with the ability to communicate effectively across functional teams. TwinSpires fosters a collaborative environment that encourages input and involvement from all levels of the team. This position is based in Louisville, KY, and requires regular in-person collaboration and leadership presence on site.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

-Lead the Platform Services engineering team responsible for core infrastructure, cloud operations, microservices, and developer tooling.
-Apply Agile methodology to platform development processes and ensure milestone deliverables are met on schedule.
-Provide technical and strategic feedback to development and business stakeholders regarding platform capabilities and limitations.
-Mentor and support new and junior platform engineering team members to promote professional growth and technical excellence.
-Partner with third-party vendors to ensure timely, secure, and effective platform integrations and services.
-Ensure best practices are consistently applied to platform design, implementation, reliability, and operations.
-Collaborate across Engineering teams to identify and execute opportunities for platform improvements, scalability, and standardization.
-Drive initiatives related to infrastructure as code, automated deployment, monitoring, and observability.
-Manage and execute against the platform roadmap, delivery commitments, and technical priorities.
-Oversee departmental resources, staffing, and development, fostering a best-in-class platform engineering culture.
-Report on the status of platform services, reliability, performance, and key operational metrics to the VP of Engineering and other business stakeholders.
-Partner with Product teams to assess platform capabilities and determine technical feasibility for new features.
-Perform other duties as assigned by management.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

-Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and build productive relationships across technical and non-technical teams.
-Strong interpersonal, organizational, facilitation, and presentation skills.
-Experience with Jira or comparable Agile management tools.
-Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite or equivalent productivity software.
-Exceptional organizational skills with a strong attention to detail.
-Ability to identify, anticipate, and address the needs of internal stakeholders.
-Thorough understanding of software development principles, practices, and procedures.
-Proven ability to manage time effectively and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
-Eligibility for required employee licensing by racing and gaming jurisdictions in which TwinSpires operates.
-Authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

-Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
-Extensive, progressively responsible experience in the design, implementation, and delivery of enterprise-grade web-based products supporting high scalability, availability, and reliability.
-Proven ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and concisely to a variety of audiences, both technical and non-technical.
-Demonstrated track record of successfully leading and delivering large, cross-functional engineering projects, preferably within high-volume transaction environments (e.g., gaming, financial services, or similarly concurrent systems).
-Proficiency with modern programming languages and frameworks such as Python, TypeScript, Java, and Angular.
-Experience building and deploying applications for cloud environments, particularly using Amazon Web Services (AWS) and AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS

This position primarily operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and printers.
The role requires prolonged periods of sitting at a desk, working on a computer, and communicating via phone or video conference.
The employee must be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods and occasionally move about the office to access equipment, or attend meetings.
Occasional travel may be required for team meetings, vendor engagements, or company events.
The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.