Data Engineer (Contract)

At ArenaNet, we’ve always believed that games are art. They have the power to communicate ideas and tell stories. They can change the way we think, reflect our cultures, and move us. As the developer of the award-winning Guild Wars game series, we’re proud to share our passion for the online worlds we’ve created with over 21 million players worldwide. ArenaNet develops and publishes games for every kind of person, which means our games need to be built by every kind of person. We believe the best experiences come from working together, celebrating differences, and helping each of our team members shine. We’re looking for a Data Engineer to join our team for a 6-month contract. In this role, you’ll build and maintain reliable, readable, and efficient database views that support analytics and reporting. You’ll work primarily in Amazon Redshift and Databricks, using DELOS, our internal system for defining and deploying database logic across platforms. Training and guidance on DELOS will be provided, and you’ll be expected to learn the system and apply it consistently. WHAT YOU’LL DO Create, update, test, and document database views in Amazon Redshift and Databricks. Use DELOS to define and maintain database logic that can be deployed consistently across platforms. Review existing SQL and simplify or refactor complex queries while preserving intended business logic. Troubleshoot query failures, unexpected results, schema differences, and platform-specific SQL behavior. Validate data outputs by comparing results and partnering with analysts to confirm downstream usability. Follow established development, code review, version control, testing, naming, and deployment practices. Communicate progress, blockers, assumptions, and data-quality concerns. Support other related data engineering needs as they arise. WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. 2+ years of hands-on experience as a Data Engineer or in a similar data-focused role. Strong SQL skills, including joins, common table expressions (CTEs), aggregations, subqueries, and window functions. Ability to read unfamiliar SQL, trace business logic, identify unnecessary complexity, and refactor queries. Working knowledge of relational data modeling, schemas, views, data types, and null handling. Experience with a cloud data warehouse or Lakehouse platform; Redshift or Databricks experience a plus. Comfort using Git or another version-control system in a collaborative development workflow. Ability to learn internal frameworks, follow established patterns, and clarify requirements. Good communication skills, including the ability to explain query logic to non-technical audience. Self-management skills and the ability to balance multiple assigned priorities in a contract environment. Nice to Have Basic Python familiarity for reading utilities, tests, or supporting data-engineering code a plus. Previous experience in the game industry. This is a 6-month remote-friendly contract, but we are currently prioritizing candidates who are local to the Bellevue, WA area and open to occasional onsite collaboration. Applications will be accepted until Monday, August 24th by 10am PT. If the deadline is extended, the posting will be updated accordingly. If the position is filled before this date, the posting will be removed. Pay Range: $50.53 - $80.29 This is an hourly contract role with overtime pay when applicable. While we share the full range for transparency, typical offers fall between the minimum and midpoint. The role is benefits-eligible through our third-party employer, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and flexible/dependent care accounts. Don’t meet every single requirement on this job post? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At ArenaNet, we believe diversity in culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and backgrounds make us a better team – we celebrate it. So, if you’re excited about this role, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.