Lead Software Engineer, Business Solutions (4331)

Department: Technology

Reports To: Vice President, Technology & AI Enablement

Works Closely With: Business Intelligence

Location: Sacramento, CA (On-Site)

FLSA Status: Full-Time, Exempt

The Sacramento Kings are seeking a Lead Software Engineer, Business Solutions to lead the design, development, and implementation of internal AI-powered tools that improve operational efficiency, automate workflows, and support data-driven decision-making across the organization.

Reporting to the Vice President, Technology & AI Enablement, this is a highly independent, hands-on role responsible for owning the technical development of the organization's AI solutions from concept through deployment and ongoing optimization. Working closely with the Business Intelligence team, this individual will translate business needs and data insights into scalable, practical technology solutions that deliver measurable value.

The ideal candidate brings extensive software engineering experience, expertise in large language models (LLMs), and demonstrated proficiency in both Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Success in this role requires strong technical judgment, the ability to independently architect and deliver production-ready solutions, and a practical understanding of how AI can solve real business challenges.

• Lead the end-to-end design, development, deployment, and maintenance of internal AI-powered applications, agents, and automated workflows.

• Own the technical architecture and development of the organization's AI tools, ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, reliable, and maintainable.

• Build, deploy, and support applications and integrations across Microsoft Azure and AWS environments, independently managing cloud infrastructure and services.

• Develop and optimize LLM-based solutions, including model integrations, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), prompt engineering, agent orchestration, and model evaluation.

• Design and implement integrations and data pipelines connecting AI applications with enterprise systems and organizational data sources.

• Partner closely with Business Intelligence to identify opportunities for automation, improve data accessibility, and translate business requirements into effective technical solutions.

• Establish and maintain security, access controls, monitoring, and governance standards to protect sensitive organizational data and support responsible AI use.

• Manage the performance and reliability of deployed applications, including troubleshooting, optimization, incident response, and ongoing enhancements.

• Collaborate with the Vice President, Technology & AI Enablement and Business Intelligence to evaluate technical priorities, recommend build-versus-buy solutions, and assess development timelines, costs, and resources.

• Support adoption of AI tools through documentation, demonstrations, training, and ongoing technical guidance.

• Stay current with emerging AI technologies, development tools, and industry best practices to identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience designing, developing, and supporting production-level applications, including at least 2 years of hands-on experience developing LLM-powered solutions.

• Advanced programming proficiency in Python and/or TypeScript, with strong SQL skills.

• Demonstrated experience building applications using LLM APIs and frameworks, including retrieval-augmented generation, embeddings, vector search, tool calling, agent orchestration, and model evaluation.

• Extensive hands-on production experience with both Microsoft Azure and AWS, including application hosting, storage, networking, identity and access management, secrets management, and monitoring. Must be able to independently configure, deploy, troubleshoot, and support applications in both environments.

• Strong understanding of cloud solution architecture, API development, system integrations, data pipelines, Git version control, and CI/CD practices.

• Experience integrating applications with enterprise platforms and business data systems.

• Knowledge of data security, access controls, audit logging, and responsible AI development practices.

• Demonstrated ability to independently manage the full software development lifecycle, from requirements gathering and solution design through deployment and ongoing support.

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex business needs and data requirements into effective technical solutions.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, particularly when partnering with data analysts, business intelligence professionals, and technical leadership.

• Ability to manage competing priorities and adapt to evolving business needs in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to work occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the basketball calendar and event schedule.

• Must be willing and able to work full-time, on-site in Sacramento, CA. Remote and hybrid arrangements are not available.

• Experience in professional sports, entertainment, ticketing, hospitality, or a similarly dynamic industry.

• Familiarity with basketball operations, NBA data, and sports analytics.

• Experience with Snowflake, Databricks, or similar cloud data platforms, and ticketing systems such as Ticketmaster Archtics.

• Experience with LLMOps and MLOps practices, including evaluation pipelines, observability, model versioning, and performance monitoring.

• Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor.

• Experience with model fine-tuning, computer vision, player tracking data, or other emerging sports technologies.

• A hands-on builder: You enjoy developing solutions from the ground up and take full ownership of the technology you deliver.

• An independent problem-solver: You are comfortable making technical decisions, navigating ambiguity, and driving projects forward with minimal oversight.

• A practical innovator: You are excited about emerging AI technologies but focused on delivering solutions that create meaningful business value.

• A collaborative partner: You work effectively with Business Intelligence to turn complex data and business requirements into tools that people will actually use.

• Adaptable and accountable: You thrive in a fast-moving environment, manage competing priorities, and take pride in delivering reliable, high-quality work.

Base Salary Range: $150,000–$185,000

Final offers will be made within the posted salary range based on relevant experience, qualifications, skills, and other job-related factors.

Our comprehensive benefits and perks include:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and eligible dependents

• 401(k) with company matching contributions

• Self-Directed Time Off, 11 paid holidays, and Summer Fridays

• Paid parental leave

• Company-paid life insurance and long-term disability coverage

• Employee Assistance Program and wellness resources

• Cell phone stipend

• Sacramento Kings game tickets, concert access, team store discounts, parking, and other exclusive team member perks