VP R&D

About Parana Gaming
At Parana Gaming, we currently focus on delivering innovative sweepstakes experiences that captivate audiences through unique contest mechanisms. While our roots are in digital entertainment, our present priority is on creating a state-of-the-art sweepstakes platform that drives engagement and compliance in a regulated environment. Join us as we redefine the online sweepstakes space!

Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced and visionary VP R&D to lead the technical direction of our innovative sweepstakes platform. In this role, you will be responsible for architecting and executing the technology strategy that powers our online sweepstakes casino. You will work closely with cross-functional teams—including product, legal, and operations—to ensure our technology meets both business objectives and regulatory requirements while leveraging a modern tech stack. This position about building a secure, scalable, and compliant sweepstakes system.

Key Responsibilities

• Technology Vision & Strategy:
• Define and execute the overall technical roadmap in alignment with our mission to innovate in the sweepstakes space.
• Drive technological innovation using modern frameworks and best practices to ensure our platform remains competitive and compliant.
• Architecture & System Design:
• Oversee end-to-end system design across all key components, including user profile and wallet services, contest management, and backend integrations.
• Champion a data-driven approach for operational efficiency and user engagement, utilizing tools like Grafana stack, Kubernetes and co.
• Team Leadership & Development:
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate effectively with product, legal, and operations teams to translate technical requirements into scalable solutions.
• Operational Excellence & DevOps:
• Manage cloud infrastructure and container orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes) to ensure high availability and low latency.
• Implement robust CI/CD pipelines and monitoring solutions to maintain system performance and reliability.
• Compliance, Security & Integration:
• Ensure the platform adheres to all applicable sweepstakes and data privacy regulations.
• Oversee secure authentication (Auth0) and disaster recovery strategies while integrating automation tools like Airbyte and n8n.
• Technology Stack Oversight:
• Champion the use of a modern tech stack including TypeScript, NestJS, NextJS, PostgreSQL/PostREST, and WordPress to streamline development and operations.
• Leverage modern analytics and BI tools (ClickHouse,Tabloo, MixPanel) to drive product improvements through data insights.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in senior technology leadership roles, preferably within regulated digital entertainment or sweepstakes industries.
• Proven expertise in architecting and scaling large-scale, microservices-based platforms using TypeScript, NestJS, and PostgreSQL/PostREST.
• Frontend, React/NextJS
• Hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure, container orchestration (Kubernetes), and event streaming (e.g., Kafka).
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-disciplinary teams and align technology initiatives with business strategy.
• Deep understanding of compliance and regulatory challenges industry.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with content management systems (WordPress) and automation/orchestration tools (n8n, Airbyte).
• Familiarity with integrating third-party authentication systems (Auth0) in regulated environments.
• A passion for redefining the sweepstakes experience and driving innovation in digital contests.