Staff Software Engineer

Overview

At Fanatics Betting & Gaming (FBG), a core division of Fanatics' mission to establish the ultimate end-to-end digital sports platform, we're crafting a world where every aspect of a sports fan's passion is catered to.

On the engineering side, we're pioneering the use of AI as a code collaborator. We need engineers who have gone beyond experimentation: engineers passionate about min/maxing their workflows who actively experiment with Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or similar tools to ship production code faster while maintaining exceptional quality standards. If you have strong opinions about AI-augmented development workflows backed by real experience, we want to talk with you.

As a Staff Engineer, you'll be a technical leader shaping the architecture of our entire betting platform. You'll define technical strategy across multiple teams while maintaining hands-on technical excellence. This role requires someone who can balance deep technical expertise with strategic thinking and cross-functional influence. You'll lead by example, establishing best practices for AI-assisted development while building systems that handle millions of events daily.

Responsibilities

Technical Experience

• 10+ years building and deploying scalable, high-performance production applications
• 5+ years in technical leadership roles
• Experience with systems handling 100M+ daily transactions
• Track record of successful multi-team technical initiatives
• Kotlin and/or Java: 5+ years building production microservices
• Spring Boot: Deep understanding of reactive programming and non-blocking I/O
• PostgreSQL: Complex query optimization, indexing strategies, and migration management
• Kafka: Event streaming patterns, partition strategies, and consumer group management at scale
• Redis/Redis Pub/Sub: Building real-time features supporting hundreds of thousands of concurrent users

Leadership & Impact

• Proven ability to influence technical decisions across an organization
• Experience defining technical standards adopted by 50+ engineers
• History of mentoring senior engineers to staff-level roles
• Can point to specific architectural decisions that unlocked business value
• Track record of introducing tools or processes that measurably improved team velocity

AI Development Experience

• Has introduced AI development practices at team or organization level
• Can articulate ROI and present business cases for AI tool adoption
• Experience building internal tooling or frameworks enhancing AI effectiveness
• Demonstrated experience using AI tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, etc.) to ship production code
• Can articulate specific examples of workflow improvements (e.g., "reduced boilerplate generation time by 40%")
• Has developed personal strategies for validating AI-generated code and identifying common pitfalls
• Can compare at least 2-3 AI tools with concrete pros/cons from actual usage

Engineering Excellence

• Strong grasp of software design principles (SOLID, DRY) and testing methodologies (TDD, BDD)
• Experience with observability and monitoring in distributed systems
• Self-directed problem solver who thrives in ambiguous situations
• Team-first mentality with willingness to jump in wherever needed
• Actively experiments with and optimizes personal development workflow
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Qualifications

• 7+ years building and deploying scalable, high-performance production applications
• Kotlin and/or Java: 3+ years building production microservices
• Spring Boot: Deep understanding of reactive programming and non-blocking I/O
• PostgreSQL: Complex query optimization, indexing strategies, and migration management
• Kafka: Event streaming patterns, partition strategies, and consumer group management at scale
• Redis/Redis Pub/Sub: Building real-time features supporting hundreds of thousands of concurrent users
• Demonstrated experience using AI tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, etc.) to ship production code
• Can articulate specific examples of workflow improvements (e.g., "reduced boilerplate generation time by 40%")
• Has developed personal strategies for validating AI-generated code and identifying common pitfalls
• Can compare at least 2-3 AI tools with concrete pros/cons from actual usage
• Strong grasp of software design principles (SOLID, DRY) and testing methodologies (TDD, BDD)
• Track record of introducing tools or processes that measurably improved team velocity
• Experience with observability and monitoring in distributed systems
• Can write clear technical documentation and present architecture decisions to non-technical stakeholders
• Team-first mentality with willingness to jump in wherever needed
• Actively experiments with and optimizes personal development workflow
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-directed problem solver who thrives in ambiguous situations

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in sports betting industry or genuine interest in sports
• Previous experience in high-growth startup environments
• Contributions to open-source projects or technical community
• Experience with real-money transaction systems and regulatory compliance
• Background in building developer tools or improving engineering productivity
• Experience leading without authority and influencing technical direction across teams

Note on AI Workflow: We're serious about AI-augmented development. During interviews, be prepared to:

• Demo your current AI-assisted workflow
• Discuss specific examples of how you've used AI to solve complex problems
• Share your strategies for ensuring AI-generated code meets production standards

Ready to build the future of sports betting? If you possess some of these skills but not all of them, we still encourage you to apply!

The expected salary range for this role is based on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This role is eligible for the Fanatics Betting and Gaming annual bonus program and an equity award. *Salary range is listed in USD; actual salary will vary based on location. *Salary Range: $120,000 - $215,000 per year (actual salary will be determined in part by a successful candidate’s geographic location). In addition to base salary, bonus, and equity, full-time employees are eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, paid time off, and other benefits like GymPass, Pet Insurance, Family Care Benefits, and more. We’ll also give you $700 to set up your home office! 

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally. 

Launched in 2021, Fanatics Betting and Gaming is the online and retail sports betting subsidiary of Fanatics, a global digital sports platform. The Fanatics Sportsbook is available to 95% of the addressable online sports bettor market in the U.S. Fanatics Casino is currently available online in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Fanatics Betting and Gaming operates twenty-two retail sports betting locations, including the only sportsbook inside an NFL stadium at Northwest Stadium. Fanatics Betting and Gaming is headquartered in New York with offices in Denver, Leeds and Dublin.