Staff Backend Engineer

Overview

As a Staff Backend Engineer at Fanatics Betting & Gaming (FBG), you are the architectural owner of the backend systems that power our iCasino experiences across mobile and web. You combine deep backend expertise with technical leadership—designing scalable, high-performance services and APIs that enable seamless, low-latency mobile experiences.

You’ll define the technical direction for backend architecture, guide engineers through complex design decisions, and collaborate closely with mobile, KMP, and web (TypeScript/React) teams to deliver cohesive, high-quality experiences. Your leadership balances rapid delivery with long-term platform health, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and innovation across teams.

We power the iCasino experiences across the Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino App, Standalone Casino App, and Casino Desktop website, leveraging Kotlin Multiplatform, Spring Boot, Java, React, and TypeScript. Our ambition is to build the top online casino in the U.S.—delivering experiences that are fun, dynamic, and technically world-class.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the backend architecture that powers iCasino experiences across mobile and web, ensuring scalability, performance, and reliability.
• Design and implement distributed systems in Java and Spring Boot, building robust APIs and services that support cross-platform functionality.
• Collaborate with KMP and mobile engineers to shape backend capabilities that deliver consistent, performant experiences across iOS and Android.
• Partner with web engineers working in TypeScript and React to create efficient, well-structured integrations that enhance frontend agility and performance.
• Lead large-scale technical initiatives, from architectural modernization to platform refactors and system integrations.
• Drive backend and API best practices, establishing clear patterns for security, observability, and operational excellence.
• Mentor and coach engineers, developing technical leaders and fostering a growth-oriented, collaborative culture.
• Contribute to cross-functional strategy, aligning technical design with business goals and product priorities.
• Lead architecture reviews, postmortems, and design sessions, ensuring continuous improvement and shared learning.
• Stay ahead of emerging technologies, advocating for pragmatic adoption that strengthens our platform.
• Be open to occasional travel to Fanatics offices or industry events for team planning, collaboration, and relationship-building.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience, with deep expertise in Java and Spring Boot.
• Proven ability to design and evolve high-scale, low-latency distributed systems with clear API contracts.
• Strong understanding of web technologies—especially TypeScript and React—with the ability to partner effectively across the full stack.
• Demonstrated experience leading architecture design and technical direction for backend platforms or complex products.
• Deep understanding of performance, scalability, and maintainability tradeoffs in backend systems.
• Skilled at mentoring engineers, driving technical alignment, and influencing cross-team architecture decisions.
• Strong communicator who can articulate technical strategies across engineering, product, and leadership audiences.
• Comfortable in fast-paced environments with a bias toward iteration, learning, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AWS or other cloud platforms, including deployment automation and observability tooling (Datadog, Grafana, CloudWatch).
• Familiarity with Kotlin Multiplatform and shared business logic across mobile and web clients.
• Experience with Kubernetes and modern DevOps practices.
• Exposure to event-driven architectures or message streaming systems (Kafka).
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, establish best practices, or modernize legacy systems.
• Passion for developer experience, clean API design, and elegant, maintainable systems.

We know not every candidate will check every box—and that’s okay. If you’re excited about owning the backend architecture that powers Fanatics’ iCasino experiences, passionate about full-stack collaboration (Java, KMP, React, TypeScript), and eager to help shape the future of our platform, we’d love to hear from you.

We value technical excellence, leadership through influence, and a growth mindset just as much as specific tool experience.

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: $144,000 - $282,000 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!