Software Engineer III, Fanatics Markets

About Us

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.

About The Team

Fanatics Markets is the real-money prediction and trading app where you can invest in moments you care about. Built on a secure platform, we let users predict real-world outcomes and trade on events they actually follow - from sports and entertainment to political elections and beyond. Our mission is to redefine how fans engage with the moments and markets that matter most. We're looking for the right people to help us build the future of prediction markets.

Role Overview

As a Software Engineer III, Distributed Systems, you’ll be responsible for powering the rapidly growing Fanatics Markets app. In your role you'll be recognized as a technical leader, combining strategic thinking with hands-on execution.

You'll lead ambitious projects, setting the standard for your team through innovative solutions. Your bold decisions will strike the right balance between addressing immediate business needs and ensuring long-term technical excellence. Through your leadership, you’ll foster a culture of excellence and innovation, leaving a lasting impact on both your immediate team and the broader mobile development community.

In this role you will lead the design and scaling of our distributed systems. This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of hands-on coding, architecture, and technical leadership, and who can influence engineering direction while mentoring others.

Responsibilities

• Design and scaling of distributed systems using Kotlin, Java, and Spring Boot, ensuring the platform can handle massive traffic spikes during live global events.
• Build and optimize high-throughput applications using Postgres, Kafka, and Redis/Redis PubSub, prioritizing data integrity and low latency.
• Drive performance across services and infrastructure, implementing strategies for backpressure, circuit breaking, and "Exactly-Once" processing.
• Partner with product and engineering leadership to align technical strategy with business goals, making "big bet" decisions on build vs. buy.
• Foster a mindset of well-designed systems and test-driven development. Lead deep-dive code reviews, maintain technical documentation, and mentor engineers.
• Set company-wide standards for observability, schema evolution, and deployment patterns within a cloud-native environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of software engineering experience with a primary focus on distributed systems and high-concurrency environments.
• Expert-level proficiency in Java or Kotlin, Spring Boot, and modern API design (REST, gRPC, and Protobuf).
• Deep experience with Kafka (or Red Panda/PubSub), including an understanding of internal mechanics, partition strategies, and consumer group rebalancing.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Helm, Terraform, and cloud-native infrastructure.
• Proven ability to diagnose bottlenecks in asynchronous messaging and implement complex architectural patterns like idempotency and distributed caching.
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction without direct authority and guide teams through complex architectural transitions.
• B.S., M.S., or PhD in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience.

Depending on the role, your interview and onboarding experience may include in-person components, such as onsite interviews or Launching into Better: LIVE—a multi-day cultural immersion in New York City for full-time, non-seasonal hires. These sessions are designed to build connection and bring our culture to life, though specific travel and participation requirements will be confirmed based on your role and location. Your recruiter will provide clear guidance at each stage of the process.

For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com

Ranges will change based on country and state of residence, which are reflected in Geographical Zones defined by Fanatics Betting and Gaming. The range incorporates all of our Geographical Compensation Zones and is subject to change as the Zone associated with the actual offer is confirmed. In addition to the base and bonus, full-time employment, and more. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/

Salary Range

$137,500 - $181,250 USD