Software Engineer, Backend

Sleeper • San Francisco, CA

2d • $140,000 - $185,000 • Remote

About The Position

We're looking for a Software Engineer - Backend to help us scale the core systems behind our fantasy sports and DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) offerings. In this role, you'll build and own critical backend services, and collaborate with fellow engineers as we scale to support tens of millions of passionate sports fans. You'll collaborate cross-functionally to bring innovative features to life—from real-time contest engines and game logic to personalized content and secure, seamless payments. You'll own significant parts of the backend stack and help raise the bar for performance, scalability, and reliability at Sleeper.

Requirements

• 3+ years of backend software engineering experience.
• Proven ability to build and scale distributed systems that serve millions of users in real-time or gaming environments.
• Strong proficiency in one or more backend languages (e.g., Go, Python, Node.js, Java), and an understanding of trade-offs between them.
• Solid knowledge of databases (both SQL and NoSQL), caching strategies, and message queues (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ, Pub/Sub).
• Comfortable designing and maintaining RESTful and/or graphql APIs, data models, and internal tooling.
• Cloud experience (AWS, GCP, or similar), with familiarity with containers (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes a plus).
• Strong product mindset—you care about the why, not just the how, and you build with users in mind.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in Elixir
• Passion for sports, gaming, or building multiplayer or real-time systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and build core backend systems that power Sleeper's games and real-time user experiences—fantasy contests, Sleeper Picks, user profiles, leaderboards, and more.
• Build scalable, distributed systems capable of handling millions of concurrent users with low latency and high availability.
• Own backend initiatives from concept to deployment, ensuring clean interfaces, well-documented services, and resilient infrastructure.
• Optimize system performance and proactively address bottlenecks through monitoring, profiling, and capacity planning.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, design, and frontend teams to deliver features that users love.
• Contribute thoughtful code reviews and help strengthen backend engineering best practices and standards.

Benefits

• Competitive salary ($140,000–$185,000) /year not inclusive of stock options and benefits)
• Equity
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Generous PTO and flexible remote work policy
• Opportunities for fast career growth in a high-impact role

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed