# Staff Software Engineer – Backend

**Company:** [Sleeper](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/sleeper)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA, Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, Las Vegas, NV
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $225k – $300k/yr
**Experience:** 7+ years
**Skills:** Go, Python, Node.js, Java, SQL, NoSQL, Kafka, RabbitMQ, Pub/Sub, REST APIs, GraphQL, AWS, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes
**Posted:** 2026-03-20

> Staff backend engineer architects scalable distributed systems for fantasy sports platform handling millions of concurrent users, builds core services for contests and real-time experiences, and mentors engineers. Requires 7+ years experience with backend languages, databases, cloud, and high-availability systems.

## Job Description

## What You’ll Do
- 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.
- Architect scalable, distributed systems capable of handling millions of concurrent users with low latency and high availability.
- Lead 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.
- Mentor engineers, provide thoughtful code reviews, and shape backend engineering best practices and standards.
- Drive innovation, technical direction, and team culture as a key engineering voice at the leadership level.

## Who You Are
- 7+ years of backend software engineering experience, including experience in staff-level or tech lead roles.
- Proven ability to design and scale distributed systems that serve millions of users in real-time or gaming environments.
- Strong proficiency in one or more backend languages (**Go**, **Python**, **Node.js**, **Java**), and an understanding of trade-offs between them.
- Deep knowledge of databases (both **SQL** and **NoSQL**), caching strategies, and message queues (**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. You elevate your teammates and enjoy mentoring.

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

## What We Offer
- Competitive salary (**$225,000–$300,000/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

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**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/f6d4c7bf-0bd9-4955-95e0-637cbbdb974f