Director, Software Engineering

Fanatics; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading prediction market platform in the United Kingdom is seeking an experienced Engineering Leader with over 6 years of experience in engineering leadership and a strong focus on cloud-native systems. The role involves building teams, defining vision and roadmaps, and driving cross-functional alignment with other teams. Candidates should possess a proven record of delivering complex solutions and a passion for the sports betting industry. A flexible mindset and excellent communication skills are essential. This position offers a hybrid work environment from London.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of engineering leadership experience.
• 12+ years in software development.
• 3+ years designing cloud-native systems (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Deep understanding of Agile and Scrum.

Responsibilities

• Build and define the hiring plan for the team.
• Own architecture for cloud-native services.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with various teams.
• Champion security, privacy, and reliability in projects.

Skills

Mentoring and team growth

Cloud-native systems design

Agile methodologies

Problem-solving

Communication and influencing

Education

Degree in Computer Science or similar

Job description

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.

Responsibilities

Build the team - Design the hiring plan, stand up the interview loop, attract and close exceptional talent; mentor, level, and grow engineers into leaders.

Define vision & roadmap - Translate business goals into a sequenced plan (V0 experiments → V1 → scale), making clear build‑vs‑buy decisions and balancing “good enough now” with long‑term durability.

Set the technical foundation - Own architecture for cloud-native services (APIs, data flows, CI/CD, IaC, observability). Optimize for developer experience, reusability, and clear SLAs/SLOs from day one.

Ship and iterate - Deliver a thin end-to-end production slice quickly, validate with internal customers, and evolve boundaries as usage grows (e.g., modular monolith → services when it truly pays).

Create the operating system for the team - Establish lightweight processes (design docs, PR reviews, release cadence, incident response), a metrics-driven culture, and a strong bar for quality and speed.

Drive cross‑functional alignment - Partner with Product, Design, Data, Operations, Risk/Compliance, and peer engineering teams to ensure fit, reliability, and adoption; communicate clearly with executives.

Champion security, privacy, and reliability - Bake in authN/Z, auditability, and compliance‑aware patterns; use progressive delivery and robust monitoring to de‑risk launches.

Scale sustainably - Manage strategic tech debt, vendor relationships, and cloud costs; evolve architecture pragmatically as requirements expand.

Model the culture - Foster inclusion, psychological safety, and high ownership; celebrate learning and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in engineering leadership (including managing managers or multiple teams), with a strong ability to mentor, grow talent, and inspire technical excellence.
• 12+ years of experience in software development
• 3+ years of experience designing cloud‑native systems (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Deep understanding of Agile and Scrum, with the agility to adapt in a fast‑evolving environment.
• A history of successfully delivering complex, scalable solutions with a focus on customer experience.
• Positive, flexible mindset with a readiness to take on new challenges.
• Strong results orientation, backed by data and outcomes.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and problem‑solving abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science or similar (or equivalent experience).
• Experience leading distributed or remote teams.
• Passion for sports and/or the sports betting industry.
• Experience working cross‑functionally with Product, Data, and Design teams.
• Start‑up or high‑growth environment experience, with a bias toward rapid learning and iteration.
• Strong team collaboration mindset and passion for working in a supportive, fast‑paced environment.

Job Info

• Posting Date 11/21/2025, 05:49 PM
• Locations 210 Euston Road, London, GBR, NW1 2DA, GB (Remote)