Lead Software Engineer, Go

DraftKings; Boston (MA); On-site; CAD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

DraftKings is building a Go-based backend for its exchange platform. As a Lead Software Engineer, Go, you’ll design, build, and maintain highly scalable services that power real-time trading and market data, working with Product, Data, Trading Ops, and Engineering.

You’ll shape architecture, drive performance, observability, and reliability, and mentor engineers while delivering features for a fast, secure client experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent.
• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Expert Go/Golang backend development.
• Experience with FIX protocol connectivity.
• Experience building distributed, scalable, high-throughput systems.
• Experience with cloud-native microservices and APIs.
• Experience with observability, monitoring and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable Go backend services.
• Develop distributed systems for high-volume, low-latency trading.
• Collaborate with Product/Data/Trading Ops/Engineering to deliver features.
• Shape architecture and core platform services for performance and resiliency.
• Improve system performance through profiling, testing, and improvements.
• Establish engineering best practices through code reviews and mentorship.

Skills

Go

Distributed systems

Concurrency

APIs

Cloud-native

Microservices

Relational databases

NoSQL databases

FIX protocol

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Job description

At DraftKings, AI is becoming an integral part of both our present and future, powering how work gets done today, guiding smarter decisions, and sparking bold ideas. It’s transforming how we enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and unlock new possibilities. Our teams are energized by innovation and readily embrace emerging technology. We’re not waiting for the future to arrive. We’re shaping it, one bold step at a time. To those who see AI as a driver of progress, come build the future together.

The Crown Is Yours

As a Lead Software Engineer, Go, you'll help build the technology powering DraftKings Exchange, a new business vertical at the intersection of technology, financial markets, and entertainment. You'll develop the backend systems that support a high-performance exchange platform, working on services that demand speed, reliability, and scalability in a fast-moving environment. As part of an early team, you'll have the opportunity to influence technical architecture, shape engineering standards, and solve complex challenges that come with launching an entirely new market. Your work will directly contribute to creating a seamless trading experience while helping to define the future of this growing business.

What You'll Do

• Design, build, and maintain highly scalable backend services using Go that power critical financial exchange functionality.

• Develop distributed systems capable of supporting high-volume, low-latency transaction processing and real-time market activity.

• Partner with Product, Data, Trading Ops, and Engineering teams to deliver new features and capabilities that enhance the exchange experience.

• Contribute to the architecture and evolution of core platform services, ensuring performance, resiliency, and operational excellence.

• Optimize system performance through thoughtful design, profiling, testing, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Establish engineering best practices through code reviews, technical mentorship, and collaborative problem-solving.

• Identify and resolve complex production challenges while improving observability, monitoring, and system reliability.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or any relevant combination of education, experience, and training.

• At least 6 years of professional software engineering experience building and operating backend systems in production environments.

• Demonstrated expertise developing applications and services in Go; professional Golang experience is required.

• Hands-on experience with FIX protocol connectivity in automated trading, exchange, or market data systems.

• A track record of designing and building distributed systems that prioritize scalability, resiliency, and performance.

• Strong understanding of concurrency, asynchronous processing, and system design principles for high-throughput applications.

• Experience working with cloud-native architectures, microservices, APIs, and modern infrastructure platforms.

• Proficiency with both relational and NoSQL database technologies.

• Knowledge of performance optimization techniques, monitoring strategies, and operational best practices for mission-critical systems.

• Experience building financial exchanges, trading platforms, market infrastructure, or other high-frequency transaction systems is strongly preferred.

Join Our Team

We’re a publicly traded (NASDAQ: DKNG) technology company headquartered in Boston. As a regulated gaming company, you may be required to obtain a gaming license issued by the appropriate state agency as a condition of employment. Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through the process if this is relevant to your role.