Senior Software Engineer, Backend

DraftKings Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 119,500 - 149,400; Full time

Job summary

DraftKings Inc. is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to develop backend technology for our new financial exchange. Responsibilities include designing scalable services in Go and working collaboratively with various teams to enhance the exchange experience.

The ideal candidate will have 4+ years of experience in backend systems, strong Golang expertise, and a proven track record in building efficient distributed systems, especially in trading or market data environments.

This full-time role offers a US base salary range of $119,500 to $149,400, plus bonuses and benefits.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional software engineering experience in backend systems.
• Hands-on experience with FIX protocol connectivity.
• Experience building financial exchanges or high-frequency transaction systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain backend services using Go for financial exchange.
• Develop high-volume low-latency transaction processing systems.
• Optimize system performance and establish engineering best practices.

Skills

Golang expertise

Distributed systems design

Concurrency understanding

Cloud-nativeness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

Tools

NoSQL databases

Relational databases

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 Senior 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 4 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.

The US base salary range for this full‑time position is 119,500.00 USD - 149,400.00 USD, plus bonus, equity, and benefits as applicable. Our ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The compensation information displayed on each job posting reflects the range for new hire pay rates for the position across all US locations.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.