Principal Software Engineer - Back End

FloSports has led the way in establishing a world-class digital streaming experience for millions of fans, families, and athletes of underserved sports. Imagine creating a digital platform that unites the casual fan with the most dedicated spectator, both experiencing thrilling live events from around the world with interactive features, real time analytics, powerful broadcast technology, and more. Combine that with our unique original sports content ranging from breaking news and expert commentary to feature films, documentaries, and multi-episodic series. That’s what FloSports is all about. We have successfully revolutionized the global sports media industry- the result of creating a diverse team of technologists and die-hard wrestlers, creators and devoted cheerleading experts, designers and hockey enthusiasts, communicators and motorsport fanatics, producers and casual sports fans… united by a shared passion to delight the underrepresented communities we serve. We are creating the essential destination for our sports and we’re looking for people like you to help us!

THE ROLE:

As a Principal Backend Engineer, you will drive the architectural direction, scalability, and technical excellence of our backend systems. You will lead the design and development of high-performance services and APIs, ensuring robustness, security, and maintainability. Your expertise in TypeScript, Node.js, distributed systems, and cloud infrastructure will shape our technology stack and influence key technical decisions.

Beyond hands-on development, you will mentor engineers, contribute to system-wide optimizations, and collaborate cross-functionally to align technical execution with business goals. You will also play a crucial role in evolving best practices, driving innovation, and ensuring operational excellence.

This role includes active participation in the on-call rotation as a technical leader, helping to maintain system reliability and respond to critical incidents.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the design and development of scalable, high-performance backend services and APIs.

• Harness ability to work independently, take ownership of complex projects, and drive them to completion with no supervision

• Define and implement best practices for system architecture, code quality, and operational excellence.

• Drive technical decisions related to databases (SQL, Firebase/Firestore, DynamoDB), distributed systems, and event-driven architectures.

• Architect and optimize cloud-based solutions, leveraging AWS services such as Aurora, EventBridge, Lambda, and other serverless technologies.

• Develop and enforce robust testing strategies, ensuring high code quality with unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.

• Identify and resolve system bottlenecks, optimizing for performance, cost, and reliability.

• Mentor and guide engineers across multiple teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.

• Conduct technical reviews and provide strategic input on engineering initiatives.

• Proactively drive improvements in system security, observability, and fault tolerance.

• Act as an escalation point for complex technical issues, supporting production troubleshooting and incident resolution.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Expert-level proficiency in TypeScript and Node.js, with a deep understanding of system design, performance optimization, and distributed architectures.

• Proven experience leading architectural decisions and building large-scale backend services.

• Extensive experience with SQL databases and NoSQL solutions (Firebase/Firestore, DynamoDB).

• Deep understanding of cloud-native development, with hands-on experience in AWS (Aurora, EventBridge, Lambda, etc.).

• Strong expertise in designing and implementing event-driven architectures and microservices.

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automation, and infrastructure as code (IaC).

• Mastery of software testing methodologies, including unit, integration, and E2E testing with Jest, Vitest, and Supertest.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a track record of improving system performance and reliability.

• Demonstrated ability to influence technical strategy and drive alignment across teams.

• Experience mentoring and growing engineering talent.

BONUS POINTS:

• Expertise with data validation libraries (e.g., Zod).

• Deep experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and orchestration.

• Strong knowledge of API security, authentication mechanisms, and best practices.

• Experience with serverless development frameworks such as SST.

• Familiarity with large-scale observability tools and best practices.

• Prior experience working in Agile environments and driving engineering process improvements.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:

At FloSports, we are bonded by our passion for sports and our purpose to unite communities around experiences that finally give underserved sports the love they deserve. We recognize the need to build a company that seeks out, embraces, and celebrates our individual differences, ideas, and talent. FloSports is committed to the pursuit of a fair, equal and inclusive workplace where everyone is given the opportunity to grow to their fullest potential. As such, we are intentional in our hiring practices in an effort to overcome systemic biases we may be blind to. FloSports has adopted the “blind recruiting” process, which aims to open our opportunities up to more candidates, help us be more objective in how we review applicants and mitigate bias in our decision making processes.

OUR BENEFITS:

• Recognized three years in a row as a Top Workplace by the Austin-American Statesman

• Flexibility at work - you can take control of your profession and personal schedule

• All-hands events hosted annually in beautiful Austin, Texas

• Annual equity awards for all top performers

• Competitive and comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans

• Peace of mind through company-paid short-term disability, long-term disability and life insurance

• Generous 401(K) company match vested immediately

• Progressive parental leave policies

• Flexible paid time off

• Hack-a-thons and a full calendar of team-building and social events

• Company donation to youth teams and leagues that our employees coach

• Stocked snack bar, catered lunch and breakfast tacos every week