At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to build a cutting-edge regulated trading platform and foster innovation.
- Company: Join Fanatics, a global leader in digital sports, igniting fan passions worldwide.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth, and the chance to work with AI technologies.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for mentorship and collaboration across teams.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the sports industry while leading a talented engineering team.
- Qualifications: Proven engineering leadership and software development experience, especially in regulated environments.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 70000 £ per year.
About Us
Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet.
Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.
Engineering Manager 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.
Overview
We are looking for an Engineering Manager to lead our core FMX trading team. You will own the delivery, culture, and growth of your team as we build a regulated trading platform from scratch, managing a group of 5 to 8 engineers. This is a hands‑on leadership role: you will be deeply involved in technical direction while fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. You will partner closely with FMX leadership, compliance, and our existing Fanatics Markets web engineering organisation to establish ways of working that can support 24/7 trading operations. We’re pioneering the use of AI as a code collaborator across all of engineering. We need leaders who actively champion AI‑assisted development, helping their teams adopt tools like Claude Code, Cursor, or GitHub Copilot to maximise delivery velocity without compromising quality or regulatory compliance.
Responsibilities
- Lead your team in exploring and applying new technologies and practices, cultivating a culture of innovation and continuous improvement to deliver a world‑class regulated trading platform.
- Collaborate closely with Product, Compliance, and other engineering leaders to develop cohesive solutions aligned with FMX strategic objectives and regulatory obligations.
- Use data and metrics to guide your team’s decision‑making, tracking delivery velocity, reliability SLOs, and compliance posture as core team health indicators.
- Champion a metrics‑driven culture focused on measurable impact, from system uptime and latency to audit trail completeness and daily reporting accuracy.
- Invest in the growth and success of your team, offer mentorship, support career development, and help shape the next generation of engineering leaders within FMX.
- Oversee the development of scalable, reliable systems while driving modernisation of the Java codebase and new development in Go, Java and Kotlin.
- Own engineering processes appropriate for a 24/7 regulated trading environment, sprint planning, on‑call rotations, incident response, code review standards, and change management.
- Build strong cross‑functional partnerships with legal, compliance, and the wider Fanatics engineering organisation to influence technical and product direction.
- Communicate complex technical concepts and regulatory requirements with clarity and confidence to stakeholders at all levels, including executive leadership.
- Champion the use of AI‑assisted development tools across your team, setting the standard for responsible adoption that meets regulated‑environment quality and security requirements.
- Stay on top of industry trends in regulated trading infrastructure and prediction markets, bringing fresh ideas that elevate team performance.
- Be open to occasional travel for offsites, cross‑team collaboration, or regulatory engagements.
Qualifications
- 2+ years of experience in engineering leadership, with a strong ability to mentor, grow talent, and inspire technical excellence.
- 7+ years of experience in software engineering, ideally with a backend focus (Java, Go, or similar).
- Background in regulated financial infrastructure strongly preferred, brokerage systems, futures or derivatives exchanges (e.g. CBOE, CME, or similar), or comparable regulated environments.
- Experience designing and operating production systems with high-availability requirements (24/7 uptime, low-latency, mission‑critical).
- Solid understanding of compliance obligations in regulated markets, including data sensitivity controls and insider trading restrictions.
- Deep understanding of Agile and Scrum, with the agility to adapt in a fast‑evolving 0 to 1 environment.
- A history of successfully delivering complex, scalable solutions with a focus on reliability and correctness.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and problem‑solving skills, equally comfortable with engineers, compliance teams, and executive stakeholders.
- Experience leading distributed or remote teams across multiple time zones.
- Demonstrated experience using or evangelising AI development tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, etc.) within an engineering team.
- Degree in Computer Science or similar, or equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience at a US‑regulated financial exchange or licensed trading platform (e.g. CBOE, CME, or similar).
- Familiarity with event‑driven architectures in a financial context (Kafka, Kinesis, or similar).
- Experience with prediction markets or futures/options trading platforms.
- Previous experience in a 0→1 or high‑growth startup environment.
Senior Engineering Manager - FMX employer: Fanatics
At Fanatics, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, fostering a dynamic work culture that champions innovation and continuous improvement. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through mentorship opportunities and the chance to lead cutting-edge projects in a fast-paced environment, all while being part of a global team dedicated to enhancing the fan experience. Located in a vibrant hub for technology and sports, we offer unique advantages such as collaboration with industry leaders and access to the latest AI-assisted development tools, making it an exciting place to build your career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Engineering Manager - FMX
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Fanatics or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Fanatics.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Fanatics.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Fanatics that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Engineering Manager - FMX
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Fanatics.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Fanatics and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Fanatics
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Fanatics uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
