The Crown Is Yours
As a Lead Software Engineer on the Performance Engineering Team, you'll set the strategic and technical direction that ensures our systems are resilient, performant, and ready for the most high-stakes moments in sports and gaming. Part of the Systems Governance and Architecture organization, this team is responsible for system-wide performance and chaos engineering at scale. You'll lead efforts to simulate real-world load patterns, introduce ML-powered analysis, and proactively surface risks before they impact our users.
This is a high-impact, cross-functional engineering leadership role.
What You'll Do
- Lead the design and execution of performance and chaos testing strategies for distributed, event-driven systems.
- Own the development of scalable testing frameworks and internal tools for automated KPI validation and telemetry correlation.
- Lead by example, writing high-performance, well-tested code that meets our rigorous standards for reliability and scalability.
- Lead observability and telemetry initiatives, ensuring insights are actionable and performance-focused.
- Design and implement predictive load models to prepare for high-traffic events tied to product, infrastructure, or marketing milestones.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Design, and Engineering teams to align technical solutions with strategic business goals.
- Act as a technical mentor and coach, providing guidance and feedback that helps engineers grow and deliver their best work.
- Play a critical role in shaping the team's roadmap and technical direction while fostering a strong engineering culture grounded in ownership and continuous learning.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or any suitable combination of education, experience, and training.
- At least 5 years of experience in object-oriented backend development using languages such as C# or Java, with interest and openness to transition into Python or GO.
- Familiarity with performance/load testing tools like Locust, k6, Gatling, or JMeter.
- Deep experience developing and maintaining comprehensive automated test suites, including unit, integration, and performance tests, to ensure system resilience and scalability.
- A strong track record of mentoring engineers, leading code and design reviews, and driving high-impact technical decisions across cross-functional teams.
- A proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement, code quality, and driving engineering best practices across teams.
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.
Top Skills
What the Team is Saying
What We Do
It's simple, at DraftKings, we believe life is more fun when you're in on the action. For that reason, we’re committed to responsibly creating the world’s favorite games and betting experiences. We’re developing the most innovative and entertaining real money products and offers; to forever transform how people experience sports; to be a fully vertically integrated sports betting operator. It's our ultimate goal to build the best, most trusted, and most customer-centric destination for our players.
We’re defining what it means to build and deliver the most extraordinary sports and entertainment experiences. Our global team is trailblazing new markets, developing cutting-edge products, and shaping the future of responsible gaming.
Why Work With Us
Here, “impossible” isn’t part of our vocabulary. You’ll face some of the toughest but most rewarding challenges of your career. They’re worth it. Channeling your inner grit will accelerate your growth, help us win as a team, and create unforgettable moments for our customers. Ready to own what’s next?
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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Our flexible hybrid policy empowers team members to work where they’re most productive—whether at home or in our collaborative offices. We trust our teams to choose what works best for them to thrive and innovate.
