Lead Software Engineer

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, you'll lead the charge in building scalable systems that power intelligent real time experiences for millions of customers. You'll architect robust solutions, write high performance code, and guide a team committed to technical excellence. As part of our growing focus on applied AI, you'll work on integrating machine learning infrastructure including reinforcement learning, model evaluation frameworks, and data pipelines into our production backend systems. This is a rare opportunity to lead with impact, shaping product direction, mentoring talent, and driving innovation at scale.
What you'll do

• Architect, develop, and maintain scalable and secure systems and APIs that integrate AI capabilities into real-time, always-on applications used by millions
• Build and own data pipelines and orchestration systems that support training, evaluating, and deploying reinforcement learning models in production
• Design and implement model evaluation frameworks to monitor AI system performance, enabling continuous learning and iteration
• Work closely with researchers and product stakeholders to translate RL strategies and reward function tradeoffs into practical, scalable backend implementations
• Set and enforce engineering best practices around experimentation, model validation, and system observability to ensure safety, reliability, and performance
• Take ownership of the full development lifecycle, from shaping the architecture of new features to breaking down workstreams and guiding implementation
• Lead by example, writing high-performance, well-tested code that meets our rigorous standards for reliability and scalability
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Data Science, and Engineering teams to align technical solutions with strategic goals
• Stay current with the latest developments in AI, ML infrastructure, and reinforcement learning, and bring new techniques into the engineering roadmap

What you'll bring

• At least 5 years of experience in object-oriented backend development using languages such as C#, Java, or strong proficiency in Python for AI-centric work
• Proven ability to architect, build, and scale distributed systems in cloud environments such as AWS or Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Experience building production-grade systems that leverage reinforcement learning, with a practical understanding of reward function design and agent evaluation
• Hands-on experience developing data pipelines and evaluation frameworks that support training, monitoring, and iteration of machine learning models
• 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 passion for innovation, continuous improvement, and staying ahead of AI industry trends
• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or any suitable combination of education, experience, and training

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 136,000.00 USD - 170,000.00 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. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range and how that was determined during the hiring process. 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.