Senior Data Engineer

Job Description

About the Role:

The Streaming Data Platform team builds and operates large-scale, real-time stream processing systems using modern open-source technologies. We design pipelines that power analytics, reporting, and downstream product use cases by delivering high-quality data with low latency and high reliability.

As a Senior Data Engineer, you will design, build, and operate production-grade streaming data pipelines and storage systems that support near real-time analytics across Fanatics Commerce. You will collaborate closely with platform and analytics teams, drive architectural decisions, and help shape the future of our data infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate real-time streaming data pipelines using Apache Flink and Kafka, delivering low-latency data to analytical and operational consumers.
• Build and maintain Snowpipe Streaming integrations to continuously ingest event data into Snowflake with minimal latency.
• Develop and optimize Snowflake data models, including dynamic tables, streams, and tasks to support near real-time analytics workloads.
• Design and maintain semantic layers and BI cubes using Cube.dev and/or MicroStrategy to support self-serve analytics and reporting.
• Implement and maintain data pipelines that handle moderate to high data skew using techniques like bucketing, salting, and adaptive partitioning.
• Work with Apache Iceberg tables for streaming workloads, including partitioning strategies, compaction tuning, file sizing, and snapshot management.
• Collaborate with platform and analytics teams to model data for different consumption patterns, including real-time dashboards and analytical queries.
• Optimize streaming jobs and storage layouts to improve query performance, reduce latency, and control infrastructure cost.
• Diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks related to ingestion, skew, and distributed query execution.
• Contribute code, reviews, and documentation to shared data platform components and internal frameworks.
• Participate in design discussions and provide technical input on streaming architecture and data modeling decisions.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional data engineering or software engineering experience.
• Production experience designing, building, and operating Kafka-based streaming systems (required).
• Hands-on experience with Apache Flink for building real-time streaming applications in production.
• Experience with Snowflake, including Snowpipe Streaming, dynamic tables, streams, and tasks for near real-time data ingestion and transformation.
• Experience building semantic layers or analytical cubes using Cube.dev and/or MicroStrategy.
• Solid understanding of data skew challenges and mitigation techniques (bucketing, salting, repartitioning, adaptive strategies).
• Working knowledge of Apache Iceberg for streaming or near-real-time workloads, including table layout and compaction concepts.
• Proficiency in Java and/or Python.
• Strong SQL skills and understanding of distributed query execution and performance tuning.
• Experience operating data pipelines in production, including monitoring, alerting, and incident response.

Nice to have

• Experience integrating streaming systems with MPP analytical databases such as StarRocks, Apache Pinot, or Apache Druid.
• Familiarity with data distribution strategies such as tablet distribution, bucketing, and colocation in MPP systems.
• Experience contributing to open-source data or analytics projects.
• Exposure to materialized views, primary key models, or real-time OLAP optimizations.
• Experience with large-scale event-driven architectures and high-throughput data systems.

At Fanatics, we value transparency and honesty. If you don't meet every single requirement, that's okay - we still want to hear from you! We believe in the power of diverse experiences and talents. If you're excited about the role and confident that you can contribute, don't hesitate to apply. We're genuinely interested in how your unique skills and perspective can help us build something amazing together.


The salary range for this position is $160,000 - $190,000 which represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training.


Where you'll work and what's required

• Location: San Mateo, CA Office
• Hybrid work environment flexibility, with Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in office; Mondays and Fridays remote.
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time for partner meetings, events, and other related activities.

What's in it for you

• Culture: Join a team where you're surrounded by top-tier talent, driven by a shared passion to relentlessly enhance the fan experience. With a focus on collaboration, support, and continuous development, you'll be empowered to help shape a our culture that celebrates both individual and team successes.
• Benefits: We provide a wide range of health, financial, legal, and development assistance, including wellness programs with fitness and weight management partners, paid maternity paternity leave, and infertility treatment. Additionally, we offer flexible time off to help you recharge, along with a competitive 401k plan to support your financial future. At Fanatics, we're dedicated to supporting you in all aspects of work and life.

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.

About the Team

Fanatics Commerce is a leading designer, manufacturer, and seller of licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods. It operates a vertically-integrated platform of digital and physical capabilities for leading sports leagues, teams, colleges, and associations globally - as well as its flagship site,

Fanatics Commerce has a broad range of online, sports venue, and vertical apparel partnerships worldwide, including comprehensive partnerships with leading leagues, teams, colleges, and sports organizations across the world-including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, Formula 1, and Australian Football League (AFL); the Dallas Cowboys, Golden State Warriors, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea FC, and Tokyo Giants; the University of Notre Dame, University of Alabama, and University of Texas; the International Olympic Committee (IOC), England Rugby, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

At Fanatics Commerce, we infuse our BOLD Leadership Principles in everything we do:
• Build Championship Teams
• Obsessed with Fans
• Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit
• Determined and Relentless Mindset