Director, Software Engineering - Fandango
1 day ago
Orlando
Job DescriptionCompany Description VERSANT is a leading force in news, sports and entertainment - home to iconic and trusted brands that inspire, inform, and delight audiences. Our unique combination of content, technology and services enriches the cultural fabric, igniting passions, sparking conversations, and connecting people to what they love most. As an independent, publicly traded company, VERSANT brings together powerhouse cable networks - including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel - with dynamic digital and direct-to-consumer brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. Together, these businesses reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across every screen and service. VERSANT is an industry-changing media company fueled by innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. With a strong foundation and a forward-looking vision, VERSANT empowers creativity, embraces change, and drives connection in an ever-evolving world. Job Description Position Summary: As the Director of Backend Engineering for the Fandango ticketing platform, you will lead and manage the backend teams that power our mobile app, website, and back-office tools. You will also help shape the next chapter of the Fandango platform—building partner-focused and white-label products through an API-first approach. You’ll set the technical foundation for scalable, secure, and future-ready systems, including integration points for AI (LLMs and intelligent agents), while delivering seamless ticketing experiences for millions of customers and partners. Responsibilities: Product & Platform Leadership • Drive innovation across Fandango platforms, delivering experiences that reach millions of users., • Partner with Product and business stakeholders to align technology execution with company strategy and shape a clear, outcomes-focused roadmap., • Create execution plans that align the technical agenda with current and anticipated business needs, balancing near-term priorities with long-term platform health and flexibility., • Own mission-critical APIs and integrations with studios, global partners, competitors, and top SaaS providers—ensuring seamless connectivity across the ecosystem., • Architect next-generation, cloud-native solutions (AWS/Azure/GCP) using microservices and event-driven patterns; evaluate trade-offs to deliver scalable, resilient systems., • Build market-ready, API and AI-driven platforms and services, including opportunities to productize internal capabilities for external clients., • Advance intelligence capabilities by leveraging AI/ML for predictive forecasting and actionable insights across lines of business., • Ensure availability, performance, and reliability through robust monitoring, alerting, incident response, and post-incident learning., • Lead major change initiatives (e.g., monolith to microservices; on-prem to cloud; manual to automated; VMs to containers) while minimizing risk and maintaining service quality., • Establish and enforce engineering best practices for coding standards, testing, CI/CD, and secure deployments., • Collaborate across departments to promote consistent working patterns, healthy communication, and high-quality outcomes in joint efforts., • Lead and inspire engineering managers and senior engineers across multiple backend teams, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and growth., • Continuously evaluate and improve recruiting processes to attract and retain diverse top technical talent., • Mentor and develop the next generation of leaders; encourage ongoing professional development for improved team performance., • Maintain clear, proactive communication patterns across all business relationships; model collaborative behaviors and shared success.Qualifications Required Qualifications: • BA/BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)., • 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including 5+ years in engineering leadership roles., • Proven success managing multiple backend teams delivering consumer-facing platforms at scale., • Strong background in API-first development, third-party integrations, distributed systems, and secure service design., • Hands-on experience with modern cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud-native architectures., • Proficiency in Python, C#, Java, and TypeScript/Node.js, with a focus on scalable and maintainable backend development., • Expertise in RESTful APIs, microservices, event-driven patterns, and data stores (SQL/NoSQL)., • Operational excellence in monitoring, alerting, incident management, and post-incident reviews., • Experience partnering with Cybersecurity, Data Governance, Legal, and Privacy to ensure compliant product delivery., • Demonstrated ability to build diverse, inclusive teams and foster a strong engineering culture., • Experience in e-commerce or ticketing platforms operating at high transaction volumes., • SaaS productization experience—turning internal platforms into external, revenue-driving products., • MCP servers and highly available, globally distributed API platforms., • Change management leadership across architecture and infrastructure transformations., • Cloud-native, global scaling experience with AWS services and tooling., • Strategic thinker with a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and measurable business outcomes., • Collaborative leader who inspires teams, navigates ambiguity, and balances short-term delivery with long-term vision., • Strong communicator who can influence across technical and non-technical stakeholders. Additional Information As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. For LA County and City Residents Only: VERSANT Media will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to . VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc. VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.