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.

We are seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to design and build the services, systems, and infrastructure that power new platforms and products. You will work closely with frontend, AI/ML, and product peers to deliver backend systems that are reliable, scalable, and production ready. This role requires strong technical depth, an ability to tackle ambiguity, and a focus on delivering high-impact outcomes. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

As a Senior Backend Engineer on our team, you will: 

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend services and APIs. 
• Take ownership of complex features end-to-end, from design through deployment and monitoring. 
• Architect key system components that balance performance, reliability, and maintainability. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional peers to define data models, service contracts, and integration patterns. 
• Address ambiguous, cross-team challenges, introducing innovative solutions to systemic problems. 
• Implement CI/CD, observability, and automation practices to ensure production readiness. 
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, raising code quality and technical standards. 
• Balance technical decisions with user impact and long-term business goals. 

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR 

• 5+ years of professional backend or platform development experience. 
• Strong proficiency in one or more modern backend languages (e.g., Go, Java, Node.js). 
• Experience designing and scaling distributed systems, APIs, and data pipelines. 
• Familiarity with cloud-native platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes). 
• Strong understanding of database systems (SQL and NoSQL), caching, and data modeling. 
• Proficiency with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and monitoring/observability practices. 
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment where projects evolve rapidly. 
• Experience with event-driven architectures, stream processing, or security/compliance-sensitive systems. 
• Bonus: Experience building MCP services for LLMs. 

BONUS POINTS FOR:

• Experience with other large entertainment focused platforms, centered around being consumer-facing at a large scale 
• Familiarity and hands-on exposure with MCP Servers and highly accessible and available API platforms 
• Knowledge of microservices and event-driven architectures at enterprise scale 
• Cloud-native, global scaling experience (AWS and their various tool offerings) 
• Understanding of the mindset of “Fail Fast, Learn Fast” and continuous improvement 

Fully Remote: This role has been designated as fully remote, meaning it is expected to be performed from a non-Versantl worksite, typically an employee’s residence

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 [email protected].

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.