Staff Software Engineer, Android

Location: Chicago, IL, United States

Department: L&C Tech

About Fanatics Collect

Fanatics Collect is a leading marketplace and platform for physical and digital collectibles, bringing together commerce, content, and community for collectors at massive scale. We invest deeply in modern engineering practices and build products that demand high quality, reliability, and thoughtful technical leadership.

Chicago Hub Roles

Fanatics Collect is making a strategic investment in Chicago as we expand our engineering, product, and design capabilities. We are building a small, high-impact starter pod in the area and are seeking top talent who want to help shape both our products and our Chicago presence.

Selected employees may begin in a remote capacity; however, Fanatics Collect is actively securing office space in Chicago, and in-person collaboration will be the expected way of working once the office is established. Candidates should be excited about working from the office on a regular basis as the Chicago hub comes online.

The Role

We are seeking an AI-forward Staff Software Engineer, Android (TP5) to serve as a technical leader within the Fanatics Collect mobile organization. This role owns complex Android systems and patterns, drives technical direction, and raises the bar for mobile engineering quality, scalability, and developer effectiveness.

As a Staff Engineer, you operate with broad scope and influence, partnering closely with product, design, and backend peers while mentoring engineers and shaping how we build Android applications at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and evolve core Android architecture, frameworks, and shared components
• Lead design and implementation of complex, business-critical mobile initiatives
• Apply strong technical judgment to balance product velocity, quality, and long-term maintainability
• Strategically leverage AI tools to improve code quality, testing, debugging, and developer productivity
• Validate and refine AI-generated outputs, remaining fully accountable for production behavior
• Mentor and guide engineers through design reviews, code reviews, and technical discussions
• Influence technical standards and best practices across the mobile and broader engineering org
• Partner with backend, web, product, and design teams to deliver cohesive end-to-end experiences

Code-Writing Contribution

This role is expected to actively write and review production Android code. Contributions should demonstrate ownership of complex systems, architectural decision-making, and the ability to raise engineering standards through high-quality implementation. AI may be used as an accelerator, but accountability for correctness, performance, and maintainability remains with the engineer.

Qualifications

Required:

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with deep Android expertise
• Strong experience building and operating large-scale, consumer-facing Android applications
• Expert knowledge of Kotlin, Android SDKs, and modern mobile architecture patterns
• Proven ability to lead technical initiatives across teams without direct authority
• Strong communication skills and ability to influence technical direction

Preferred:

• Experience with marketplace, commerce, or real-time/mobile-first products
• Experience improving developer platforms, tooling, or shared mobile infrastructure
• Demonstrated experience using AI tools to meaningfully improve engineering effectiveness

What Success Looks Like

• Android systems that are scalable, reliable, and easy for teams to build upon
• Clear architectural direction and reduced technical friction for mobile engineers
• High-quality delivery of complex initiatives with cross-functional impact
• Thoughtful, effective use of AI that improves speed and quality without sacrificing ownership
• Engineers who seek out your guidance and grow through your technical leadership

Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don’t fall victim to fraud.  Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants. Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics email address (including @collectfanatics.com).  For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.fanaticsinc.com/careers