Principal Engineer, Yahoo Sports

Yahoo Sports is one of the internet’s leading destinations for comprehensive sports news and innovative fantasy games. We produce insightful content across multiple platforms and curate quality coverage from around the web to inform and entertain fans. We're an original fantasy sports pioneer, with a legacy of innovation that helps us continue to be a fantasy leader. And as one of the most-visited sports platforms on the internet, we're one of the best places for brands to reach fans.

Role Overview

Yahoo Sports is seeking a Principal Engineer to drive the development of new and engaging ways for sports fans to interact with Yahoo Sports content, including news articles, videos and highlights, podcasts, video shows, fantasy games, and more. Reporting to the Head of Product and Technology, this role will work closely with the President and General Manager of Yahoo Sports to shape the future of sports engagement.

Leading a small, nimble team—initially including a designer and potentially an additional engineer—this role will explore, prototype, and deliver new interactive experiences that leverage advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning while ensuring that the underlying sports technology platform evolves to support these innovations. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who can execute directly while also collaborating across teams to drive impactful upgrades to Yahoo Sports' product ecosystem.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop Next-Generation Sports Experiences: Design and build new ways for fans to engage with Yahoo Sports content, leveraging cutting-edge technologies including AI/ML but remaining open to other technological approaches as well.
• Lead a Small, Focused Team: Manage and mentor a small team (initially one designer and one additional engineer) to rapidly prototype and launch new features.
• Drive Platform Evolution: Identify and lead necessary changes, upgrades, or integrations within the Yahoo Sports technology platform to support new experiences. In some cases, execute these improvements directly; in others, collaborate with platform owners to influence and drive enhancements.
• Seamlessly Integrate Innovation into Core Offerings: Ensure that successful innovations are not just stand-alone experiments but can be integrated into Yahoo Sports' broader product ecosystem to enhance existing services.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product, engineering, editorial, and business stakeholders, as well as the broader technology organization, to align new initiatives with Yahoo Sports' strategic goals.
• Execution & Delivery: Balance rapid experimentation with the ability to scale successful initiatives, ensuring that the team delivers meaningful impact to Yahoo Sports users.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience leading product development efforts, ideally at the intersection of sports, media, and technology.
• Strong technical background with experience in software engineering, product management, or a hybrid role that combines both.
• Deep familiarity with emerging technologies, including AI/ML, and a strong understanding of their practical applications in consumer-facing digital experiences.
• Ability to lead and execute in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a hands-on approach.
• Experience working across organizational boundaries to influence and drive platform evolution.
• Strong strategic thinking with an ability to balance innovation, execution, and business impact.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on consumer-facing digital media, sports platforms, or fantasy gaming products.
• Familiarity with modern development frameworks, cloud-based architectures, and real-time content delivery.
• Experience managing small, high-impact teams in a startup-like or skunkworks environment.
• A track record of successfully integrating new experiences into existing products rather than operating in isolation.
• Passion for sports and a deep understanding of how fans consume and engage with sports content.

The material job duties and responsibilities of this role include those listed above as well as adhering to Yahoo policies; exercising sound judgment; working effectively, safely and inclusively with others; exhibiting trustworthiness and meeting expectations; and safeguarding business operations and brand integrity.

At Yahoo, we offer flexible hybrid work options that our employees love! While most roles don’t require regular office attendance, you may occasionally be asked to attend in-person events or team sessions. You’ll always get notice to make arrangements. Your recruiter will let you know if a specific job requires regular attendance at a Yahoo office or facility. If you have any questions about how this applies to the role, just ask the recruiter!

Yahoo is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against based on age, race, gender, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected category. Yahoo will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law. Yahoo is dedicated to providing an accessible environment for all candidates during the application process and for employees during their employment. If you need accessibility assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please submit a request via the Accommodation Request Form (

) or call . Requests and calls received for non-disability related issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace strengthens Yahoo and deepens our relationships. When you support everyone to be their best selves, they spark discovery, innovation and creativity. Among other efforts, our 11 employee resource groups (ERGs) enhance a culture of belonging with programs, events and fellowship that help educate, support and create a workplace where all feel welcome. Check out our diversity and inclusion (

) page to learn more.

The compensation for this position ranges from $180,310.00 - $392,430.00/yr and will vary depending on factors such as your location, skills and experience.The compensation package may also include incentive compensation opportunities in the form of discretionary annual bonus or commissions, in addition to equity incentives. Our comprehensive benefits include healthcare, a great 401k, backup childcare, education stipends and much (much) more.

Currently work for Yahoo? Please apply on our internal career site.