API Backend Developer – Sports Data

API Backend Developer - Sports Data | Lisbon, Portugal | Hybrid Location: Lisbon, Portugal Salary: €60,000 - €75,000 per annum Working Pattern: Hybrid, three days per week in the Lisbon office Contract: Full-Time, Permanent Experience: 3 to 5 years backend engineering Tech Stack The core technologies you will work with day to day as an API Backend Developer - Sports Data: Python (primary backend language)PostgreSQLNode.jsReactSupabaseGitREST APIs Advantageous: experience with data scraping and ingestion pipelines, and knowledge of sports data. About the Role Our client is a growing sports and esports data technology company that has recently established its engineering base in Lisbon, Portugal. They build the data infrastructure that powers the sports and esports industries, delivering real-time sports data that partners can rely on. As their API Backend Developer - Sports Data, you will work on the odds feed API infrastructure that sits at the heart of the platform, taking responsibility for the databases, data mapping and scheduling systems, and scraping network that keep that data flowing accurately and fast. This API Backend Developer - Sports Data role is a hands-on backend position focused on building and maintaining reliable, scalable APIs in a performance-sensitive environment. You will manage and optimise databases, maintain the systems that map and schedule incoming data, and contribute to the scraping network that feeds the platform. If you enjoy building backend infrastructure, solving distributed systems challenges, and developing scalable APIs, this Lisbon-based backend developer opportunity will suit you well. The company is small, focused, and moving quickly. You will have real scope to shape how the odds feed infrastructure develops, and your work will have a direct and measurable impact on the reliability and latency of the data the business depends on. Key Responsibilities As the API Backend Developer - Sports Data, you will manage and optimise the databases that underpin our client's odds feed API, keeping them fast, reliable, and well structured as data volumes grow. You will maintain the data mapping and scheduling systems that bring sports data into the platform, making sure information is captured correctly and delivered on time. You will contribute to the scraping network that gathers data from across the sports and esports landscape, helping to extend and harden it. You will build and maintain scalable APIs that serve this data to downstream systems and partners, with a constant focus on reliability and latency. In a world where milliseconds matter, you will help identify bottlenecks and improve performance across the infrastructure. You will work across a small, cross-functional engineering team, contributing to architectural decisions around distributed systems and taking initiative on improvements rather than waiting to be directed. You will take part in code review, testing, and deployment using modern engineering workflows, and help maintain a high engineering standard across the codebase. What We're Looking For We are looking for a backend developer with three to five years of experience who is comfortable building and maintaining APIs and databases in a performance-sensitive environment, and who wants to apply those skills in the sports data space. Essential Three to five years of professional backend development experienceStrong Python skills as the core technical foundationExperience managing and optimising databasesExperience building and maintaining APIs and backend infrastructureComfort working in performance-sensitive environments with a focus on reliability and latencyA self-directed approach and the ability to work well across cross-functional teams Advantageous Familiarity with PostgreSQL, Node.js, React, Supabase and GitExperience with data scraping, ingestion, or scheduling systemsA degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related fieldKnowledge of sports data or the sports betting sectorExperience with distributed systems What's on Offer This is a full-time, permanent position based in Lisbon on a hybrid pattern of three days per week in the office, with flexibility where the work allows. The salary is €60,000 to €75,000 per annum depending on experience. The company recently opened new offices at Praça dos Restauradores in central Lisbon, a well-connected and characterful part of the city. You will join a small, capable engineering team at an early and formative stage, working on data infrastructure where your contribution is visible and matters. For a backend developer who enjoys real technical challenges and wants genuine ownership over a core part of the platform, this API Backend Developer - Sports Data role offers a rare combination of scope, autonomy, and a clear technical mission in the sports and esports data space. About Our Client Our client is a technology company building the data infrastructure for the sports and esports industries. Launched recently and growing quickly, they focus on precision, speed, and reliability in an environment where milliseconds matter, and they have established their engineering presence in Lisbon, Portugal. Our client is committed to building diverse, inclusive teams and encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences. Frequently Asked Questions Where is the API Backend Developer - Sports Data role based? The role is based in Lisbon, Portugal, on a hybrid working pattern of three days per week in the office at Praça dos Restauradores, with some flexibility depending on workload. What experience do I need for this API Backend Developer - Sports Data position? You will need three to five years of backend development experience and strong Python skills, along with experience managing databases and building APIs. Familiarity with PostgreSQL, Node.js, React, Supabase and Git is an advantage. What does the salary look like? The salary range is €60,000 to €75,000 per annum, depending on your experience and skills. Do I need experience in sports or sports data? No. Knowledge of sports data or the sports betting sector is an advantage rather than a requirement. What matters most is strong backend development, database and API experience, as domain knowledge can be learned on the job. What is the interview process? The process has four stages: an initial fit conversation, a technical interview, a technical exercise, and a final interview. iGamingRecruitment.io | Connecting iGaming professionals with opportunities across Gibraltar, Malta & Cyprus and beyond.