VARSITY SPIRIT, A VARSITY BRANDS COMPANY - THE DRIVING FORCE IN SPIRIT ACROSS CHEER, DANCE, BAND AND YEARBOOK

For over 50 years, Varsity Spirit has been the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team, performing arts and yearbook. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit’s 5,000+ employees are dedicated to celebrating school spirit. A leader in apparel innovation, educational camps, clinics, competitions, and yearbook, Varsity Spirit impacts more than a million athletes each year.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY

At Varsity Spirit, the safety and wellbeing of the young people we serve is of the utmost importance. Since our inception 50 years ago, we have been – and remain – steadfastly committed to doing our part to create a safe and positive environment for our participants’ physical, emotional, and social development, and promoting an environment free from abuse and misconduct. Varsity has a zero tolerance for abuse in its programs, events, and associated business activities. Varsity is committed to reporting all suspicions, allegations, and incidents of abuse in full accordance with local laws and reporting requirements. Learn more at Our Commitment to Safety - Varsity.com.

Location: Remote in the state of Indiana, Texas, or Kansas

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT:

Varsity Brands is building a modern, unified digital platform that powers the full experience of sport and spirit, from product configuration and ordering to delivery and customer engagement. This platform replaces fragmented systems with scalable, API-driven services and shared platform capabilities, enabling faster innovation and improved user experiences.

The Software Engineer I (SE I) role is an entry-level engineering position responsible for contributing to the development of this platform. This role applies foundational software engineering knowledge and exercises independent judgment in executing assigned work, including selecting appropriate approaches within established guidelines to build, test, and maintain software components.

This is a high-growth role designed to develop the next generation of engineers who will contribute to Varsity Brands’ platform transformation.

Impact of the Role

• Contributes to delivery of platform features and backend services that power critical business and customer experiences

• Builds foundational capability to support scalable, cloud-based engineering environments

• Establishes a pipeline of engineering talent aligned to Varsity Brands’ long-term platform strategy

• Supports the transition from fragmented tools to a unified platform architecture

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

• Write, test, and debug code for applications, backend services, and APIs

• Contribute to development of features and services within established architecture and engineering standards

• Participate in code reviews and incorporate feedback to improve code quality

• Troubleshoot and resolve development and lower-environment issues, applying sound judgment to determine appropriate solutions

• Collaborate with engineering, product, and QA teams to deliver functional and reliable software

• Follow established development workflows, security practices, and engineering standards

• Contribute to documentation and knowledge sharing to support team effectiveness

• Continuously build understanding of platform architecture, service interactions, and system design principles

• Develop working knowledge of platform services, system interactions, and engineering patterns to support future growth into independent ownership

Key Performance Indicators

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Quality and reliability of code delivered (defect rates, rework)

• Timely completion of assigned work and deliverables

• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues with increasing independence

• Adoption and consistent use of engineering standards and development practices

• Demonstrated growth in technical capability and system understanding

QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following capabilities:

Technical Knowledge

• Foundational knowledge of software engineering principles, including object-oriented programming and data structures

• Basic understanding of APIs, application architecture, and databases

• Familiarity with modern development environments and tools

Technical Skills

• Ability to write, test, and debug code in at least one programming language (Java preferred)

• Foundational understanding of:

  • RESTful APIs

  • SQL and data handling

  • Version control systems (Git-based tools)

Cognitive & Problem-Solving Abilities

• Applies logical reasoning to solve defined technical problems

• Exercises independent judgment in selecting approaches within established guidelines

• Identifies issues and escalates appropriately when needed

Collaboration & Communication

• Communicates effectively within team environments

• Actively participates in team collaboration and development processes

• Incorporates feedback to improve performance and output

Learning Agility

• Demonstrates ability to quickly learn new technologies and tools

• Adapts to evolving engineering practices and environments

Education, Certification and Experience

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical discipline; or equivalent combination of education and experience

• 0-2 years of relevant experience (internships, academic projects, or early career roles)

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job.

OUR VALUES

Service - We lead with heart. We champion community.

Passion - We love what we do. It fuels our purpose.

Integrity - We do what we promise. We own our actions and decisions.

Respect - We earn it by giving it. Because everyone deserves it.

Innovation - We never stop striving to be better. For ourselves and our community.

Transparency - We are committed to openness and honesty in everything we do.

OUR BENEFITS

We are committed to putting you and your families first. For benefits eligible roles, we offer a variety of choices and costs as well as program enhancements that align with our responsibility to elevate the employee experience. Some of our offerings include:

• Comprehensive Health Care Benefits
• HSA Employer Contribution/ FSA Opportunities
• Wellbeing Program
• 401(k) plan with company matching
• Company paid Life, AD&D, and Short-Term Disability
• Generous My Time Off & Paid Holidays
• Varsity Brands Ownership Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• Access to Financial Coaching and member-owned Credit Union
• St. Jude Partnership & Volunteer Opportunities
• Employee Perks including discounts on personal apparel and equipment!

Eligibility for company-sponsored benefits is determined by scheduled work hours, and the terms of the applicable benefit plans. Benefit offerings and eligibility requirements may vary by position and are subject to change in accordance with plan documents and applicable law.

Varsity Brands companies are equal opportunity employers. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.