Staff Software Engineer, Programmatic Ads

Location: San Francisco, CA, US; Remote, US

Department: EPD Ads and Ads Product

The Programmatic Ads team integrates with external demand partners (DSPs, SSPs, etc) through OpenRTB. We drive performance optimization (latency, conversion, engagement, fill rate, etc) for our programmatic ad products. We are also responsible for building internal tools to better enable cross-functional teams. 

What you’ll do:

• Lead one or two partner integrations, and work closely with product managers, data scientists, other cross-functional teams, and external partners to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Use AI to accelerate team execution, system design, and decision-making, applying sound judgment to validate outputs and ensure correctness and quality.
• Independently drive the full software development lifecycle, including ideation, technical design, prototyping, development, and release.
• Independently drive problem-solving and product iterations by utilizing A/B testing.
• Establish and maintain a high standard for technical excellence and production quality. 
• Mentor junior engineers on the team and provide design and coding feedback.

What we’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, a related field or equivalent experience
• 7+ years of hands-on backend software engineering experience in large-scale distributed systems.
• Passion for working on ad products work. 
• Excellent communication and stakeholder alignment skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills and analytical mindset, with the ability to use data to guide decisions
• Experience with ad serving platform, ad exchange, supply-side platform, or demand-side platform.
• Demonstrated ability to use AI to accelerate team execution, system design, and decision-making, paired with sound judgment in validating outputs, maintaining quality, and taking ownership of final outcomes.
• Strong track record of critical evaluation and verification of AI-assisted work (e.g., testing, source-checking, data validation, peer review).
• High integrity and ownership: you protect sensitive data, avoid over-reliance on AI, and remain accountable for final decisions and deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to transform a team’s engineering workflow using AI—from pilot to broad adoption—through tooling, enablement, and change leadership, with clear metrics (cycle time, defect rate, on-call load, incident rate).

In-Office Requirement Statement:

• We let the type of work you do guide the collaboration style. That means we're not always working in an office, but we continue to gather for key moments of collaboration and connection.
• This role will need to be in the office for in-person collaboration once a month, therefore needs to be in a commutable distance from the Seattle, San Francisco, Palo Alto, or NYC office.

Relocation Statement:

• This position is not eligible for relocation assistance. Visit our PinFlex page to learn more about our working model.

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