Lead Software Engineer

Location: Chicago OR Denver

Responsibilities

• Architectural Strategy: Lead the design and continuous optimization of a distributed ad-serving framework, focusing on extreme scalability and system maintainability.
• High-Performance Engineering: Drive the development of low-latency networking and sophisticated multiprocessing solutions utilizing modern Go and C++.
• Lifecycle Ownership: Oversee the full software development lifecycle, from initial prototyping and design through to deployment, quality assurance, and long-term technical support.
• Systems Innovation: Research and implement emerging technologies to improve the efficiency, observability, and resilience of globally distributed infrastructure.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with infrastructure and SRE teams to enhance system monitoring and set the strategic technical direction for product evolution.
• Mentorship: Act as a technical pillar for the engineering organization, guiding junior developers and fostering a culture of high-quality, testable code.

Requirements (Must-have)

• Academic Background: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.
• Leadership Experience: Minimum of 5 years in software engineering, with at least 3 years dedicated to technical leadership or architectural oversight.
• Backend Expertise: Mastery of Golang and C++, with a deep focus on network programming, concurrency models, and high-performance distributed systems.
• System Fundamentals: Comprehensive understanding of Linux/Unix environments, including advanced data structures and algorithmic foundations.
• Operational Excellence: Proven track record of designing and operating large-scale online services within an Agile/SDLC framework.
• Global Collaboration: Excellent communication skills and the ability to coordinate with international teams across multiple time zones.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-have)

• Experience building mission-critical systems where high availability is essential.
• Professional background within the digital advertising or media technology sectors.
• Demonstrated history of technical innovation and creative problem-solving in high-pressure environments.