Senior Software Engineer, Ad Auctions

Roku; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mental health support

Healthcare benefits

401(k)/pension options

Vacation time

Job summary

Roku, Inc. is seeking an experienced Ads Auction Engineer in Manchester to lead the design and implementation of real-time ads auction systems. The role involves enhancing core auction capabilities and developing scalable auction mechanisms. Ideal candidates will have 5+ years of experience in building large-scale distributed systems and expertise in cloud-based platforms such as AWS or GCP. The position offers a hybrid work approach with competitive benefits, fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building large-scale distributed systems.
• 5+ years working with cloud-based platforms and infrastructure.
• Deep experience in building microservices using Java.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of real-time ads auction systems.
• Enhance core auction capabilities including bid evaluation and ranking.
• Drive yield optimization through auction design and demand shaping.

Skills

Building large-scale distributed systems

Working with cloud-based platforms

Building microservices using Java

Understanding of databases SQL and NoSQL

Experience with AWS, GCP

Protocols like REST, WebSockets, JSON

Driving timely consensus in design

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

About the role

In this role you will build teams focused on the Ads Auction and Marketplace to optimize yield, gross profit, perform real‑time multi‑objective optimization across various short and long term objectives, build control and simulation systems, design and run experiments, and extend the experimentation framework.

You will partner closely with other Engineering, Inventory, and Product teams to define the vision and strategy for your group and to build and deliver the roadmap.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead the design, implementation, and evolution of real‑time ads auction systems powering Roku’s CTV advertising across The Roku Channel and the Roku platform.
• Own and enhance core auction capabilities including ad pod construction, bid evaluation, ranking, pricing, pacing, budget enforcement, and frequency capping.
• Build low‑latency, highly reliable distributed services that operate at massive scale, serving billions of ad opportunities with strict latency and uptime requirements.
• Design auction logic that balances viewer experience (ad load, relevance, repetition) with advertiser performance, publisher yield, and platform revenue.
• Develop and optimize SSP‑side auction mechanisms, integrating with multiple DSPs, programmatic demand sources, and direct‑sold campaigns.
• Partner closely with product managers, data science, ads research teams to translate marketplace and monetization goals into scalable technical solutions.
• Drive yield optimization through auction design, demand shaping, floor strategies, and pricing experiments.
• Lead experimentation using A/B testing, auction simulations, and offline replay frameworks, and make data‑driven decisions based on performance metrics and statistical rigor.
• Ensure auction correctness, fairness, explainability, and transparency, while maintaining compliance with privacy, regulatory, and brand‑safety requirements.
• Influence the long‑term technical roadmap for Roku Ads by proposing architecture improvements, scalability strategies, and performance optimizations.

We are excited if you have

• 5+ years of experience building large‑scale distributed systems
• 5+ years working with cloud‑based platforms and infrastructure
• Deep experience in building microservices using Java for container platforms such as Docker or Kubernetes
• Solid understanding of databases SQL and NoSQL
• Hands‑on experience working with AWS, GCP or similar cloud services
• Experience with a breadth of protocols and data formats such as REST, WebSockets, HTTPS, JSON, and Protobuf
• Demonstrated ability to drive timely consensus in design with other senior team members
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent

About the team

The Advertising Performance group focuses on performance for all participants in the Advertising ecosystem – Advertisers, Publishers and Roku. The systems and solutions span across different disciplines and technologies to perform real‑time, multi‑objective optimization with distributed systems at large scale and low latencies. We use Machine Learning, Reinforcement Learning, AI, Control and Optimization Systems and Auction Dynamics to solve a large set of complex problems. At the core of this is our Machine Learning, Experimentation and Inference Platform that powers the entire landscape which we continuously evolve over time.

Our Hybrid Work Approach

Roku fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment where teams work in the office Monday through Thursday. Fridays are flexible for remote work except for employees whose roles are required to be in the office five days a week or employees who are in offices with a five day in office policy.

Benefits

Roku is committed to offering a diverse range of benefits as part of our compensation package to support our employees and their families. Our comprehensive benefits include global access to mental health and financial wellness support and resources. Local benefits include statutory and voluntary benefits which may include healthcare (medical, dental, and vision), life, accident, disability, commuter, and retirement options (401(k)/pension). Our employees can take time off work for vacation and other personal reasons to balance their evolving work and life needs. It is important to note that not every benefit is available in all locations or for every role. For details specific to your location, please consult with your recruiter.

Accommodations

Roku welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and provides reasonable accommodations and adjustments in accordance with applicable law. If you require reasonable accommodation at any point in the hiring process, please direct your inquiries to [e-mail].