Sr Engineer - Ad Tech

Target; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 5,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Target in Bengaluru is seeking a Senior Engineer (AdTech) to own critical components of our ad serving stack. You will design high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems and collaborate with Product, Data Science, and Eng leads to deliver SSP, DSP, and Ad Servers.

Ideal candidates bring 6+ years in software development with Java 17+, Spring Boot, Kafka, and microservices, plus hands-on cloud (GCP/AWS) and Kubernetes/Docker.

Qualifications

• Education: 4-year degree in Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent.
• Experience: 6+ years of software development with 3+ years in a senior engineer role.
• Core stack: Java17+, Spring Boot, Microservices, Kafka, Redis, caching, monitoring & deployment.
• Big Data & Streaming: Kafka or similar streaming/batch frameworks.
• AdTech Domain: experience with DSP/SSP/Ad Exchanges; knowledge of OpenRTB.
• Database: NoSQL like Cassandra/ScyllaDB/DynamoDB/Aerospike; caching (Redis, Memcached).
• Cloud & DevOps: with GCP/AWS/Azure and Kubernetes/Docker.
• Architecture: distributed systems with sub-millisecond latency.

Responsibilities

• Design high-throughput, low-latency systems for Ad serving.
• Drive end-to-end architecture for core AdTech components.
• Mentor engineers and ensure code quality and technical excellence.
• Collaborate with Data Science and Product teams on specs and blueprints.
• Resolve complex tech roadblocks and optimize performance.
• Stay current with AdTech trends and advocate new tech patterns.

Skills

Java 17+

Spring Boot

Microservices

Kafka

Redis

Education

4-year degree in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Job description

About Us

As a Fortune 50 company with more than 400,000 team members worldwide, Target is an iconic brand and one of America's leading retailers. At Target, we have a timeless purpose and a proven strategy and that hasn't happened by accident. Some of the best minds from diverse backgrounds come together at Target to redefine retail in an inclusive learning environment that values people and delivers world-class outcomes. That winning formula is especially apparent in Bengaluru, where Target in India operates as a fully integrated part of Target's global team and has more than 4,000 team members supporting the company's global strategy and operations.

About Us

As a Fortune 50 company with more than 400,000 team members worldwide, Target is an iconic brand and one of America's leading retailers. At Target, we have a timeless purpose and a proven strategy and that hasn't happened by accident. Some of the best minds from diverse backgrounds come together at Target to redefine retail in an inclusive learning environment that values people and delivers world-class outcomes. That winning formula is especially apparent in Bengaluru, where Target in India operates as a fully integrated part of Target's global team and has more than 4,000 team members supporting the company's global strategy and operations.

Joining Target means promoting a culture of mutual care and respect and striving to make the most meaningful and positive impact. Becoming a Target team member means joining a community that values diverse backgrounds. We believe your unique perspective is important, and you'll build relationships by being authentic and respectful. At Target, inclusion is part of the core value. We aim to create equitable experiences for all, regardless of their dimensions of difference. As an equal opportunity employer, Target provides diverse opportunities for everyone to grow and win.

About Team

Roundel is Target's entry into the media business with an impact of $1.5B+; an advertising sell-side business built on the principles of first-party (people-based) data, brand-safe content environments, and proof that our marketing programs drive business results for our clients. We are here to drive business growth for our clients and redefine "value" in the industry by solving core industry challenges vs. copy current industry methods of operation. Roundel is a key growth initiative for Target and leads the industry to a better way of operating within the media marketplace. Target Tech is on a mission to offer the systems, tools, and support that our clients, guests, and team members need and deserve. We drive industry-leading technologies in support of every angle of the business, and help ensure that Target operates smoothly, securely, and reliably from the inside out.

Role Overview

As a Senior Engineer (AdTech), you will serve as the senior engineer for core engineering team and subject matter expert for our AdTech platform. You will operate as an individual contributor and take technical + component owner in an agile environment, helping in designing key components and support architectural improvements for complex solutions. The key to the success of this position is possessing deep domain expertise in distributed systems, a mastery of AdTech protocols(a plus), and the ability to influence engineering decisions. You will collaborate with Product Managers, Engineering leads to deliver AdTech capabilities including SSP, DSP and Ad Servers, ensuring our systems are highly scalable, low-latency, and fault-tolerant.

Use your skills, experience, and talents to be a part of groundbreaking thinking and visionary goals.

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• System Design: Design high-throughput, low-latency systems capable of handling millions of transactions per second (TPS) required for Ad serving.
• Drive Architecture: Drive the end-to-end technical architecture for critical AdTech components, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and future scalability alongside Engineering lead.
• Code Quality & Mentorship: Act as a bar-raiser for code quality; perform advanced code reviews, mentor engineers, and foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
• Technology Strategy: Contribute in evaluating and select appropriate tech stacks (Language, Database, Cloud Native services) to solve specific business problems; drive "build vs. buy" decisions alongside Engineering lead.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Data Science and Product teams to translate complex business requirements into robust technical specifications and architectural blueprints.
• Operational Excellence: Drive resolution of the most complex technology roadblocks, including deep-dive debugging of distributed systems, infrastructure bottlenecks, and latency issues.
• Innovation: Stay current with AdTech industry trends (e.g., Privacy Sandbox, OpenRTB updates) and advocate for the adoption of new technologies and design patterns that give Roundel a competitive edge.

Requirements

• Education: 4-year degree in Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Experience: 6+ years of software development experience with at least 3+ years in a senior engineer role
• Core Stack: Expert-level proficiency in Java17+, Spring Boot, and Microservices architecture, Kafka, Redis, Caching solutions, Monitoring & Deployment
• Big Data & Streaming: Deep experience with Kafka, datapipeline or similar streaming/batch processing frameworks.
• AdTech Domain: Proven experience in AdTech/MarTech (DSP, SSP, Ad Exchanges) with a deep understanding of OpenRTB standards, VAST/VPAID, and identity resolution.
• Database: Experience with high-performance NoSQL databases (e.g., Cassandra, ScyllaDB, DynamoDB, Aerospike) and caching layers (Redis, Memcached).
• Cloud & DevOps: Hands-on experience with Cloud platforms (GCP preferred, or AWS/Azure) and Kubernetes/Docker.
• Architecture: Demonstrated ability to design distributed systems with strict SLA requirements (sub-millisecond latency).

Desired Qualifications

• Active contributor to the Open Source community.
• Strong experience in handling large scale & low latency production systems.
• Strong experience in Adtech systems is a plus.
• Familiarity with Data Privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA) and their impact on system design.