Principal Software Development Engineer, AdTech

Expedia, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 242,000 - 339,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as a Principal Software Development Engineer in AdTech, where you'll lead the design and development of innovative advertising solutions. This role offers the chance to shape the future of travel advertising by building scalable auction systems and mentoring a talented team. With a focus on collaboration and technical excellence, you will drive the technical vision for advertising platforms and unlock new business opportunities. If you're passionate about technology and eager to tackle complex challenges, this is the perfect opportunity to make a significant impact in the travel industry.

Benefits

Flexible work model

Generous time-off

Parental leave

Career development resources

Exciting travel perks

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering with a focus on advertising technology.
• Strong proficiency in Java or C++ and experience with auction systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of scalable auction systems ensuring optimal performance.
• Collaborate with teams to define technical requirements for auction features.

Skills

Software Engineering

Advertising Technology

Auction Systems

Java

C++

Machine Learning

Data-driven Decision Making

Communication Skills

Education

Master’s/Ph.D. in Computer Science

Job description

Principal Software Development Engineer, AdTech page is loaded

Principal Software Development Engineer, AdTech

Apply locations USA - California - San Francisco time type Full time posted on Posted 2 Days Ago time left to apply End Date: June 6, 2025 (27 days left to apply) job requisition id R-95457

Expedia Group brands power global travel for everyone, everywhere. We design cutting-edge tech to make travel smoother and more memorable, and we create groundbreaking solutions for our partners. Our diverse, vibrant, and welcoming community is essential in driving our success.

Why Join Us?

To shape the future of travel, people must come first. Guided by our Values and Leadership Agreements, we foster an open culture where everyone belongs, differences are celebrated and know that when one of us wins, we all win.

We provide a full benefits package, including exciting travel perks, generous time-off, parental leave, a flexible work model (with some pretty cool offices), and career development resources, all to fuel our employees' passion for travel and ensure a rewarding career journey. We’re building a more open world. Join us.

Principal Software Development Engineer, Ad Tech

Introduction to the Team

Expedia's Advertising group is looking for a seasoned Principal Software Development Engineer to envision, drive, and deliver our next-generation advertising marketplace. The successful candidate will bring deep advertising technical knowledge, leadership skills, and a passion for developing solutions that drive efficiency and effectiveness in the advertising ecosystem. Expedia’ Advertising is the global leader in advertising for the travel industry. As part of AdTech you will envision, design and build the systems at the core of our marketplace. You will collaborate with business owners and technology leaders to develop innovative solutions that have a positive impact on advertisers and travelers. You will help mentor and set an example for a new and growing team of top-notch software engineers, with a focus on sustained operational excellence.

The Principal Engineer for Advertising at Expedia will be the senior-most engineer responsible for overseeing all advertising technology within the company. This pivotal role covers various advertising products, each at different levels of maturity. The team is geographically distributed across multiple locations. The new hire will collaborate closely with these teams and report directly to the Ads Technology leader. This position will be the top technical advisor for advertising and driving the technical vision and strategy for Expedia’s ad platforms.

This role includes unlocking new business opportunities, unifying fragmented ad platforms, improving efficiency, and building core adtech domain expertise. Notably, this position offers a unique opportunity to drive innovation and growth in Expedia’s advertising technology landscape. If you love to think big, move fast, and tackle hard problems, this may be the opportunity for you.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the design and development of highly scalable and efficient auction systems, ensuring optimal performance and low-latency response times

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define technical requirements and specifications for auction-related features

• Develop and optimize algorithms for bidding strategies, pricing models, and real- time decision-making in advertising auctions

• Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies in auction dynamics, incorporating innovative approaches into our platform

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of software engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence

• Drive code reviews, architectural discussions, and ensure the adoption of best practices in software engineering

• Collaborate with product managers, data scientists, and other stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions

• Identify and address performance bottlenecks in the auction systems, optimizing code and infrastructure for maximum efficiency

• Design and lead data-driven approaches to proactively identify issues and enhance system reliability

Experience and qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years of professional software engineering experience, with a focus on advertising technology and auction systems

• Proven experience designing and implementing scalable, high-performance auction systems

• Strong proficiency in programming languages such as Java or C ++, with a solid understanding of software design principles

• In-depth knowledge of advertising technologies, including real-time bidding, Open RTB, ad exchanges, and programmatic advertising

• Experience with data-driven decision-making, machine learning, and analytics in the context of advertising technology

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

• Experience with forecasting models for inventory management, enabling sales operations and enabling both reservation and auction based buying models

• Experience with full funnel ad measurement and attribution systems, such as brand lifts, incrementality based measures, modeled conversions, MMPs, CAPI, SAN, etc.

• Master’s/Ph.D. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field; or Equivalent related professional experience

If you are a passionate and experienced Principal Software Engineer with a focus on advertising technology and auctions, we invite you to join our dynamic team and contribute to the evolution of our cutting-edge advertising solutions. Apply now and be a driving force in shaping the future of travel advertising!

The total cash range for this position in San Francisco is $242,000.00 to $338,500.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $387,000.00, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role.

Starting pay for this role will vary based on multiple factors, including location, available budget, and an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience. Pay ranges may be modified in the future.

Accommodation requests

If you need assistance with any part of the application or recruiting process due to a disability, or other physical or mental health conditions, please reach out to our Recruiting Accommodations Team through the Accommodation Request .

We are proud to be named as a Best Place to Work on Glassdoor in 2024 and be recognized for award-winning culture by organizations like Forbes, TIME, Disability:IN, and others.

Expedia Group's family of brands includes: Brand Expedia, Hotels.com, Expedia Partner Solutions, Vrbo, trivago, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, Wotif, ebookers, CheapTickets, Expedia Group Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert, CarRentals.com, and Expedia Cruises. 2024 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50

Employment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group’s Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never provide sensitive, personal information to someone unless you’re confident who the recipient is. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or any other messaging tools to individuals with whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official website to find and apply for job openings at Expedia Group is careers.expediagroup.com/jobs .

Expedia is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. This employer participates in E-Verify. The employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's I-9 to confirm work authorization.

About Us

Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE) powers travel for everyone, everywhere through our global platform. Driven by the core belief that travel is a force for good, we help people experience the world in new ways and build lasting connections. We provide industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers. Expedia Group's family of brands includes: Brand Expedia, Hotels.com, Expedia Partner Solutions, Vrbo, trivago, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, Wotif, ebookers, CheapTickets, Expedia Group Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert, CarRentals.com, and Expedia Cruises.

Employment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group’s Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never provide sensitive, personal information to someone unless you’re confident who the recipient is. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or any other messaging tools to individuals to whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official website to find and apply for job openings at Expedia Group is lifeatexpediagroup.com/jobs .