Principal Software Engineer, Ads Platform

Snap Inc.; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 235,000 - 414,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid parental leave

Comprehensive medical coverage

Emotional and mental health support

RSU/Equity compensation

Job summary

Snap Inc. is seeking a Principal Software Engineer for the Ads Platform in the United States.

You will lead the design and delivery of advanced ad formats and backend infra to maximize advertiser value, while collaborating across teams to translate product ideas into scalable solutions. The role demands 10+ years of software experience with leadership or domain expertise, strong distributed systems background, and the ability to drive technical direction.

Qualifications

• 10+ years post-Bachelor’s software development experience or equivalent (Master/PhD paths described).
• 2+ years of technical leadership or domain-expert experience.
• Experience in leadership/ownership and setting technical direction for engineering projects.
• Experience architecting, designing, and developing distributed systems.
• Ability to learn new concepts and apply them at work.
• Strong collaboration and mentorship skills.

Responsibilities

• Build the next generation ads formats and backend infrastructure to deliver more clicks and conversion for advertisers.
• Work end-to-end across product ideas, experimentation, analysis and optimization.
• Collaborate across teams to translate product requirements into scalable solutions.
• Advocate for availability, scalability, operational excellence, and cost management.
• Provide technical direction that influences the entire company.
• Design scalable services with AI tools while upholding code quality and security.

Skills

Programming & design

Performance analysis

Debugging

Test design

Distributed systems

Leadership

Collaboration

AI systems awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Math/Stats

Master's degree in a technical field

PhD in a related technical field

Job description

Principal Software Engineer, Ads Platform

Jul 1, 2026

$235,000 - $414,000/year

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

The Company operates Snapchat , a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world, and Specs Inc. , a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to making computing more human, in addition to Bitmoji , Saturn, and other digital services.

Snap Engineering teams build fun and technically sophisticated products that reach hundreds of millions of Snapchatters around the world, every day. We’re deeply committed to the well-being of everyone in our global community, which is whyour values are at the root of everything we do. We move fast, with precision, and always execute with privacy at the forefront.

We’re looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join the Ads Platform team at Snap.

What you’ll do:

• Build the next generation ads formats and backend infrastructure and solutions to deliver more clicks and conversion and value for advertisers.
• Work end-to-end across innovating new ads product, format ideas, or infrastructure ideas experimentation, analysis and optimization
• Work across teams to understand product requirements, evaluate trade-offs, and deliver the solutions needed to build innovative products or services
• Advocate for and apply best practices when it comes to availability, scalability, operational excellence, and cost management
• Provide technical direction that influences the entire company
• Work across teams to understand product requirements, evaluate trade-offs, and deliver the solutions needed to support Snap’s performance advertising suite
• Technical influence that spans the entire company
• Utilize AI tools and high velocity engineering workflows to design and ship scalable services while upholding rigorous standards for code correctness, security, and production ready quality code

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Excellent programming and software design skills, including debugging, performance analysis, and test design
• Proven track record of operating highly-available systems at scale
• Ability to proactively learn new concepts and technology and apply them at work
• Skilled at solving ambiguous problems
• Strong collaboration and mentorship skills
• Ads domain expertise and a strong interest in Ads
• Adaptability in learning and applying evolving AI systems and tools to remain at the forefront of engineering trends and modern development practices

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors in technical field such as computer science, mathematics, statistics or equivalent years of experience
• 10+ years of post-Bachelor’s software development experience; or a Master’s degree in a technical field + 9+ year of post-grad software development experience; or a PhD in a related technical field + 6+ years of post-grad software development experience
• 2+ years of experience with technical leadership or acting as the domain-expert to a technical organization
• Experience in technical leadership/ownership and setting technical direction for engineering projects
• Experience architecting, designing, and developing distributed systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in technical leadership/ownership and setting technical direction for engineering projects
• Proven track record of delivering large scale projects in attribution and measurement
• Experience operating highly-available systems at significant scale
• Experience with backend services or distributed systems

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don’t be shy and provide us some information .

"Default Together" Policy at Snap: At Snap Inc. we believe that being together in person helps us build our culture faster, reinforce our values, and serve our community, customers and partners better through dynamic collaboration. To reflect this, we practice a “default together” approach and expect our team members to work in an office 4+ days per week.

At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law (by example, the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, where applicable).

Our Benefits : Snap Inc. is its own community, so we’ve got your back! We do our best to make sure you and your loved ones have everything you need to be happy and healthy, on your own terms. Our benefits are built around your needs and include paid parental leave, comprehensive medical coverage, emotional and mental health support programs, and compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

• paid parental leave
• comprehensive medical coverage
• emotional and mental health support programs
• compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

Compensation

In the United States, work locations are assigned a pay zone which determines the salary range for the position. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. The starting pay may be negotiable within the salary range for the position. These pay zones may be modified in the future.

The base salary range for this position is $276,000-$414,000 annually.

The base salary range for this position is $262,000-$393,000 annually.

The base salary range for this position is $235,000-$352,000 annually.

This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.

Snap Inc. is a technology company focused on enhancing communication and self-expression through innovative products like Snapchat, Lens Studio, and Spectacles.

Software Development Technology, Information and Internet Technology, Information and Media

Where they work

2772 Donald Douglas Loop N, Santa Monica, California 90405, US London, England W1F 0, GB New York, NY 10036, US Seattle, WA 98121, US San Franciscoo, CA 94103, US Paris, 75009, FR Tel Aviv, IL Sydney, AU Palo Alto, CA 94306, US Singapore, 018960, SG Oslo, 0164, NO Toronto, ON, CA Mumbai, 400051, IN Austin, TX, US Bellevue, WA, US Boulder, CO, US San Diego, CA, US Berlin, DE Plymouth, NZ Riyadh, SA Stockholm, SE Zurich, CH New Delhi, IN Shenzhen, CN Tokyo, JP Washington D.C., US