Principal Software Engineer, Ads

DoorDash; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 268,600 - 395,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer matching

Paid parental leave

Wellness benefits

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off and sick leave

Mental health program

Job summary

DoorDash is seeking a Principal Engineer for its Ads platform in Sunnyvale, California. In this role, you will lead architectural direction, drive long-term technical strategies, and work directly on high-impact systems to enhance advertiser ROI and platform reliability.

The position requires strong experience in distributed systems, management of complex projects, and collaboration with multiple stakeholders. DoorDash offers a competitive salary range of $268,600 — $395,000, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of industry experience leading platform initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to define multi-year technical roadmaps.
• Meaningful experience in ads infrastructure or related fields.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Ads organization with architectural vision.
• Mentor engineers to improve technical excellence.
• Define design patterns for large-scale distributed systems.

Skills

Distributed systems expertise

Architectural vision

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical mentorship

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science

Job description

About the Team

DoorDash Ads has become one of the fastest growing parts of DoorDash and a core pillar of the company's growth. Our Ads platform serves two core customer groups, Restaurant and CPG advertisers, and is rapidly expanding from enterprise into mid‑market and SMB. The business is scaling fast, and we are building the infrastructure to match it. We are evolving from a first‑generation platform into a sophisticated, full‑funnel advertising system. The architectural decisions made now will define how DoorDash Ads scales across restaurants, retail, and grocery for the next decade.

About the Role

As a Principal Engineer on Ads, you will be the technical leader for the Ads platform organization, setting architectural direction and driving long‑term technical strategy. This is an individual contributor role with organization‑wide technical authority and director‑level scope. You will define what we build, how we build it, and the engineering culture that outlasts any single project. You will partner closely with Machine Learning, Product, Data Science, and Infrastructure stakeholders to align on roadmap, scale foundational systems, and deliver high‑impact outcomes that improve advertiser ROI, platform reliability, and consumer experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Ads organization, providing architectural vision and direction across the full ads stack.
• Drive alignment across ML, Infrastructure, Product, Data Science, and partner engineering teams.
• Mentor engineers across the Ads org to raise the bar on technical excellence and systems thinking.
• Define the patterns, principles, and standards for how the Ads org designs, ships, and operates large‑scale distributed systems.
• Work hands‑on on complex distributed systems challenges in ads and write code that moves the needle.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of industry experience, with a proven track record of leading large‑scale, high‑impact platform initiatives across multiple teams and systems.
• Demonstrated ability to define and drive multi‑year technical roadmaps at the organization level, with clear ownership of architectural decisions and their long‑term consequences.
• Deep expertise in distributed systems at scale, including real‑time serving infrastructure, high‑throughput data pipelines, and low‑latency systems under strict SLA requirements.
• Meaningful experience in ads infrastructure or adjacent domains.
• Ability to operate at director level scope—driving technical strategy, communicating across executive stakeholders, and shaping organizational priorities—while remaining deeply hands‑on.
• Exceptional technical intuition paired with strong cross‑functional influence and alignment skills.
• Humility and a growth mindset; you lead through expertise and collaboration, not hierarchy.

Compensation

Base salary is localised according to work location. National base pay range in the United States: $268,600—$395,000 USD.

Benefits

DoorDash offers a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, including 401(k) with employer matching, paid parental leave, wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off and sick leave, medical, dental, vision, 11 paid holidays, disability and basic life insurance, family‑forming assistance, and a mental health program.

Statement of Non‑Discrimination

In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond protected categories, we also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior. We value a diverse workforce and encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.