Senior Software Engineer - Price Optimization & Bidding

The Trade Desk; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Trade Desk is seeking a Software Engineer to join the Performance Automation team in a hybrid Boulder, CO role. You will build ML model pipelines and ETL frameworks to process massive data, and integrate models into our bidding infrastructure for fast, reliable performance.

You will contribute to debugging, monitoring, and real-time adjustments of the bidding system, with opportunities to work on large-scale distributed systems or machine learning projects across the tech stack.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software development in high-scale environments.
• Experience with multiple platforms/tech including PyTorch, TensorFlow, Spark, .NET Core, Java, SQL Server, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS and Azure.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Build and refine ML model pipelines and ETL frameworks handling huge data scales.
• Integrate models into bidding infrastructure for low-latency, high-performance execution.
• Develop debugging and analytical tools to monitor and adjust real-time bidding systems.
• Collaborate across teams to design distributed systems and microservices.

Skills

7+ years software development

Agile development

SOA design

Distributed systems

Leadership

Evidence-based thinking

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Spark

.NET Core

Java

SQL Server

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Azure

Job description

The Trade Desk is a global technology company and the world's leading independent platform for digital advertising, with nearly 4,000 employees across more than 30 offices. Our technology helps advertisers reach the right audiences across the open internet—from streaming TV and podcasts to mobile apps, news, and more.

We build a transparent, effective, and responsible advertising ecosystem to support trusted journalism, quality entertainment, and creators worldwide. Our platform runs at an unprecedented scale, handling over 1 trillion queries per day, and requires robust, low‑latency systems deployed across the globe.

About the Role

The Performance Automation team develops optimization tools that enhance our clients' campaign outcomes, ensuring they meet or surpass their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). As a Software Engineer you will build and refine machine learning model pipelines, create ETL frameworks to process petabytes of data, and experiment with novel model‑training architectures.

You will integrate models into our bidding infrastructure, where low‑latency and high performance are paramount. Your code will run millions of times per second on datacenters worldwide. You will also develop debugging and analytical tools to monitor and adjust the bidding system in real‑time, quickly identifying and addressing issues to improve campaign efficiency.

Our team participates actively in all phases of designing, building, and delivering client products. Depending on your interests, you may work on large‑scale distributed systems, petabyte‑scale data challenges, machine learning, advanced visualizations, or interactive user interfaces.

Who We Are Looking For

Skills and Experience

• 7+ years of demonstrated success in software development within high‑scale enterprise environments.
• Hands‑on experience with multiple platforms and technologies, including PyTorch, TensorFlow, Spark, .NET Core, Java, SQL Server, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, and Azure.
• Excellent understanding of Agile development methodology and best practices.
• Experience designing Service‑Oriented systems.
• Exposure to Machine Learning concepts and frameworks (a plus, but not required).
• Experience building distributed systems and microservices.

Key Attributes

• Track record of making significant, self‑directed, end‑to‑end contributions to large, impactful software projects.
• Strong engineering fundamentals and ability to evaluate solutions from first principles.
• Broad technical skill set with experience building web services and always‑on systems across technology layers.
• Product‑focused mindset, passionate about discovering client‑delighting solutions and advancing an open, evidence‑based industry.
• Confidence without ego, strong leadership, defensible ideas, and collaborative trade‑off evaluation.
• Commitment to diversity, seeking out and building from common ground.
• Creative, innovative thinking—able to invent answers to challenging, unsolved questions.
• Position located in Boulder, CO; requires hybrid office attendance.

Location: Boulder, CO. The role requires hybrid office work attendance.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

For accommodations or accessibility needs, please contact [e-mail] and include your preferred contact details and the nature of your request. All information will be handled confidentially and will not impact hiring decisions.