Software Development Engineer III, Advertising Technology

Expedia Group; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 136,000 - 234,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Wellness and travel discounts

IATAN membership

Job summary

Expedia Group in Chicago (or Seattle) seeks a product-minded Software Development Engineer III to build advertiser-facing experiences and backend services for our ad marketplace. You will shape scalable systems at the intersection of UI and AI-enabled optimization, collaborating with data scientists and product teams.

You will implement backend APIs, improve reliability and latency, use LLMs to streamline advertiser workflows, and mentor junior engineers while raising the team's technical bar.

Qualifications

• In-depth backend software development experience with cloud-based and distributed systems.
• Experience with designing and deploying scalable services in a cloud environment.
• Strong knowledge of Java/J2EE or C# and related databases.
• Familiarity with event streaming (Kafka/Flink) and data-driven ML features.
• Collaborative skills across product, design, data science, and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Implement backend APIs and services powering UI experiences.
• Improve reliability, latency, and scalability of mission-critical systems.
• Leverage LLMs to simplify advertiser workflows and automate tasks.
• Collaborate with product managers, UX, data science, and ML engineers.
• Mentor junior engineers and elevate technical standards.

Skills

Backend development

Java/J2EE

C# (OO languages)

Distributed systems

Agile methodologies

Performance tuning

Observability

Generative AI / LLMs

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related technical field

Master's degree in a related technical field

Tools

Kafka

Flink

Relational databases

NoSQL databases

AWS/Azure/GCP

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

At Expedia Group, we help travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. As a global travel company powered by passionate people, trusted partnerships, and leading technology, we connect travelers, partners, and advertisers through our consumer brands, B2B network, and travel advertising business.Here, you'll do meaningful work that helps millions of people discover, book, and experience travel with more ease, confidence, and joy. Our five Behaviors-Traveler First, Think Big, Operate with Excellence, Ownership Mindset, and Succeed Together-help foster a supportive environment where people can grow their careers and have the flexibility, benefits, and support to do their best work. Join us and build for travelers everywhere.Introduction to the teamExpedia Group Advertising builds the platforms and experiences that connect advertisers with millions of travelers across the globe. Our mission is to help partners reach the right traveler with the right message at the right time through intuitive advertiser experiences, high-performance ad delivery systems, and intelligent, AI-powered optimization. We are growing our Advertiser Experience engineering team and are looking for a talented, product-minded Software Development Engineer III who is excited to build thoughtful advertiser-facing experiences and the backend services that power them. You will help shape the next generation of our advertising marketplace, working at the intersection of user experience, scalable distributed systems, and generative AI.In this role, you will:Implement backend APIs and services that power high-quality UI experiences and deliver trust, transparency, and performance to our partnersBuild and optimize services that support campaign management and optimization across Expedia Group’s advertising networkImprove reliability, scalability, and latency of mission-critical systemsUse LLMs and generative AI to simplify advertiser workflows, improve campaign setup, and automate repetitive tasksWork with data scientists and ML engineers to integrate personalized recommendations, smart defaults, and AI-assisted decision supportPartner with product managers, UX designers, data scientists, and other engineering teams to deliver measurable advertiser valueLeverage AI-enabled solutions and AI-assisted development tools to improve developer productivity and product outcomesAdvocate for high-quality code, automated testing, and strong observability practicesParticipate in operational reviews and drive continuous improvementMentor junior engineers and help elevate the technical bar of the teamMinimum qualifications:5+ years for Bachelor's degree or 3+ years for Master's in a related technical field; or equivalent related professional experience5+ years of experience in backend software development, working with cloud-based and distributed systems at scaleProficiency in Java/J2EE, C#, or similar object-oriented languages, with hands-on experience integrating services with relational and NoSQL databasesExperience with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure/test automation, and delivering features in Agile development environmentsDemonstrated experience designing and deploying scalable services in a cloud environment (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)Preferred Qualifications:Exposure to advertising technologies (ad serving, campaign management, RTB, auctions)Experience with event streaming or messaging systems (e.g., Flink, Kafka, or similar real-time data processing technologies)Experience working with data-driven systems, ML-powered features, or experimentation platformsExperience contributing to architecture and design discussions for services, APIs, and data modelsDemonstrated ability to improve service quality through performance tuning, observability, and automationExperience using metrics and data to inform engineering decisions and measure impactExperience applying generative AI to product experiences and internal toolsExperience contributing to multiple multi-quarter, cross-team projectsA Master's degree in a related technical fieldPlease note that this role is only available in Chicago, IL or Seattle, WA, in alignment with our flexible work model, which requires employees to be in the office at least three days a week. We are unable to offer relocation assistance for this role.The total cash range for this position in Chicago is $136,000.00 to $190,500.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $217,500.00, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role.The total cash range for this position in Seattle is $146,000.00 to $204,500.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $233,500.00, 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.Benefits and perksExpedia Group offers benefits and perks designed to support employees and their families, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, an Employee Assistance Program, wellness and travel reimbursement, travel discounts, and International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) membership. Learn more about life at Expedia Group at https://careers.expediagroup.com/life .Accommodation requestsExpedia Group is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience. If you need an accommodation or adjustment due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please submit a request at https://expedia.service-now.com/askeg?id=job_accommodation .About Expedia GroupExpedia Group includes three flagship consumer brands - Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo - along with a leading B2B travel business and travel advertising offerings. Across our brands and business, we help travelers explore the world with confidence and ease.Important noticeEmployment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group's Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never share sensitive personal information unless you are confident of the recipient. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or messaging tools to individuals with whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official place to find and apply for roles is https://careers.expediagroup.com/jobs/ .Equal OpportunityExpedia 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, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 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.