Software Development Engineer III, Advertising Technology

Expedia; United States; Hybrid; USD 136,000 - 191,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Wellness and travel reimbursement

Travel discounts

IATAN membership

Job summary

Expedia Group is seeking a Software Development Engineer III to join our Advertising Technology team. You\'ll build and operate real-time ad delivery systems that power ad ranking, auctions, bidding, and budget enforcement at scale.

You\'ll work with Product, ML data scientists, Data Science, and Platform teams to integrate with APIs and microservices, bring ML-driven signals into high-throughput backend services, and scale the platform as the business grows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• 5+ years of backend software development experience.
• Experience with data-driven systems, ML-powered features, or AB testing platforms.
• Strong proficiency in at least one modern language (e.g., Java, Kotlin).
• Experience building and deploying backend APIs (e.g., gRPC) and streaming/batch processing (Flink, Spark) in cloud environments.
• Solid understanding of distributed systems and operational best practices.

Responsibilities

• Optimize bidding, ranking and pacing for ad delivery to surface relevant ads.
• Build and scale systems for ad serving and ad selection across Expedia Group's advertising network.
• Apply design principles, algorithms, and data structures to low-latency services.
• Collaborate with Product, ML data scientists and data teams on features like relevance optimization and performance modeling.
• Advocate for high-quality code, automated testing, and observability.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead design discussions.

Skills

Java/Kotlin

Backend development

Distributed systems

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS

Tools

Flink

Spark

Cloud platforms

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 team

We're seeking a Software Development Engineer III to join our Advertising Technology team. You'll build and operate real-time ad delivery systems that power ad ranking, auctions, bidding, and budget enforcement at scale. These services sit on the critical path of ad delivery, where low latency, correctness, and reliability directly impact revenue, advertiser ROI, and traveler experience.

You'll work with Product, Machine Learning, Data Science, and Platform teams to integrate with APIs and microservices, bring ML-driven signals into high-throughput backend services, and scale the platform as the business grows.

In this role, you will:

• Optimize bidding, ranking and pacing for guaranteed and non-guaranteed ad delivery to surface more relevant ads and expand advertiser reach to travelers
• Build and scale systems that support ad serving and ad selection across Expedia Group's advertising network
• Apply strong software design principles, algorithms, and data structures to build scalable, low-latency, high-throughput services.
• Work closely with Product, ML data scientists and data teams on features such as relevance optimization, targeting, and performance modeling
• Advocate for high-quality code, automated testing, and strong observability practices
• Participate in operational reviews and drive continuous improvement
• Mentor junior engineers, lead design discussions, and help elevate the technical bar of the team

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field
• 5+ years of experience in backend software development
• Experience working with data-driven systems, ML-powered features, or A/B experimentation platforms
• Strong proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Java, Kotlin)
• Experience building and deploying backend APIs (e.g., gRPC) and streaming or batch data processing services (e.g., Flink, Spark) in cloud environments
• Solid understanding of distributed systems, data flows, and operational best practices

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with search and retrieval systems, including relevance ranking, vector databases, embeddings, or AI/semantic search
• Experience designing and implementing agent-to-agent (A2A) and multi-agent AI systems
• Background in ads, marketplaces, e-commerce, or travel platforms

Location:

Please note that this role is only available in Chicago, IL, 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 perks

Expedia 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 .

• medical
• dental
• vision coverage
• paid time off
• an Employee Assistance Program
• wellness and travel reimbursement
• travel discounts
• International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) membership.

Accommodation requests

Expedia Group is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience. If you need an accommodation or adjustment due