Software Development Engineer III, Media Solutions

Expedia; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Job summary

Expedia Group Advertising Engineering is hiring for a senior backend/frontend role based in Seattle, WA. You will design high-throughput services in Kotlin, manage real-time data flows, and build scalable APIs across distributed systems.

You will collaborate with product teams to deliver features with robust CI/CD pipelines and strong observability. The role emphasizes mentorship, architecture, and staying ahead of tech trends to maintain top performance and reliability in a busy travel

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of professional software development experience, leading technical initiatives and mentoring engineers.
• Expertise in Kotlin or Java with scalable, production-grade apps.
• Experience designing microservices, event-driven systems, RESTful APIs, and large-scale distributed architectures.
• Experience building modern web apps with React and frontend-backend integration.
• Experience with AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and observability tools such as Datadog.
• Strong system design, troubleshooting, and performance optimization skills.

Responsibilities

• Design & implement high-throughput backend services in Kotlin to handle millions of search queries.
• Manage real-time data flows with Redis, Elasticsearch, and Kafka for low-latency performance.
• Leverage data lakes for scalable storage, retrieval, and processing.
• Develop and integrate APIs to connect frontend and backend systems.
• Architect for scale and reliability with fault tolerance and efficient data processing.
• Build engaging user-facing interfaces with React and ensure responsive UX.
• Optimize frontend performance and manage application state for fast load times.
• Partner with product managers and engineers to deliver features end-to-end.
• Set up and maintain CI/CD pipelines for quick and reliable releases.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues across backend and frontend to minimize downtime.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote best practices and code quality.
• Drive system architecture decisions for scalable and reliable platforms.
• Stay current with emerging tech and advocate value-added adoption.

Skills

Kotlin

Java

React

REST APIs

Microservices

Distributed systems

System design

CI/CD

Datadog

AI/ML concepts

AWS

Kubernetes

Docker

Elasticsearch

Redis

Kafka

Data Lakes

UI/UX collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Elasticsearch

Redis

Kafka

Datadog

React

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

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:

Expedia Group Advertising Engineering is dedicated to building innovative solutions for travel advertisers enabling them to use Expedia's network of leading travel brands and global sites. We have revolutionized the way brands reach and connect with online travel consumers, emerging as a leader in online advertising sales among travel and e-commerce brands. With a growing product portfolio offering a multitude of advertising and sponsorship opportunities, our Media Solutions team at Expedia has created a viable marketing platform for advertising partners to reach the 112 million worldwide monthly unique visitors that visit Expedia Group sites. We connect brands with hundreds of millions of travel consumers across our global network of leading travel e-commerce brands. Our products scale across the entire Expedia Group portfolio, with more than 200 branded sites in 75 countries and 35 languages.

What you'll do:

• Design & Implement High-Throughput Backend Services Design and implement scalable, high-performance backend services in Kotlin to handle millions of search queries and orchestrate multiple data sources.
• Manage Real-Time Data Flows Work with Redis, Elasticsearch, and Apache Kafka to optimize search relevance, ensure low-latency performance, and handle real-time data processing.
• Leverage Large-Scale Data Lakes Produce and consume data at scale, ensuring efficient storage, retrieval, and processing within Data Lake environments.
• Develop & Integrate APIs Implement APIs to integrate with various services, enabling smooth communication between the front-end and backend systems.
• Architect for Scale & Reliability Contribute to system architecture, implement fault tolerance, and leverage efficient data processing techniques to deliver robust and scalable solutions.
• Build Engaging User-Facing Interfaces Create and maintain user-friendly interfaces with React, collaborating with designers to ensure responsive layouts and a seamless user experience.
• Optimize Front-End Performance Manage application state effectively, reduce load times, and enhance UX for smooth interaction and high performance.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with product managers, designers, and other engineers to drive features from concept to production, ensuring timely and high-quality deliveries.
• Implement CI/CD Pipelines Set up and maintain continuous integration and continuous deployment processes to facilitate quick, reliable releases and high code quality.
• Troubleshoot & Resolve Investigate and fix issues in both backend and frontend systems to minimize downtime and maximize user satisfaction.
• Mentor & Guide Support junior engineers through code reviews, best practices, and technical mentorship to foster growth and maintain development standards.
• Drive System Architecture Ensure that the overall architecture—spanning backend services and frontend applications—is optimized for scale, performance, and reliability.
• Stay Current Keep pace with emerging technologies and advocate for their adoption where they can add value to the business or development process.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of professional software development experience, leading technical initiatives, mentoring engineers, and driving the design and delivery of complex software systems.
• Expertise in Kotlin or Java with experience building and operating scalable, production-grade applications.
• Experience designing and developing microservices, event-driven systems, RESTful APIs, and large-scale distributed architectures.
• Experience building modern web applications with React and a strong understanding of frontend and backend system integration.
• Experience with AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and observability tools such as Datadog.
• Strong system design, troubleshooting, and performance optimization skills, including monitoring, scalability, reliability, and operational excellence.
• Working knowledge of AI/ML concepts and frameworks, with experience integrating data-driven or machine learning capabilities into production applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in AdTech, including ad servers, DSPs, SSPs, and Real-Time Bidding (RTB) ecosystems.
• Experience building search, personalization, recommendation, or other large-scale data-driven systems.
• Experience with Elasticsearch, Redis, Kafka, or similar distributed data platforms.
• Experience collaborating with Data Scientists to build and deploy AI/ML-powered solutions.
• Familiarity with machine learning concepts, NLP, recommendation engines, or predictive modeling.
• Demonstrated technical leadership through architectural influence, engineering best practices, or technical strategy contributions.
• Contributions to the broader engineering community through open-source projects, technical publications, speaking engagements, or similar activities.

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.

Please note that this role is only available in 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 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.

Accommodation requests

Expedia 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 Group

Expedia 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.

Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the global travel marketplace with one purpose: to help travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. Expedia Group'™ connects travelers, partners, and advertisers through its trusted brands, leading technology, and rich first-party data, delivering predictive, personalized experiences that shape the future of travel. Expedia Group's ecosystem includes three flagship consumer brands – Expedia'®, Hotels.com'®, and Vrbo'® – the largest B2B travel business, and a premier advertising network. Guided by an experienced and passionate global team, Expedia Group helps millions of travelers in more than 70 countries explore the world with confidence and ease.

Important notice

Employment 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 Opportunity

Expedia 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.