Sr Software Engineer - High Performance Computing

The Trade Desk; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 124,900 - 228,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Paid holidays

Job summary

The Trade Desk in Irvine, California, is seeking a Senior Engineer for the High-Performance Computing team. This role involves optimizing system-level throughput and network bandwidth while ensuring data quality. You will take ownership of the software lifecycle, working on large-scale distributed systems.

The ideal candidate has at least 6 years of experience in software development, particularly in distributed systems, and holds a degree in computer science. Benefits include competitive salary, health coverage, and comprehensive perks.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6+ years of professional experience in high-impact software development.
• Hands-on experience with .NET Core & C#, Java, Linux, networking, streaming systems, NoSQL databases, and distributed systems.
• Deep expertise in distributed systems, high-performance computing, and the advertising ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Work on system-level optimizations in throughput and network bandwidth.
• Participate in all aspects of the software lifecycle: research, coding, testing, maintenance.
• Contribute to large-scale distributed systems and mentor team members.

Skills

High-impact software development

.NET Core & C#

Java

Linux

Networking

Streaming systems

NoSQL databases

Distributed systems

Agile development methodology

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related field

Job description

About the Role:

The High‑Performance Computing team powers the core bidding platform by supplying large amounts of user and graph data, ensuring data availability, freshness, and quality.

• You will work on system‑level optimizations in throughput and network bandwidth, applying creative probabilistic algorithms to support future scale of user targeting data and ensure the health and scalability of the user data infrastructure as the platform evolves.
• You will be an end‑to‑end owner, actively participating in all aspects of the software lifecycle: research, experimentation, architecture, coding, quality assurance, monitoring, maintenance, continuous optimization, and automation.
• You will have the opportunity to work on large‑scale distributed systems coordinating thousands of servers in cloud and physical data centers worldwide, petabyte‑scale data challenges, machine learning, advanced visualizations, and interactive user interfaces.
• Senior engineers contribute to more than the product—they build our team through mentoring, technical leadership, and/or direct management of small teams, raising the bar for those around them.

Who you are:

Our culture values trust, generosity, scrappiness, and grit. You need not meet every requirement below, but the more that match, the higher your likelihood of success.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum 6+ years of professional experience in high‑impact software development.
• Hands‑on experience with .NET Core & C#, Java, Linux, networking, streaming systems, NoSQL databases, and distributed systems.
• Deep expertise at the intersection of distributed systems, high‑performance computing, mathematics, and the advertising ecosystem, ideally with large‑scale system construction.
• Capability to plan and execute initiatives, guiding and assigning work for other team members, though not necessarily as a people manager.
• Understanding of Agile development methodology and related practices.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience. Education level is not a limiting criteria.

Key Attributes:

• Strong fundamentals and first‑principles thinking; evaluate solutions beyond off‑the‑shelf techniques.
• Proven records of building distributed systems that remain online and performant.
• Confidence, humility, defensible ideas, and willingness to evaluate trade‑offs and be proven wrong.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion, fostering invisible and visible dimensions of diversity.
• Creative, innovative thinker who challenges conventional approaches.

Compensation & Benefits:

Base salary range: $124,900 – $228,900 USD. Employees may also be eligible for stock‑based compensation and other variable incentives based on performance. Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) with company match, disability coverage, life insurance, well‑being programs, tuition reimbursement, parental leave, sick time, vacation, paid holidays, and employee stock purchase plan.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The Trade Desk is an equal‑opportunity employer. All aspects of employment 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, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

Accommodation for Disability:

Please contact us at [e-mail] to request an accommodation or discuss any accessibility needs. Include your preferred contact details and specify the nature of the request or question. Information will be handled confidentially and will not impact hiring decisions.