Staff Software Engineer, Python

Pandora; Georgia; On-site; USD 106,600 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Pandora seeks a Staff Software Engineer to lead technical direction within their Ad Sales Product Engineering organization. Located in Georgia, the role involves designing scalable systems for ad buying, mentoring engineers, and collaborating with various teams to enhance ad capabilities.

Candidates should have 7+ years of engineering experience, proficiency in Python and distributed systems, and a drive for modernization in the ad tech space. Compensation ranges from $106,600 to $200,000, dependent on qualifications and experience.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• 2+ years in a technical leadership role.
• Experience with Python frameworks such as Django or FastAPI.
• Strong foundation in distributed systems and data pipelines.
• Experience with ad serving platforms like Google Ad Manager.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of scalable services for ad buying.
• Architect and evolve the Slingshot platform.
• Drive end-to-end execution from design to deployment.
• Collaborate with Product, Data Engineering, and DevOps teams.
• Champion reliability and operational excellence using observability tools.

Skills

Python

Cloud-native architecture

Distributed systems

AWS

Kubernetes

Observability tools

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science

Tools

Datadog

Grafana

Kafka

Celery

Airflow

CI/CD

Job description

Who We Are

SiriusXM and its brands (Pandora, SiriusXM Media, AdsWizz, Simplecast, and SiriusXM Connect) are leading a new era of audio entertainment and services by delivering the most compelling subscription and ad‑supported audio entertainment experience for listeners – in the car, at home, and anywhere on the go with connected devices. Our vision is to shape the future of audio, where everyone can be effortlessly connected to the voices, stories and music they love wherever they are.

This is the place where a diverse group of emerging talent and legends alike come to share authentic and purposeful songs, stories, sounds and insights through some of the best programming and technology in the world. Our critically‑acclaimed, industry‑leading audio entertainment encompasses music, sports, comedy, news, talk, live events, and podcasting. No matter their individual role, each of our employees plays a vital part in bringing SiriusXM’s vision to life every day.

SiriusXM Media

SiriusXM Media is the gateway for marketers to the largest digital audio advertising ecosystem in North America. As the combined advertising revenue organization of Sirius XM Holdings Inc., SiriusXM Media spans across leading owned and operated audio platforms Pandora and SiriusXM; innovative ad‑tech solutions powered by AdsWizz; sonic creative consultancy Studio Resonate; and an extended content network featuring exclusive monetization agreements with Audiochuck, NBCUniversal, SoundCloud, and many more. Reaching more than 150 million listeners each month, SiriusXM Media delivers audiences the tailored brand experiences they crave while putting creators first, making it easy for every marketer to produce, plan, buy and measure across its entire audio universe.

How You’ll Make An Impact

As a Staff Software Engineer on the Planning team within SiriusXM’s Ad Sales Product Engineering organization, you’ll define and drive the technical direction of our ad buying systems.

You’ll architect resilient, cloud‑native backend services that power large‑scale ad delivery and campaign planning tools across the SiriusXM and Pandora ecosystem. Beyond building systems, you’ll shape engineering practices — leading modernization, scalability, and reliability initiatives that move our ad tech platforms forward.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the design and development of scalable, maintainable services that power ad buying and the complicated parts to it.
• Architect and evolve the Slingshot platform toward modern and cloud‑native paradigms.
• Drive end-to-end execution — from design and implementation to deployment, monitoring, and performance optimization.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with Product, Data Engineering, DevOps, and SRE to deliver high‑impact, integrated ad buying capabilities.
• Partner with data, UI, billing, and ad trafficking teams to optimize end‑to‑end ad buying workflows through intelligent automation.
• Champion observability, reliability, and operational excellence using Datadog, Grafana, and modern CI/CD practices.
• Mentor engineers across teams, fostering a culture of technical rigor, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Influence long‑term architecture and technology strategy, aligning with SiriusXM’s broader ad tech roadmap.

What You’ll Need

• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience, including 2+ years in a Staff or equivalent senior technical leadership role.
• Expertise in Python (Django, FastAPI, or similar frameworks) and backend architecture (e.g. microservices).
• Strong foundation in distributed systems and data pipelines, with hands‑on experience in Kafka, Celery, or Airflow.
• Experience with ad serving or delivery platforms (e.g., Google Ad Manager, AdsWizz, Triton).
• Deep familiarity with AWS, Kubernetes, and infrastructure automation.
• Proficiency with observability tools (Datadog, Sentry, Grafana) and CI/CD workflows.
• Demonstrated success leading cross‑team technical initiatives, mentoring engineers, and influencing large‑scale architecture.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Must have legal right to work in the U.S.

At SiriusXM, we carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including your background and experience. These considerations can cause your compensation to vary. We expect the base salary for this position to be in the range of $106,600 to $200,000 and will depend on your skills, qualifications, and experience. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short‑term and long‑term incentives. We encourage all interested candidates to apply.

EEO Statement

Our goal at SiriusXM is to provide and maintain a work environment that fosters mutual respect, professionalism and cooperation. SiriusXM is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, gender identity, marital status, familial status, veteran status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

The requirements and duties described above may be modified or waived by the Company in its sole discretion without notice.

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