Senior Principal Software Engineer, Ads Quality

SNAP/SNAP

. Set the multi-year technical strategy and architecture for Ads Marketplace .

Posted 10/7/2026full-timeUnited StatesSenior💰 $334,000 - $500,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in setting technical strategy and architecture for Ads Marketplace, with a strong focus on algorithms, optimization, and large-scale distributed systems. Proven ability to lead complex engineering initiatives, mentor technical leaders, and drive measurable impact across teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Technical LeadershipAds Marketplace OptimizationLarge-Scale Distributed SystemsAlgorithms and OptimizationSoftware Development Experience

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Software DevelopmentAlgorithmsOptimizationStatisticsDistributed SystemsDebuggingPerformance AnalysisTestingSystem ArchitectureProduction Delivery

Soft Skills

CommunicationInfluencingMentoringProblem SolvingStrategic Thinking

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Technical FieldMaster’s Degree in Technical FieldPhD in Related Technical Field

Industry Keywords

Ads MarketplaceBidding AlgorithmsBudget AllocationAuction MechanismsInventory OptimizationTraffic OptimizationReranking ApproachesExperimentation StandardsReliabilityScalability

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Distributed Systems

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Set the multi-year technical strategy and architecture for Ads Marketplace
Design and scale bidding, budget allocation, and pacing algorithms
Advance auction mechanisms, pricing, and allocation algorithms
Lead inventory and traffic optimization across Snapchat surfaces
Develop ad reranking and slate optimization approaches
Establish objectives, evaluation methods, and experimentation standards
Lead complex initiatives across teams and resolve architectural trade-offs and dependencies
Stay hands-on through prototyping, critical implementation, and production problem solving
Raise the engineering bar for reliability, latency, scalability, and cost efficiency
Mentor senior engineers and technical leaders
Build shared technical foundations that enable teams to deliver independently

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in a technical field such as computer science, mathematics, or statistics, or equivalent practical experience
10+ years of post-Bachelor’s software development experience; or a Master’s degree in a technical field and 10+ years of post-graduate software development experience; or a PhD in a related technical field and 7+ years of post-graduate software development experience
3+ years of experience providing technical leadership or serving as a domain expert for a technical organization
Experience setting technical direction and leading complex engineering initiatives across multiple teams, from architecture through production delivery and measurable impact
Experience architecting, building, and operating large-scale distributed systems
Deep expertise in one or more areas of ads marketplace optimization
Strong foundations in algorithms, optimization, statistics, and distributed systems
Excellent programming and software design skills, including debugging, performance analysis, testing, and operating highly available systems at scale
Ability to turn ambiguous business and technical problems into a coherent strategy, measurable objectives, and an executable roadmap across multiple teams
Strong technical judgment in balancing advertiser outcomes, revenue, user engagement, system complexity, and operational risk
Ability to influence across organizational boundaries, communicate complex trade-offs clearly, and develop senior engineers and technical leaders

Benefits

Comp & perks

Paid parental leave
Comprehensive medical coverage
Emotional and mental health support programs
Compensation packages that let employees share in Snap’s long-term success
Equity in the form of RSUs