Lead Software Engineer

Lead Software Engineer (High-Performance Systems)

Location: Chicago OR Denver

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a visionary Technical Lead to drive the evolution of a global, high-concurrency video distribution and monetization platform. This role is at the heart of a massive-scale ecosystem that powers premium content delivery across every major digital and traditional broadcast medium, from mobile devices to connected TVs. You will lead the architectural direction of a mission-critical framework where performance is measured in microseconds and reliability is paramount.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Strategy: Lead the design and continuous optimization of a distributed ad-serving framework, focusing on extreme scalability and system maintainability.

• High-Performance Engineering: Drive the development of low-latency networking and sophisticated multiprocessing solutions utilizing modern Go and C++.

• Lifecycle Ownership: Oversee the full software development lifecycle, from initial prototyping and design through to deployment, quality assurance, and long-term technical support.

• Systems Innovation: Research and implement emerging technologies to improve the efficiency, observability, and resilience of globally distributed infrastructure.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with infrastructure and SRE teams to enhance system monitoring and set the strategic technical direction for product evolution.

• Mentorship: Act as a technical pillar for the engineering organization, guiding junior developers and fostering a culture of high-quality, testable code.

Requirements (Must-have)

• Academic Background: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.

• Leadership Experience: Minimum of 5 years in software engineering, with at least 3 years dedicated to technical leadership or architectural oversight.

• Backend Expertise: Mastery of Golang and C++, with a deep focus on network programming, concurrency models, and high-performance distributed systems.

• System Fundamentals: Comprehensive understanding of Linux/Unix environments, including advanced data structures and algorithmic foundations.

• Operational Excellence: Proven track record of designing and operating large-scale online services within an Agile/SDLC framework.

• Global Collaboration: Excellent communication skills and the ability to coordinate with international teams across multiple time zones.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-have)

• Experience building mission-critical systems where high availability is essential.

• Professional background within the digital advertising or media technology sectors.

• Demonstrated history of technical innovation and creative problem-solving in high-pressure environments.

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