Principal Software Engineer

<div class="content-intro"><p><strong>Who We Are</strong></p>
<p>Kargo creates powerful moments of connection between brands and consumers to build businesses. Every day, our 600+ employees work to radically raise the bar on what agentic AI, CTV, eCommerce, social, and mobile can do to deliver unique ad experiences across the world’s most premium platforms. Taking a creative science approach to all we do, we continuously innovate solutions that outperform industry benchmarks and client expectations. Now 20+ years strong, Kargo has offices in NYC, Chicago, LA, Dallas, Sydney, Auckland, London and Waterford, Ireland. </p>
<p><strong>Who We Hire</strong></p>
<p>Techies who want to build the future. Creatives who want to design it better. Communicators to win business. Collaborators to build it. Data pros who turn numbers into insights. Product builders who turn ideas into innovations. Anyone eager to be on a team that doesn’t stop to ask what’s next, because they’re already building it. </p></div><p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Mission</strong></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">The Principal Engineer for Surface Ad Delivery (SAD) owns the technical strategy and architecture for the ad serving infrastructure behind Kargo's programmatic platform at scale. The SAD team carries full-stack responsibility for real-time bidding, partner integrations, exclusive inventory expansion, proprietary ad formats, and delivery across web, mobile, and DOOH. When this role is firing on all cylinders, the platform is positioned ahead of industry and scaling shifts, the hardest architectural problems have a clear owner, and the team is building on patterns set years before the rest of the market catches up.</p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><em>This is a hybrid role with a requirement to be onsite 4 days per week.</em></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Outcomes — What Success Looks Like in 6–12 Months</strong></p>
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<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Delivered a cross-team architectural initiative.</strong> Designed and shipped at least one major system or architectural change spanning multiple teams, carried from strategy through production rollout and adoption.</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Set the technical direction for ad delivery.</strong> Anticipated industry standards, programmatic shifts, and scaling demands, and repositioned the platform ahead of the curve with measurable business impact.</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Became the recognized authority on ad serving.</strong> Established as the org's go-to expert on SSP architecture and real-time bidding decisions, and a trusted advisor to engineering leadership on high-stakes calls.</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Raised the technical bar across the department.</strong> Mentored Staff and Senior Engineers with measurable impact on their growth and promotion readiness, creating capability that outlasts individual projects.</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Drove org-wide adoption of new practices.</strong> Moved new technologies, patterns, or standards from POC to production across multiple teams, improving quality, scalability, or velocity beyond a single team.</li>
</ul>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Skills — Core Technical Capabilities</strong></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Required</p>
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<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">12+ years building and maintaining production systems, with deep ad tech or programmatic experience</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Expert across <strong>multiple languages and frameworks</strong>, including those active on the team (Go, Node.js)</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Deep expertise in the <strong>OpenRTB protocol</strong> and real-time bidding — proven track record designing SSP/DSP integrations, bid adapters, or programmatic platforms at scale</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Strong <strong>full-stack web</strong> architecture: HTTP/CORS, RESTful APIs, client-side JavaScript, browser rendering, and backend services, with the judgment to architect across them</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Working command of <strong>video and mobile ad standards</strong> (VAST/VPAID, MRAID), including debugging complex rendering and tracking issues</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Proven ability to debug the team's toughest problems in production, and to influence technical direction across the org without direct authority</li>
</ul>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">Preferred</p>
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<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Header bidding, SSP platforms, or DOOH advertising, including ad format rendering across web, mobile, and DOOH surfaces</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Prior Staff Engineer, Tech Lead, or equivalent technical leadership role</li>
</ul>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Competencies — Behaviors We Like to See</strong></p>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Strategic technical leadership</strong></p>
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<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Builds multi-year technology strategy for business-critical areas that cross multiple systems and teams</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Makes high-stakes, long-horizon technical decisions and is trusted to balance business needs against technical excellence</li>
</ul>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Influence without authority</strong></p>
<ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3">
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Drives adoption of new technologies and patterns through demonstration and credibility, not mandate</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Resolves the most complex challenges that span multiple teams or product areas, and establishes standards others choose to follow</li>
</ul>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Sustained high-impact delivery</strong></p>
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<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Carries complex, multi-team initiatives from concept to production and across the finish line</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Ships code that's well-reasoned and tested, with a clear recovery plan when things go wrong</li>
</ul>
<p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Developer of technical talent</strong></p>
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<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Mentors Staff and Senior Engineers with measurable impact on their growth and promotion readiness</li>
<li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Raises the bar through code reviews, architectural guidance, and knowledge sharing that becomes a force multiplier</li>
</ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><em>In accordance with applicable federal, state, and local pay transparency laws, the anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, education, and skills.</em></p></div><div class="title">U.S Salary Range </div><div class="pay-range"><span>$230,000</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$250,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p><strong>Our Laurels</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>AdAge Best Places to Work </li>
<li>ThinkLA Partner of the Year</li>
<li>Built In Best Places to Work </li>
<li>Cynopsis 2025 Top Women in Media - Jeannine Shao Collins</li>
<li>Martech Breakthrough Awards - Best Overall Adtech Company</li>
<li>Digiday Media Awards Best Event</li>
<li>Cyn

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