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# Principal Software Engineer

- **Company:** Snap Inc.
- **Location:** New York, NY, United States
- **Experience:** Experienced
- **Salary:** $276,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Computer Programming, Software Debugging, Distributed Systems, Software Engineering, Multiplatform
- **Published:** September 17, 2026
- **Apply:** https://startup.jobs/principal-software-engineer-ads-format-specs-inc-10096374

## About the Role

* Deep expertise in building and scaling ad formats or similar user-facing content delivery systems.
 * Excellent programming and software design skills, including debugging, performance analysis, and test design
 * Proven track record of operating highly-available systems at scale
 * Ability to proactively learn new concepts and technology and apply them at work
 * Skilled at solving ambiguous problems
 * Strong collaboration and mentorship skills
 * Ads domain experience
 * Client side and full stack experience preferred, * 10+ years of post-Bachelor's software development experience; or a Master's degree in a technical field + 9+ year of post-grad software development experience; or a PhD in a related technical field + 6+ years of post-grad software development experience
 * 2+ years of experience with technical leadership or acting as the domain-expert to a technical organization
 * Experience in technical leadership/ownership and setting technical direction for engineering projects
 * Experience architecting, designing, and developing distributed systems

Preferred Qualifications

 * Experience with cross-platform development
 * Ability to promote product excellence and collaboration, driving a portfolio of concurrent engineering projects, from short-term critical feature launches to long-term research initiatives
 * Ability to create a compelling vision for the future, communicate clearly, and have a collaborative leadership approach

## Description

* Design and implement highly automated systems for ad format serving, optimization, and A/B testing to maximize user engagement and advertiser ROI.
 * Lead the vision and strategy for our next-generation ad formats infrastructure, focusing on scalability, performance, and advertiser value.
 * Innovate and conceptualize new ad format ideas, leveraging market trends, user behavior, and advertiser needs.
 * Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product management, design, data science, and other engineering teams, to deliver cohesive and impactful solutions.
 * Advocate for and apply best practices when it comes to availability, scalability, operational excellence, and cost management
 * Mentor and guide other engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning within the team.


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