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# Principal software engineer

- **Company:** eBay
- **Location:** Amsterdam, Netherlands
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Cloud Computing, Cloud Engineering, Databases, Relational Databases, Distributed Systems, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Machine Learning, Enterprise Messaging Systems, NoSQL, Cloud Platform System, Reliability of Systems, Containerization, Information Technology, Apache Kafka, Graphql, Microservices
- **Published:** November 5, 2026
- **Apply:** https://nl.talent.com/redirect?id=620469411003310823&source=vacant&utm_medium=xml&utm_campaign=marketing&utm_product=vacantnew_bulk&oapply=org_v2026-11&puid=edaaaddeddagaddcbdda9dd7eddcaddfadafbddg9ddg9dddbdddaddfbdagadd8cdde9dddbea3addffddgaed2dddgaddgfddgaddgaddg9ddg6ed3gc9bbb9b3bee3ee33def3de93de73dedgdd9gddefddg3ded3de8gdda3ee33de93deg3ee33ee33deg3ee33ee33ee33ee33ee33ee3&pos=7&xml_batch_generation_id=8c82823e-dd41-47d6-902e-dc3b757a5b79&falcon=1&pid=5e29580010e4&bpid=58809cd4a03a78c084081c1908443edc

## About the Role

* 10+ years of experience building large-scale distributed systems and APIs
 * Strong expertise in system design, distributed architectures, and cloud technologies
 * Experience with Java, Scala, or other JVM-based technologies
 * Deep understanding of messaging systems, databases, and real-time platforms
 * Proven technical leadership across complex cross-functional initiatives
 * Strong communication, collaboration, and mentorship skills
 * Experience in Ads platforms or ML-driven products is a plus
Qualifications

 * Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
 * Experience with:
Distributed systems and microservices
REST/GraphQL APIs
Kafka or similar messaging technologies
RDBMS and NoSQL databases
Cloud-native and containerized environments

## Description

We are looking for an experienced Principal Software Engineer to help shape the architecture and technical direction of eBay's Ads platform. You will lead large-scale initiatives, drive platform modernization, and build highly scalable distributed systems that directly impact eBay's business and customer experience.

What You Will Accomplish

 * Lead the design and evolution of large-scale, low-latency distributed systems
 * Drive technical strategy and architecture across multiple engineering teams
 * Build scalable services supporting ad serving, targeting, ranking, and reporting
 * Partner closely with product, data science, ML, and analytics teams
 * Improve system reliability, scalability, and operational efficiency
 * Mentor engineers and influence engineering best practices across the organization
 * Drive modernization initiatives and adoption of new technologies