Staff Software Engineer

Summary

Join Reddit's Ads Foundations team as a Principal Engineer and lead the technical strategy and vision for Ads Monetization. You will define and drive the long-term technical architecture, identify foundational gaps, and architect systems powering billions of ad impressions. This role involves setting standards for system design and operational excellence, leading cross-functional initiatives, and mentoring other engineers. You will also represent Reddit's technical brand externally and stay ahead of industry trends. The position requires 10+ years of experience in designing and operating highly scalable backend infrastructure and deep expertise in distributed systems. Reddit offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience designing and operating highly scalable backend infrastructure
• Recognized technical leader with a proven track record of driving large-scale platform transformations
• Deep expertise in distributed systems, backend architecture, infrastructure, and performance engineering
• Skilled at driving clarity in ambiguous spaces, influencing technical strategy across organizations
• Exceptional collaborator and communicator — adept at aligning technical vision with business outcomes
• Expertise in one or more general-purpose programming languages (Python, Go, Java, Rust, C++)
• Strong experience with systems observability, reliability, and operational best practices

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the long-term technical architecture and platform strategy for Reddit Ads backend systems, anticipating future needs 3–5+ years out
• Identify foundational gaps and emerging opportunities across Ads infrastructure, and lead strategic investments to address them
• Architect systems that power billions of ad impressions with high reliability, low latency, and cost efficiency
• Set standards for system design, scalability, and operational excellence that raise the bar across Reddit engineering
• Lead cross-org and cross-functional technical initiatives that span beyond Ads — influencing how Reddit builds backend infrastructure at scale
• Partner deeply with Infrastructure, Data, Machine Learning, and Product teams to ensure cohesive, performant systems
• Champion rigorous observability, reliability engineering, and cost-aware architecture practices across the Ads organization
• Coach, sponsor, and elevate Staff and Senior Engineers across the org — shaping the next generation of technical leaders
• Model a culture of technical curiosity, deep ownership, and high standards
• Represent Reddit’s technical brand externally through talks, blog posts, patents, or contributions to open source
• Stay ahead of industry trends in large-scale distributed systems, ads infrastructure, and backend engineering

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in AdTech, real-time bidding systems, or creative management platforms
• Experience driving infrastructure cost efficiency and performance optimization at scale
• Contributions to technical communities or industry research
• Prior experience with Technical Program Management for multi-year infrastructure bets

Benefits

• Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits and Income Replacement Programs
• 401k Match
• Family Planning Support
• Gender-Affirming Care
• Mental Health & Coaching Benefits
• Flexible Vacation & Reddit Global Days Off
• Generous paid Parental Leave
• Paid Volunteer time off