Software Development Engineer III, Advertising Technology

Expedia Group

Software engineer building low-latency ad delivery, bidding, and ranking systems for Expedia Group’s global travel platform. Scaling ML-powered advertising services across millions of travelers.

Posted 8/5/2026full-timeSeattle • Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $146,000 - $204,500 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in backend software development, focusing on building scalable, low-latency services and integrating machine learning-driven features. Proficient in optimizing ad delivery systems and mentoring junior engineers while advocating for high-quality code and operational best practices.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Backend Software DevelopmentJava or Kotlin ProficiencyAPI Development with gRPCData Processing with Flink or SparkMachine Learning Integration

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Backend Software DevelopmentJavaKotlinAPI DevelopmentGRPCData ProcessingFlinkSparkDistributed SystemsMachine Learning

Soft Skills

MentoringCollaborationContinuous ImprovementTechnical Advocacy

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer ScienceMaster’s Degree in Computer Science

Industry Keywords

Ad DeliveryE-commerceTravel PlatformsA/B ExperimentationSearch and Retrieval SystemsRelevance RankingVector DatabasesAI/Semantic Search

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

CloudDistributed SystemsGRPCJavaKotlinMicroservicesSpark

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Optimize bidding, ranking, and pacing for guaranteed and non-guaranteed ad delivery
Build and scale systems supporting ad serving and ad selection across Expedia Group’s advertising network
Apply software design principles, algorithms, and data structures to build scalable, low-latency, high-throughput services
Collaborate with Product, Machine Learning, Data Science, and Platform teams
Integrate APIs and microservices and incorporate ML-driven signals into backend services
Advocate for high-quality code, automated testing, and strong observability
Participate in operational reviews and drive continuous improvement
Mentor junior engineers and lead design discussions
Help elevate the team’s technical standards

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field
5+ years of backend software development experience
Experience with data-driven systems, ML-powered features, or A/B experimentation platforms
Strong proficiency in at least one modern programming language, such as Java or Kotlin
Experience building and deploying backend APIs, such as gRPC
Experience with streaming or batch data processing services, such as Flink or Spark, in cloud environments
Solid understanding of distributed systems, data flows, and operational best practices
Preferred: experience with search and retrieval systems, relevance ranking, vector databases, embeddings, or AI/semantic search
Preferred: experience designing and implementing agent-to-agent and multi-agent AI systems
Preferred: background in ads, marketplaces, e-commerce, or travel platforms
Must work in the Seattle office at least three days a week
Must be based in Seattle, Washington; relocation assistance is unavailable

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Paid time off
Employee Assistance Program
Wellness reimbursement
Travel reimbursement
Travel discounts
International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) membership