PubMatic-posted 3 months ago
$195,000 - $212,000/Yr
Full-time • Senior
Hybrid • Redwood City, CA
501-1,000 employees
Publishing Industries

PubMatic is seeking an experienced and technically driven Principal Software Engineer to lead the design and development of our next-generation mobile app monetization platform. This role is focused on building high-performance, scalable, real-time systems that drive programmatic monetization across various mobile ad formats, including banners, interstitials, rewarded video, and native ads. The ideal candidate is a seasoned backend engineer with deep domain expertise in mobile app advertising, OpenRTB protocols, and SDK-DSP-SSP integration workflows. You will work closely with Product, Data Science, and Monetization teams to design ML-integrated systems that optimize yield, latency, and reliability across our mobile ecosystem.

  • Architect and implement scalable APIs and backend services powering mobile app monetization, including SDK-driven request handling, real-time targeting, ML-based decisioning, and campaign selection logic.
  • Develop low-latency, high-throughput server-side systems capable of handling billions of RTB bid requests daily.
  • Collaborate with ML Engineering and Data Science teams to integrate models for yield optimization and performance enhancement.
  • Design and support A/B testing and experimentation frameworks to evaluate monetization strategies across diverse ad traffic.
  • Contribute to the long-term technical strategy and roadmap for the mobile monetization platform.
  • Champion engineering best practices in observability, fault tolerance, API performance, and modular architecture.
  • 8+ years of backend engineering experience, with a proven track record of building high-scale, low-latency systems, preferably in the mobile app advertising or programmatic AdTech domain.
  • Strong programming expertise in C++, with additional experience in Go or Java.
  • Solid understanding of Linux/UNIX environments and system-level programming (multi-threading, multi-processing, memory management).
  • Proficient in data structures, algorithms, and core computer science principles, with experience designing modular, scalable, and fault-tolerant systems.
  • Deep understanding of programmatic advertising workflows, including RTB, OpenRTB 2.x/2.6, bid lifecycle, and mobile SDK monetization.
  • Experience integrating with DSPs, ad exchanges, mediation platforms, and working with SDK-DSP-SSP pipelines, including device graph utilization and session-aware ad serving.
  • Familiarity with rewarded video, native ad formats, in-app gaming monetization, and mobile-specific privacy regulations (e.g., ATT, COPPA).
  • Hands-on experience with real-time ML inference pipelines, working closely with ML engineers and integrating model predictions into latency-sensitive systems.
  • Practical knowledge of containerized and microservice architectures, with experience in API integrations, caching solutions, data stores, and cloud-native deployments.
  • Skilled in troubleshooting production issues, performing root cause analysis, and supporting live systems with minimal downtime.
  • Ability to write clean, modular, loosely coupled code and develop systems with strong observability and monitoring.
  • Exposure to generative AI tools and familiarity with prompt engineering and AI-powered developer environments.
  • Working knowledge of scripting languages such as Python, Shell, or Perl, and hands-on experience with relational databases, preferably MySQL.
  • Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with a collaborative mindset and strong ownership over deliverables.
  • Proficiency in AI-assisted coding, automation, prompt engineering, and an understanding of the strengths and limitations of LLM-generated code is a strong plus.
  • Hands-on experience with mobile monetization SDKs, including client-server interaction and mediation logic.
  • Contributions to open-source AdTech projects, such as Prebid Mobile, RTBkit, or header bidding libraries.
  • Familiarity with industry-standard ML model serving infrastructures designed for real-time inferencing.
  • Understanding of mobile-specific user acquisition and attribution platforms.
  • Experience working with incrementality measurement, retargeting systems, or audience segmentation for mobile performance marketing.
  • Exposure to privacy-preserving user ID solutions (e.g., UID2.0, RampID) and frameworks like SKAdNetwork (for iOS post-ATT monetization).
  • Experience with cross-format monetization strategies, such as combining display, video, and native monetization within the same app session.
  • Familiarity with real-time analytics pipelines used to measure monetization KPIs and yield efficiency.
  • Publications, patents, or speaking engagements in the areas of mobile monetization, AdTech infrastructure, or ML for AdTech.
  • Paid leave programs
  • Paid holidays
  • Healthcare, dental and vision insurance
  • Disability and life insurance
  • Commuter benefits
  • Physical and financial wellness programs
  • Unlimited DTO in the US
  • Reimbursement for mobile
  • Fully stocked pantries plus in-office catered lunches 5 days per week
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