Senior Software Engineer, Backend

Cognitiv•Bellevue, WA

3d•$160,000 - $210,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Cognitiv, we are industry trailblazers redefining media buying with our Deep Learning Advertising Platform. Since 2015, we have harnessed the power of cutting-edge deep learning technology and data science to transform how brands connect with their customers. Our mission is to bring intelligence to advertising and deliver unparalleled precision, relevance, and impact at scale. With our innovative platform, advertisers enjoy unprecedented flexibility—whether it is activating Dynamic Deals through their preferred DSP, leveraging our managed service DSP, or utilizing our industry-first ContextGPT product. As a part of Cognitiv, you will be at the forefront of AI-driven advertising solutions, driving change and achieving remarkable growth in a rapidly evolving industry. We’re hiring a Senior Software Engineer (Backend) to join the team building our next-generation, pixel-less ad targeting systems. You’ll design, build, and scale systems that power cutting-edge AI-driven advertising products, while improving and evolving existing platforms to meet growing business needs. This role is accountable for scaling our ContextGPT revenue by building and supporting system integrations that make it available to more customers, more partners, and more supply. This engineer will work closely with our internal platform teams and external partners to make ContextGPT available across the ad-tech ecosystem. This position will be located in Bellevue with a hybrid work schedule of 3 days in office (Mon/Tue/Wed) and 2 days remote optional (Thursday/Friday).

Requirements

Experienced senior backend engineer: Strong in .NET Core (or a similar strongly typed language (Java, Kotlin, etc) and AWS, with a track record of designing and delivering complex production systems end-to-end
Systems thinker: Comfortable navigating a large, multi-product codebase and reasoning across service boundaries
Ownership, Drive & Agency: You take full responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks. You work independently, prioritize effectively, and proactively deliver high-impact results without waiting to be directed.
Excellent communicator: You collaborate effectively with both internal teams and external partners, and resolve conflicts constructively
Quality-focused: Demonstrated emphasis on testing, maintainability, and operational excellence
Resilient & gritty: You thrive in ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and push through obstacles
In-person collaborator: You want to work onsite MTW in Bellevue, WA

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with integrations or partner-facing development
AdTech or programmatic advertising background
Startup experience (fast-moving, lean environments)
Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks
Hands-on experience with our stack: .NET Core, AWS, RDS, ClickHouse, Datadog

Responsibilities

Design, build, and own backend services and APIs in .NET Core on AWS that power ContextGPT integrations across the ad-tech ecosystem
Drive integrations with new data centers and third-party partners to expand inventory access and unlock new revenue streams
Address scaling challenges as ContextGPT continues its rapid growth trajectory
Collaborate with internal platform teams and external partners to make ContextGPT available at scale
Take full ownership of systems end-to-end — from design through production operations
Drive improvements in performance, reliability, and developer productivity across the team

Benefits

Medical, Dental and Vision plan for US employees & Extended Health Benefits for Canadian employees
12 weeks paid parental leave + 4 weeks WFH
Unlimited PTO + Work-From-Anywhere August
Career development with clear advancement paths
Equity for all employees
Hybrid work model & daily team lunch
Health & wellness stipend + cell phone reimbursement
401(k) & RRSP with employer match
Parking (CA, WA, Vancouver offices) & pre-tax commuter benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Comprehensive onboarding (Cognitiv University)