Staff Engineer - Ads Trust, Fraud and Safety

1d•Remote

About The Position

Reddit is seeking a Staff Engineer for its Ads Trust, Fraud and Safety team. This role will be the primary technical driver for a new Fraud detection system, working closely with Ad Review, Billing, Policy, and other Reddit Safety teams. The engineer will drive the long-term strategy for the platform, setting measurable goals and taking ownership of a critical function within the Ads organization. This is a high-agency position for an engineer who can navigate ambiguity, take decisive ownership of the platform's technical direction, and act as both a deep coder and a force multiplier. The role involves establishing the long-term technical vision for Fraud Detection, ensuring systems are highly available and scalable, and leading large-scale projects through the entire software development lifecycle.

Requirements

7+ years of software engineering experience, with a track record of leading large-scale technical projects that require cross-team and cross-functional collaboration.
Strong experience in large-scale distributed systems and developing highly scalable and reliable backend services.
Expertise in at least one general-purpose programming language (e.g., Go, Python, Scala, Java, or C++) and ability to grow expertise in Python and Go.
Demonstrated ability to disambiguate complex problems, align stakeholders with different priorities, and aggressively prioritize to execute effectively.
Excellent communication skills employed to drive toward consensus, navigate disagreements, and influence decisions across the engineering organization.
A bias for action. The ability to identify what needs to be done, take the initiative to make it happen without waiting for direction, and finish the swing.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience as a Tech Lead or in a similar function.
Previous success as part of an Ads team with a user base in the millions.
Experience in Ads Fraud, Ad review or Ads Brand Safety
Proven experience designing, building, and operating scalable platforms.
Expertise in Python and/or Go.
Prior experience in Fraud/Malicious actors space
Proven track record of utilizing LLMs in production systems.

Responsibilities

Steer: Work with the team to select, scope, and drive high-leverage projects that accelerate the development of Fraud Detection.
Architect: Help define the 2+ year technical roadmap for the platform, translating complex business needs into a clear strategy for highly available and performant backend services.
Build: Execute on a strategy to create world-class Fraud Detection systems.
Amplify: Mentor, coach, and collaborate with other technical contributors, fostering a culture of empathetic technical excellence and proactive problem-solving.
Collaborate: Work together with a variety of cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Policy and Legal, to ensure Fraud Detection meets the needs of all stakeholders.
Evolve: Learn and improve technical and non-technical abilities, staying up-to-date on trends and best practices in the Fraud Detection space across the industry.