(Senior) Backend Engineer, Vertical Ads - US

About SmartNews

SmartNews is a global leader in redefining information and news discovery, committed to providing users with accurate, timely information and supporting quality journalism. We combine the power of our unique machine-learning technology with the expertise of our first-rate editorial team to bring news that matters to millions of users from our over 3,000 global publishing partners.

Founded in 2012 in Tokyo, Japan, SmartNews has offices in Tokyo, San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York, and Singapore.

The Team

The SmartNews Ads Division has many teams, together we build systems that find the best interests among the 3 parties: our users, advertisers, publishers and SmartNews. 

Vertical Ads Team is responsible for building and optimizing vertical product solutions such as branding ads, dynamic ads, and more. Branding ads are high-quality, visually compelling ads crafted to enhance brand visibility and recognition.

The Role

In this role, you will collaborate closely with engineers, product managers, and sales from different regions. Your role involves laying the foundational groundwork through our focus on architecture and other core engineering tasks to support better feature engineering. We highly value curiosity and a proactive mindset, as you will have the opportunity to contribute your ideas and take ownership. We encourage engineering-driven initiatives to accelerate product growth further.

You will also work with exciting teams from JP and the US, where you can shape the future of new products by building and iterating on solutions while prioritizing scalability, performance, reliability, security, and other essential engineering practices.

Your Reponsibilities

• You'll make a strong partnership with product teams to build the next generation of SmartNews Brand Ads & Dynamic Ads Product
• You’ll question the current solution, propose improvements then realize them with the team
• You'll Work on end to end stack of ad-platform including serving, bidding and optimization

Requirements

Minimum requirements

• Fluent in any of the following languages: Java, Kotlin, Golang, C++
• Fluent in using Kafka, Redis, SQL and Cassandra
• Deep understanding in batching and streaming data processing
• Experienced in CICD
• Experienced in microservice powered by container technology such as Docker and Kubernetes

Nice to have experiences/skills

• Language ability: Golang, TypeScript, Python, SQL
• Db experience: Cassandra, DynamoDb and MongoDb
• Engineering experience: migrate on-prem system onto cloud
• Industry experience: Digital Advertising Technology

Benefits

Compensation and Benefits

• Compensation range: $150,000 to $230,000 base salary, plus bonus and equity
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Up to 100% medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family
• A benefits plan with monthly allowances
• Complimentary lunch, snacks, and beverages in the office