Lead Software Engineer

Reference: 25365Location: Chicago, Illinois, United StatesIndustry: Technology & SoftwarePosted: 2026-05-11Contact: Mike LaTulipEmail: View email address on click.appcast.io Software Engineer (High-Performance Systems)Location: Chicago OR DenverAbout the OpportunityWe are seeking a visionary Technical Lead to drive the evolution of a global, high-concurrency video distribution and monetization platform. This role is at the heart of a massive-scale ecosystem that powers premium content delivery across every major digital and traditional broadcast medium, from mobile devices to connected TVs. You will lead the architectural direction of a mission-critical framework where performance is measured in microseconds and reliability is paramount.ResponsibilitiesArchitectural Strategy: Lead the design and continuous optimization of a distributed ad-serving framework, focusing on extreme scalability and system maintainability.High-Performance Engineering: Drive the development of low-latency networking and sophisticated multiprocessing solutions utilizing modern Go and C++.Lifecycle Ownership: Oversee the full software development lifecycle, from initial prototyping and design through to deployment, quality assurance, and long-term technical support.Systems Innovation: Research and implement emerging technologies to improve the efficiency, observability, and resilience of globally distributed infrastructure.Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with infrastructure and SRE teams to enhance system monitoring and set the strategic technical direction for product evolution.Mentorship: Act as a technical pillar for the engineering organization, guiding junior developers and fostering a culture of high-quality, testable code.Requirements (Must-have)Academic Background: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.Leadership Experience: Minimum of 5 years in software engineering, with at least 3 years dedicated to technical leadership or architectural oversight.Backend Expertise: Mastery of Golang and C++, with a deep focus on network programming, concurrency models, and high-performance distributed systems.System Fundamentals: Comprehensive understanding of Linux/Unix environments, including advanced data structures and algorithmic foundations.Operational Excellence: Proven track record of designing and operating large-scale online services within an Agile/SDLC framework.Global Collaboration: Excellent communication skills and the ability to coordinate with international teams across multiple time zones.Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-have)Experience building mission-critical systems where high availability is essential.Professional background within the digital advertising or media technology sectors.Demonstrated history of technical innovation and creative problem-solving in high-pressure environments.#LI-ML1