[Remote] Principal Software Engineer Boulder, Colorado or New York City, New York or Remote

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Sovrn is a Software and Data business that helps Open Web businesses be and remain independent. They are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead the design and evolution of backend systems, focusing on adtech infrastructure and AI-native engineering practices.ResponsibilitiesOwn the design and evolution of backend systems that operate at exchange scale — high throughput, low latency, always onLead architectural decisions across auction infrastructure, bid processing, traffic shaping, and supply-side integrationsEstablish and champion AI engineering practices across the team — from prompt engineering and RAG patterns to agentic workflow design and LLM evaluationIdentify high-leverage opportunities to apply AI in our adtech stack: traffic scoring and filtering, bid shading, yield optimization, anomaly detection, and automated decisioningSet standards for how we evaluate, trust, and operate AI-powered systems in production — including observability, fallback behavior, and model governanceDrive technical standards, design reviews, and engineering best practices across a senior teamPartner with product, data science, and platform teams to ship end-to-endHelp the broader engineering team build fluency and confidence with AI tooling, not just tolerance of itMentor and level up engineers through code review, design collaboration, and hands-on guidanceSkills10+ years of software engineering experience, with a strong backend track record5+ years working specifically in adtech infrastructure — SSP, DSP, exchange, or ad server environmentsDeep fluency in the programmatic ecosystem: OpenRTB, bid request/response flows, auction mechanics, supply path optimization, or similarExperience building and operating systems at exchange scale — high QPS, strict latency budgets, fault toleranceDemonstrated experience leading AI or agentic engineering efforts in production environments — not just experimentation, but shipped, operated, and iterated onHands-on experience with LLM integration patterns: RAG, tool use, multi-step agentic workflows, prompt engineering, and evaluation frameworksStrong distributed systems fundamentals: messaging, caching, service architecture, observabilityComfort driving technical decisions in ambiguous, fast-moving environmentsA point of view on where AI is and isn't the right tool — and the credibility to make that caseBenefitsBonusEquityCompetitive salariesStock optionsMedical, dental, and vision coverageShort and long-term disabilityLife insurance11 paid holidaysFlexible vacationCommuter benefitsA 401(k) plan and matchA paid parental leave programCompany OverviewOnScroll was acquired by Sovrn in 2016. It was founded in 2012, and is headquartered in London, England, GBR, with a workforce of 201-500 employees. Its website is http://www.OnScroll.com.