Software Engineer (Java/Python)

About The Company The Trade Desk is a global technology company and the world’s leading independent platform for digital advertising. With nearly 4,000 employees across more than 30 offices worldwide, we empower advertisers to reach their target audiences across the open internet, including streaming TV, podcasts, mobile apps, news platforms, and more. Our innovative technology helps create transparent, effective, and responsible advertising solutions that support trusted journalism, high-quality entertainment, and content creators globally. We are committed to solving complex technical challenges such as processing massive datasets in real-time and building reliable systems on a global scale, making an impact that extends worldwide. At The Trade Desk, we foster a culture of diversity, curiosity, and continuous learning, encouraging teams to learn from one another and develop innovative solutions to meaningful problems. We invite driven professionals who are passionate about making a difference to join our team and contribute to shaping the future of digital advertising technology. About The Role The Trade Desk is seeking a highly skilled Senior Data Platform Engineer to join our User Trail team. This team owns the analytics and observability platform that captures user interactions across our core web applications, including page views, clicks, and other engagement metrics. Your primary responsibility will be to help define and execute the technical strategy for unlocking and expanding access to our data, enabling various teams within the organization—such as support, trading, business, and product—to leverage this data effectively. You will work on solving complex, multi-layered problems that span multiple systems, ensuring our data infrastructure scales efficiently as more teams rely on our platform. Your expertise will influence decisions related to data collection, storage, self-service tools, and AI-powered solutions. Additionally, you will actively identify opportunities to improve our development processes, tooling, and quality practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This role offers a unique opportunity to work on impactful projects that support decision-making across the company while collaborating with diverse teams to shape the future of data analytics at The Trade Desk. Qualifications 11+ years of software development or engineering experienceBachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experienceDeep expertise in backend services and data-intensive systems, such as event pipelines, data warehouses, or lakehouse platformsProven ability to solve complex, ambiguous technical problems end-to-endStrong understanding of data architecture, scalability, and performance optimizationExperience with designing and implementing self-service data tools and dashboardsExcellent communication skills with the ability to articulate technical tradeoffs and ROI considerationsDemonstrated leadership in mentoring, technical guidance, and driving process improvementsAbility to learn new technologies quickly and adapt to evolving project requirements Responsibilities Define and lead the technical strategy for data access, collection, and usage across the organizationSolve complex problems that involve multiple systems and layers within the data platformAnticipate scaling needs and proactively implement solutions to support growing data demandsIdentify and implement process improvements, tooling enhancements, and best practices to elevate team productivity and qualityCollaborate with cross-functional teams—support, trading, business, and product—to shape data products and solutionsDevelop expertise across various platform components and serve as a technical resource for other engineersInfluence decision-making by providing ROI-driven insights on capabilities and investmentsSupport the development of self-service tools, dashboards, and AI-powered assistants to democratize data accessPromote a culture of diversity, inclusion, and continuous learning within the team Benefits Competitive salary and comprehensive health benefitsFlexible work arrangements and remote work optionsGenerous paid time off and holidaysOpportunities for professional growth and developmentCollaborative and inclusive work environmentAccess to cutting-edge technology and innovative projectsWellness programs and employee assistance resources Equal Opportunity The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all employees and applicants are treated with respect and fairness. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. We welcome diverse perspectives and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. If you require accommodations during the recruitment process, please contact accommodations@thetradedesk.com to discuss your needs. All information shared will be handled confidentially and will not impact your application negatively.