📍 Job Overview

• Job Title: Distributed Systems Engineer 5 - Ads Programmatic
• Company: Netflix
• Location: New York, United States (Remote OK)
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Category: DevOps Engineer, System Administrator, Web Infrastructure
• Date Posted: 2025-06-10
• Experience Level: 5-10 years
• Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• 📝 Enhancement Note: This role is part of Netflix's strategic initiative to build a world-class advertising ecosystem following the launch of their ad-supported tier. The Ads Programmatic team is responsible for building seamless connections to enable programmatic demand from DSP partners globally, facilitating Netflix’s growth in ad revenue through PG and PMP programmatic deals.

• Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause, and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

• In April 2022, Netflix introduced a new, more affordable, ad-supported tier for its customers, marking a significant milestone for the company. The focus is now on expanding choices for consumers and providing advertisers with a premium TV brand experience that surpasses traditional linear formats. The challenge ahead involves scaling Netflix's ad tech to maximize its impact on the business.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

• 📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities for this role revolve around building and maintaining the infrastructure that powers Netflix's ad serving systems, with a focus on programmatic demand from DSP partners.

• 🎯 Develop and maintain large-scale infrastructure for real-time, low-latency, online advertising environments: This involves designing, implementing, and managing systems that enable seamless connections to programmatic demand partners, ensuring minimal latency and high availability.

• 🎯 Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to develop and deploy models at scale: Work closely with product, engineering, operations, design, consumer research, and other teams to develop and deploy models that maximize both publisher revenue and advertiser outcomes.

• 🎯 Build systems that power sophisticated user experimentation, A/B testing, and lift studies: Leverage data and analytics to drive decision-making and optimize advertising performance.

• 🎯 Ensure advertiser brand safety during ad serving: Implement and maintain systems that ensure advertiser brand safety is upheld during the ad serving process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education

• A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Experience

• 📝 Enhancement Note: The required experience for this role is in the range of 5 to 10 years, with a focus on ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace.

• Required Skills:

  • Professional experience with ad serving systems or bidders, including experimentation with signals.
  • Experience building large-scale infrastructure for real-time, low-latency, online advertising environments.
  • General understanding of the advertising marketplace and landscape, with a focus on programmatic challenges such as PG/PMP deal transactions, traffic shaping, and maximizing both publisher revenue and advertiser outcomes.
  • Proven track record of building systems that power sophisticated user experimentation, A/B testing, and lift studies.
  • Strong analytical and strategic thinking with demonstrated product sense and leadership in the working environment.
  • Track record of collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders from product, engineering, operations, design, consumer research, etc., to develop and deploy models at scale.

• Preferred Skills:

  • Experience building DSP or SSP integrations.
  • Experience working in the CTV space and knowledge of its unique constraints.
  • Contributed to an ads industry technology standard (e.g., VAST, OpenRTB) or worked on an industry consortium effort, working group, etc.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

• 📝 Enhancement Note: While a portfolio is not explicitly required for this role, demonstrating relevant experience and projects that showcase your skills in ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace can be beneficial.

• Portfolio Essentials:

  • Case studies or projects that highlight your experience with ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace.
  • Examples of systems you've built or maintained that power sophisticated user experimentation, A/B testing, and lift studies.
  • Demonstrations of your ability to collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to develop and deploy models at scale.

• Technical Documentation:

  • Detailed documentation of your ad serving systems, including architecture, design patterns, and best practices.
  • Examples of your approach to testing, performance metrics, and optimization techniques.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

• 📝 Enhancement Note: Netflix's compensation structure consists solely of an annual salary; they do not have bonuses. You choose each year how much of your compensation you want in salary versus stock options. The range for this role is $170,000 - $720,000.

• Salary Range: $170,000 - $720,000 per year

• Benefits:

  • Health Plans
  • Mental Health Support
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer match
  • Stock Option Program
  • Disability Programs
  • Health Savings Accounts
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Family-forming Benefits
  • Life Benefits
  • Paid Leave of Absence
  • Paid Time Off (35 days annually for hourly employees, flexible time off for salaried employees)

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

• 📝 Enhancement Note: Netflix is known for its unique culture and environment, with a focus on freedom and responsibility. Learn more about Netflix's culture here.

• Industry: Entertainment streaming services

• Company Size: Large (over 8,000 employees)

• Founded: 1997

• Team Structure:

  • The Ads Platform Engineering teams consist of various specialized groups, including the Ads Programmatic team, which is responsible for building seamless connections to enable programmatic demand from DSP partners globally.
  • The team is part of the core Ads Serving group and works closely with other teams, such as product, engineering, operations, design, and consumer research.

• Development Methodology:

  • Netflix uses Agile methodologies, including Scrum, to manage its development processes.
  • The company emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

• 📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth opportunities within Netflix's expanding advertising ecosystem. As the company continues to invest in and grow its ad-supported tier, there will be ample opportunities for technical leadership and career progression.

• Web Technology Career Level: Senior/Staff Engineer

• Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the engineering manager of the Ads Programmatic team.

• Technical Impact: This role has a significant impact on Netflix's ad serving systems, enabling programmatic demand from DSP partners and driving revenue growth.

• Growth Opportunities:

  • Technical leadership opportunities within the Ads Programmatic team and across Netflix's advertising ecosystem.
  • Career progression paths within Netflix's engineering organization, including potential transitions to management or architecture roles.
  • Opportunities to work on cutting-edge advertising technologies and contribute to industry standards and best practices.

🌐 Work Environment

• 📝 Enhancement Note: Netflix offers a flexible, remote-friendly work environment with a strong emphasis on work-life balance.

• Office Type: Hybrid (remote-friendly)

• Office Location(s): New York, United States (Remote OK)

• Workspace Context:

  • Netflix provides remote employees with a one-time stipend to set up a home office, including equipment and furniture.
  • The company offers flexible work arrangements, with core hours between 9 am and 5 pm in the employee's local time zone.

• Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week)

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

• 📝 Enhancement Note: The application and interview process for this role are designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within Netflix's unique work environment.

• Interview Process:

  • 📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role typically consists of several rounds, including phone screens, technical assessments, and on-site interviews. The process is designed to evaluate your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within Netflix's unique work environment.

  • Phone Screen: A brief conversation to discuss your background, motivations, and qualifications for the role.

  • Technical Assessment: A take-home assignment or live coding challenge focused on your ability to design, implement, and maintain large-scale infrastructure for real-time, low-latency, online advertising environments.

  • On-Site Interview: A series of interviews with team members, stakeholders, and hiring managers, focusing on your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Highlight your experience with ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace.
  • Include case studies or projects that demonstrate your ability to build and maintain large-scale infrastructure for real-time, low-latency, online advertising environments.
  • Showcase your ability to collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to develop and deploy models at scale.

• Technical Challenge Preparation:

  • Familiarize yourself with Netflix's ad serving systems, including the Ads Platform Engineering teams and the Ads Programmatic team's responsibilities.
  • Brush up on your knowledge of ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace.
  • Prepare for technical assessments and interviews by practicing problem-solving exercises and reviewing relevant documentation.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

• 📝 Enhancement Note: Netflix's technology stack is diverse and cutting-edge, with a strong focus on open-source technologies and cloud-native architecture.

• Frontend Technologies:

  • Netflix's frontend technologies are primarily focused on user interfaces and user experiences for its streaming services. However, for this role, the focus is on the backend and infrastructure technologies that power Netflix's ad serving systems.

• Backend & Server Technologies:

  • Netflix uses a variety of backend and server technologies to power its ad serving systems, including:
    • Apache Kafka for real-time data processing and streaming.
    • Apache Cassandra for distributed database management.
    • Amazon Web Services (AWS) for cloud infrastructure and services.
    • Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for cloud infrastructure and services.
    • Custom-built ad serving systems and platforms.

• Development & DevOps Tools:

  • Netflix uses a variety of development and DevOps tools to manage its infrastructure and deployment processes, including:
    • Git for version control and collaborative development.
    • Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
    • Terraform for infrastructure as code (IaC) and cloud resource management.
    • Kubernetes for container orchestration and management.
    • Cloud-based monitoring and logging tools, such as Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK Stack.

👥 Team Culture & Values

• 📝 Enhancement Note: Netflix's team culture is built around a unique set of values that emphasize freedom, responsibility, and collaboration. The company encourages employees to take ownership of their work and make decisions that drive the business forward.

• Web Development Values:

  • 🎯 User-focused: Netflix prioritizes the user experience in all aspects of its business, including ad serving systems and user experimentation.
  • 🎯 Data-driven: Netflix uses data and analytics to inform decision-making and optimize advertising performance.
  • 🎯 Collaborative: Netflix encourages cross-functional collaboration and teamwork to drive innovation and success.
  • 🎯 Innovative: Netflix fosters a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, encouraging employees to push the boundaries of what's possible.

• Collaboration Style:

  • Netflix emphasizes cross-functional collaboration and teamwork, with a strong focus on communication, transparency, and shared goals.
  • The company uses various collaboration tools and platforms, such as Slack, Google Workspace, and Confluence, to facilitate communication and collaboration among teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

• 📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents several challenges and growth opportunities within Netflix's expanding advertising ecosystem.

• Technical Challenges:

  • 🎯 Scaling ad serving systems for real-time, low-latency, online advertising environments: As Netflix's ad-supported tier grows, the company must scale its ad serving systems to meet the increasing demand for programmatic demand from DSP partners.
  • 🎯 Ensuring advertiser brand safety during ad serving: Netflix must maintain advertiser brand safety while serving ads to its users, balancing user experience and advertising performance.
  • 🎯 Optimizing advertising performance through user experimentation, A/B testing, and lift studies: Netflix must continuously optimize its advertising performance through sophisticated user experimentation, A/B testing, and lift studies.

• Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • 🎯 Technical skill development: This role offers opportunities to develop and enhance your technical skills in ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace.
  • 🎯 Conference attendance, certification, and community involvement: Netflix encourages employees to attend industry conferences, obtain relevant certifications, and engage with the broader advertising community to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.
  • 🎯 Technical mentorship, leadership development, and architecture decision-making: As you grow within Netflix's advertising ecosystem, you'll have opportunities to mentor junior team members, develop your leadership skills, and contribute to architecture decisions that shape the future of Netflix's ad serving systems.

💡 Interview Preparation

• 📝 Enhancement Note: To prepare for the interview process, focus on understanding Netflix's ad serving systems, the role's responsibilities, and the company's unique culture and values.

• Technical Questions:

  • 🎯 Ad serving systems and real-time infrastructure: Brush up on your knowledge of ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace. Prepare for questions that assess your understanding of these technologies and their application in Netflix's ad serving systems.
  • 🎯 User experimentation, A/B testing, and lift studies: Familiarize yourself with Netflix's approach to user experimentation, A/B testing, and lift studies. Prepare for questions that assess your ability to design, implement, and maintain systems that power these processes.
  • 🎯 Collaboration and cross-functional teamwork: Prepare for questions that assess your ability to collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including product, engineering, operations, design, and consumer research teams.

• Company & Culture Questions:

  • 🎯 Netflix's unique culture and values: Research Netflix's unique culture and values, and prepare for questions that assess your understanding of and alignment with these principles.
  • 🎯 Netflix's advertising ecosystem: Familiarize yourself with Netflix's advertising strategy, including the launch of its ad-supported tier and its plans for growth in the ad revenue market.
  • 🎯 Netflix's approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion: Prepare for questions that assess your understanding of and commitment to Netflix's approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • 🎯 Highlighting relevant experience: Focus on showcasing your experience with ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace in your portfolio.
  • 🎯 Demonstrating problem-solving skills: Prepare examples of how you've approached and solved complex problems in ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace.
  • 🎯 Aligning with Netflix's values: Tailor your portfolio presentation to emphasize how your skills, experiences, and values align with Netflix's unique culture and advertising strategy.

📌 Application Steps

• 📝 Enhancement Note: To apply for this role, follow the application instructions provided by Netflix and prepare for the interview process by reviewing the insights and tips outlined in this document.

• To apply for this role:

  • Submit your application through the application link provided by Netflix.
  • 📝 Enhancement Note: Customize your resume and portfolio to highlight your relevant experience and skills in ad serving systems, real-time infrastructure, and the advertising marketplace.
  • 📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare for the interview process by reviewing the technical questions, company & culture questions, and portfolio presentation strategy outlined in this document.
  • 📝 Enhancement Note: Research Netflix's unique culture, advertising strategy, and approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure a strong fit with the company's values and mission.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.