Remote in our day-to-day work. On-site when it matters.
We work remote by default – focused, efficient, and with full ownership. For larger features, architectural decisions, and real brainstorming sessions, we come together in Berlin – fast, hands-on, and without unnecessary meeting overhead.
We use AI to accelerate – not to replace thinking.
We design the system, steer the output, and take responsibility for what we ship.
Fast where it makes sense. Careful where it matters.
The Challenge
Imagine a system that must decide, in a fraction of a second, which ad to show to millions of users across the globe. Thousands of requests per second. Zero room for lag. One wrong pointer or a suboptimal lock, and the whole house of cards falls.
This is our Ad Server. It’s written in C++, it’s lean, it’s mean, and it’s the heart of smartclip.
Stop implementing boring features. Start architecting performance. We don’t want a coder; we want a Performance Architect. Look at a profiling report and see a puzzle to be solved. Treat std::vector with respect and know exactly when to deploy a custom allocator.
Your Mission
Fight Latency: Hunt for microseconds. Optimise the hot path of our ad-serving engine. Ensure our response times stay lightning-fast, even during peak traffic.
Master the Distributed Chaos: Evolve our architecture on smartx to handle transnational scale. Tackle the CAP theorem in the real world, not in a textbook.
Tame the Data: Architect how we use NoSQL to fetch complex targeting data without breaking our latency budget.
Set the Standard: Stop following style guides – define them. Establish the C++ best practices that keep our codebase maintainable while pushing the hardware to its absolute limits.
Your Skills
Master C++: Understand how the compiler thinks. Leverage modern C++ and dominate memory layouts and cache hits.
Live in Linux: Make the terminal your home. Use perf, gdb, valgrind, and strace as your primary weapons.
Think Distributed: Build systems that live on more than one server. Understand why „distributed locks“ are usually a trap.
Simplify the Web: Use HTTP, JSON, and XML as the efficient wrappers they should be for your high-performance logic.
Why you’ll love working with us
Ownership over tickets: You’re trusted with real responsibility, not just tasks. No unnecessary bureaucracy, no micromanagement – we rely on you to take things forward.
Build > Talk: We test what works – not what sounds good. Fail fast, learn faster.
High standards, low ego: We take our work seriously, but not ourselves. Direct feedback, honest collaboration, no drama.
Stay sharp: Hackathons, conferences, community – we invest in your growth and keep you at the cutting edge.
And yes – the fundamentals are covered too: 30 days of vacation + Dec 24 & 31 off, Smart Fridays (4 days week possible), mobility (Germany ticket & JobRad), sports & health offerings, mental health support, corporate benefits, RTL+ access, and more.
Your CV is just the starting point.
What matters more to us than your resume: a portfolio, a side project, a demo repo – anything that shows you don’t just talk about code, you ship it. Production-ready. Thought through. Done.
smartclip is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other diverse characteristics.
Skills Required
- Expert-level C++ knowledge (modern C++, memory layouts, cache optimization)
- Proficient Linux usage and system-level tooling (perf, gdb, valgrind, strace)
- Experience designing and operating distributed systems (understanding CAP, distributed locks)
- Experience with NoSQL databases and low-latency data access patterns
- Proficiency with web protocols and formats (HTTP, JSON, XML) for efficient integration
- Ability to define and enforce C++ style and performance best practices
- Portfolio, side project, or production-ready demo repository showing shipped systems
What We Do
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the entertainment group RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 165,000 employees worldwide and generated revenues of €20.2 billion in the 2022 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. Bertelsmann aspires to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.
