The Role
We’re hiring a Senior Software Engineer (Backend) to join the team building our next-generation, pixel-less ad targeting systems. You’ll design, build, and scale systems that power cutting-edge AI-driven advertising products, while improving and evolving existing platforms to meet growing business needs.
This role is accountable for scaling our ContextGPT revenue by building and supporting system integrations that make it available to more customers, more partners, and more supply. This engineer will work closely with our internal platform teams and external partners to make ContextGPT available across the ad-tech ecosystem.
This position will be located in Bellevue with a hybrid work schedule of 3 days in office (Mon/Tue/Wed) and 2 days remote optional (Thursday/Friday).
What You’ll Do
- Design, build, and own backend services and APIs in .NET Core on AWS that power ContextGPT integrations across the ad-tech ecosystem
- Drive integrations with new data centers and third-party partners to expand inventory access and unlock new revenue streams
- Address scaling challenges as ContextGPT continues its rapid growth trajectory
- Collaborate with internal platform teams and external partners to make ContextGPT available at scale
- Take full ownership of systems end-to-end — from design through production operations
- Drive improvements in performance, reliability, and developer productivity across the team
Who you are:
- Experienced senior backend engineer: Strong in .NET Core (or a similar strongly typed language (Java, Kotlin, etc) and AWS, with a track record of designing and delivering complex production systems end-to-end
- Systems thinker: Comfortable navigating a large, multi-product codebase and reasoning across service boundaries
- Ownership, Drive & Agency: You take full responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks. You work independently, prioritize effectively, and proactively deliver high-impact results without waiting to be directed. This is the most important thing to us.
- Excellent communicator: You collaborate effectively with both internal teams and external partners, and resolve conflicts constructively
- Quality-focused: Demonstrated emphasis on testing, maintainability, and operational excellence
- Resilient & gritty: You thrive in ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and push through obstacles
- In-person collaborator: You want to work onsite MTW in Bellevue, WA
Bonus Points If You Have:
- Prior experience with integrations or partner-facing development
- AdTech or programmatic advertising background
- Startup experience (fast-moving, lean environments)
- Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks
- Hands-on experience with our stack: .NET Core, AWS, RDS, ClickHouse, Datadog
What Success Looks Like in Your First 30/60/90 Days:
What success looks like in your first 30 days:
- Ramp quickly on ContextGPT — the product, its architecture, key stakeholders, and the ad-tech ecosystem it operates in
- Build strong context on current integration patterns and the scaling challenges ahead
- Establish relationships with key internal and external partners
- Identify early opportunities to improve reliability, performance, or developer experience
What success looks like in your first 60 days:
- Begin independently owning integration development and partner-facing work
- Deliver early, measurable progress on at least one active integration or scaling initiative
- Align with stakeholders on priorities and success metrics for the next phase of ContextGPT growth
- Start influencing architectural and technical decisions
What success looks like in your first 90 days:
- Fully own one or more ContextGPT integrations or supply-expansion initiatives
- Deliver measurable business impact — new partner live, expanded inventory access, or a resolved scaling bottleneck
- Improve or scale at least one key system or process
- Operate with full autonomy as a trusted technical partner on the team
Salary: $160,000 - $210,000 USD Base Salary + Equity
- Medical, Dental and Vision plan for US employees & Extended Health Benefits for Canadian employees
- 12 weeks paid parental leave + 4 weeks WFH
- Unlimited PTO + Work-From-Anywhere August
- Career development with clear advancement paths
- Equity for all employees
- Hybrid work model & daily team lunch
- Health & wellness stipend + cell phone reimbursement
- 401(k) & RRSP with employer match
- Parking (CA, WA, Vancouver offices) & pre-tax commuter benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Comprehensive onboarding (Cognitiv University)
- …and more!
- Festiv – We make work fun with cross-team games, events, and creative team bonding.
- Responsiv – You’ll be close to clients and leadership, influencing real outcomes.
- Inclusiv – Diversity and individuality are celebrated across all levels.
- Inventiv – We reward curiosity and embrace bold ideas.
- Transformativ – We support your growth with training, mentorship, and flexibility.
- Collaborativ – We operate across coasts, connected by purpose and teamwork.
Skills Required
- .NET Core or similar strongly typed language (Java, Kotlin)
- AWS (production experience)
- Track record designing and delivering complex production systems end-to-end
- Experience building backend services and APIs
- Ability to address scaling, performance, and reliability challenges
- In-person collaboration onsite in Bellevue, WA (Mon/Tue/Wed)
- Excellent communication and cross-team collaboration skills
- Quality-focused: testing, maintainability, and operational excellence
- Experience with integrations or partner-facing development
- AdTech or programmatic advertising experience
- Startup experience (fast-moving, lean environments)
- Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks
- Hands-on experience with RDS, ClickHouse, Datadog
What We Do
Cognitiv is a deep learning advertising company redefining how brands connect with consumers. Since 2015, we have built a custom AI platform that predicts consumer behavior in real time and drives performance at scale. Advertisers can activate through their preferred DSP, our managed service DSP, or our industry-first ContextGPT product. By combining advanced data science with flexible activation, we deliver precision, relevance, and measurable impact across channels.
Why Work With Us
At Cognitiv, you will work on real-world AI that directly shapes media performance. We are profitable, growing, and deeply technical, with close access to leadership and clients. We value curiosity, collaboration, and ownership, and we invest in your growth through equity, flexibility, and clear career paths.
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