Staff Software Engineer

Business Overview

KINESSO is the technology-driven performance marketing agency that sits at the very heart of IPG Mediabrands, providing actionable growth for both our agency partners and clients. We turn 'action' into 'outcome' for our clients, leveraging our unique capabilities in optimization, analytics, AI, and experimentation. KINESSO has brought together the collective power of what was formerly Matterkind, Reprise, P3, and Kinesso under one collective entity that will serve as the most powerful delivery engine in the industry. We have extensive offerings spanning across performance marketing and data and technology. Fueled by a deep understanding of consumer behavior, we offer an end-to-end engine of planning and optimization while also delivering on data-driven strategy for social platforms, actionable growth in e-commerce, and creating curated marketplaces specific to each client's function and needs. The company has more than 6,000 employees operating in more than 60 countries. Learn more at www.KINESSO.com.

We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer to spearhead the design and development of a next-generation AI Chat Application that will serve as an enterprise-wide assistant. This application will support a diverse range of organizational functions—including HR, Finance, Business Strategy, Ad Tech, and MarTech—empowering employees with intelligent, context-aware AI capabilities to streamline daily work.
As the Staff Software Engineer, you will guide the technical direction, mentor engineers, and partner with cross-functional teams to deliver a scalable, secure, and high-performing platform.

• Lead Architecture & Development: Define and implement the architecture for an AI-driven chat platform leveraging Python, GCP, and AI services.
• Team Leadership: Mentor and guide a team of engineers, driving technical excellence, collaboration, and delivery.
• LLM Integration: Build and optimize solutions with LLM foundational models to support natural language understanding, contextual reasoning, and multi-domain workflows.
• Partner with Product Owners: Collaborate closely with product owners to assess technical feasibility, translate business needs into actionable engineering requirements, and ensure alignment with overall product strategy.
• Scalability & Reliability: Ensure the system is designed with enterprise-grade security, scalability, and compliance in mind.
• Innovation: Explore and adopt emerging practices in prompt engineering, multi-agent coordination (MCP/LLM agents), and applied AI to continuously evolve the platform.

• 12+ years of software engineering experience building production-grade applications.
• 7+ years of experience with Java (Python experience strongly preferred).
• 3+ years of experience leading or managing engineering teams.
• Strong grasp of object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms, and design patterns.
• Experience designing and building scalable APIs (REST, GraphQL, gRPC) and modular, extensible architectures.
• Hands-on experience with relational and NoSQL databases (e.g., MSSQL, PostgreSQL, DynamoDB).
• Familiarity with messaging and event-driven platforms like Kafka, Temporal for real-time systems.
• Strong expertise in GCP and integrating AI services with LLM foundational models.
• Experience with AI-powered developer tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude) to improve productivity and code quality.
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, and documentation skills, with a bias for secure, observable, and maintainable solutions.
• Comfortable working in Agile/Scrum environments with cross-functional teams.

• Experience with context engineering and fine-tuning AI/LLM outputs.
• Familiarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP) for LLM agent orchestration.
• Knowledge of LLM agent frameworks for building multi-step, reasoning-driven AI systems.
• Experience in enterprise-grade security and compliance frameworks.

At IPG Mediabrands, we are unified behind a commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging. Together, we shine through a set of shared values and behaviors. We take pride in our responsibility to our clients, communities, and to each other. We embrace differences and recognize the unique value that each of us brings to our community.  

We encourage you to apply, as unique backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences are welcomed.   

We See You at IPG Mediabrands. 

We offer a Total Rewards package that includes medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, flex spending, life insurance, disability, employee discount program, employee stock purchase program and paid family benefits to support you and your family. To give you the ability to better meet your personal needs, and in support of your physical and emotional well-being, you will receive discretionary time off days and company-wide Appreciation Weeks and Wellness Days. 

We also offer a competitive Total Compensation package, including a competitive salary and eligibility for an annual discretionary incentive award or a relevant incentive award. 

The salary range for this position is posted below.  Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position, market considerations, budgetary considerations, tenure and standing with the Company (applicable to current employees), as well as the employee’s/applicant’s skill set, level of experience, and qualifications.   

It is the policy of Mediabrands, division of the Interpublic group, to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. The job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and other job functions are subject to modification. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

For applicants to jobs in the United States: In compliance with the current Americans with Disabilities Act and state and local laws, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to apply for a position with Mediabrands, please email [email protected].

About IPG Mediabrands 

IPG Mediabrands is the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). IPG Mediabrands manages over $47 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients across its full-service agency networks UM, Initiative and Mediahub and through its award-winning specialty business units Healix, Kinesso, MAGNA, Mediabrands Content Studio, Orion Holdings, Rapport, and the IPG Media Lab. IPG Mediabrands clients include many of the world’s most recognizable and iconic brands from a broad portfolio of industry sectors including automotive, personal finance, consumer product goods (CPG), pharma, health and wellness, entertainment, financial services, energy, toys and gaming, direct to consumer and e-commerce, retail, hospitality, food and beverage, fashion and beauty. The company employs more than 18,000 diverse marketing communication professionals in more than 130 countries. Learn more at www.ipgmediabrands.com.