Roku brand banner

Sr Software Engineer, Ads Auctions & Marketplace Optimization

RokuCambridge, United KingdomPosted 2h agoonsite
via Arbeitnow
<div class="content-intro"><h2 style="font-family: GothamBold,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; color: #662d91;">Teamwork makes the stream work.</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="font-family: GothamBold,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"><strong>Roku is changing how the world watches TV</strong></h3> <p>Roku is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and we've set our sights on powering every television in the world. Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. Our mission is to be the TV streaming platform that connects the entire TV ecosystem. We connect consumers to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers unique capabilities to engage consumers.</p> <p>From your first day at Roku, you'll make a valuable - and valued - contribution. We're a fast-growing public company where no one is a bystander. We offer you the opportunity to delight millions of TV streamers around the world while gaining meaningful experience across a variety of disciplines.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p></div><h3><strong>What does the team work on?</strong></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Roku is the No. 1 TV streaming platform in the US, Canada and Mexico, with more than 100 million active accounts. Every ad impression across that platform has to be cleared and priced in real time — that is what the Ads Auctions and Marketplace Optimization team does. We build the auction mechanics, the pricing and pacing logic, and the low-latency systems that run them, balancing outcomes for advertisers, publishers, viewers, and Roku on every request. We are growing the team in Cambridge, which is becoming its largest hub, alongside colleagues in Amsterdam, Austin, San Jose, Ukraine and Uruguay — so you would be shaping how the UK side of this team works rather than inheriting it.</p> <h3><strong>What is the role?</strong></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>You will build the systems that apply mathematical and algorithmic rigour to optimise across multiple objectives, deciding which ads get served, in which placements, and when. The work spans auction mechanics, optimisation, the output of predictive ML models, and the real-time infrastructure underneath, mostly in Java on the JVM. It is hands-on and senior in scope: expect to move between whiteboard-level design and production code in the same week, and to own problems from framing through rollout. You will work directly with the hiring manager and a small group of senior engineers, in codebases shared with other ads engineers, on problems where your decisions are visible in revenue. You will optimise for second-order effects in a marketplace where participants react to each other, and to us, in real time. We are looking for people who are enthusiastic about solving these kinds of problems.</p> <h3><strong>How will I use AI at Roku?</strong></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At Roku, we don't just use AI, we work with it. AI agents and smart tools help power drafts, analysis, and repetitive workflows, while our people bring direction, judgment, and accountability. We're looking for curious, adaptable builders who can show how they've used AI or automation to move faster, raise the bar, and scale their impact.</p> <p>We value your AI skills if you have built fluency across the agentic engineering toolchain — coding harnesses like Claude Code or Cursor, MCP servers, custom skills, or agent frameworks. And you can describe projects where you shipped real work with these tools. You know how to drive an agent, verify its output, and ramp on an unfamiliar codebase with an agent helping you.</p> <h3><strong>What are the responsibilities of the role?</strong></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Design and build components of Roku's real-time ad auction and marketplace systems</li> <li>Own the multi-objective optimisation at the core of the auction, balancing what advertisers, publishers, viewers, and Roku each want from the same impression</li> <li>Own development work end to end, from framing the problem through production rollout</li> <li>Build and operate JVM services where latency and reliability are product requirements, not stretch goals</li> <li>Use probability, statistics and experimentation to test changes before and after launch</li> <li>Work with AI tooling as a normal part of how you design, build, test and review</li> <li>Explain technical trade-offs clearly to engineering and cross-functional partners</li> </ul> <h3><strong>What experience would help someone be successful in this role at Roku?</strong></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Around six or more years building production software, with strong systems judgement</li> <li>Production experience in Java or another JVM language, or depth in a comparable statically typed language such as C#, C++ or Go, and the appetite to ramp on Java</li> <li>Comfort designing and operating distributed systems at scale and low latency</li> <li>A solid grounding in maths, algorithms, probability and statistics as applied to real systems</li> <li>Demonstrated AI and agentic-tooling fluency, as described above</li> <li>Ad tech, auctions or marketplace experience is preferred, and we move quickly for candidates who have it</li> <li>Comparable experience on mathematically rigorous or optimisation-heavy problems in another domain is an acceptable alternative</li> </ul> <h6>#LI-MS3</h6><div class="content-conclusion"><h3><strong><span style="font-family: GothamBold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">What's Roku's approach to hybrid working?</span></strong></h3> <p>Roku fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment where teams generally work in the office Monday through Thursday. Fridays are generally flexible for remote work, except for employees whose specific roles or assigned office location require five days' a week attendance.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="font-family: GothamBold,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"><strong>What are some of the benefits?</strong></h3> <p>Roku is committed to offering a diverse range of benefits as part of our compensation package to support our employees and their families. Our comprehensive benefits include global access to mental health and financial wellness support and resources. Local benefits include statutory and voluntary benefits which may include healthcare (medical, dental, and vision), life, accident, disability, commuter, and retirement options (401(k)/pension). Employees are supported in taking time off, in accordance with local leave policies and other personal needs to support their evolving work and life needs. It's important to note that not every benefit is available in all locations or for every role. For details specific to your location, please consult with your recruiter.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="font-family: GothamBold,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"><strong>Accommodations</strong></h3> <p>Roku welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and provides reasonable accommodations and adjustments in accordance with applicable law. If you require reasonable accommodation at any point in the hiring process, please direct your inquiries to <a ---------- <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="font-family: GothamBold,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"><strong>What should I know about Roku's culture?</strong></h3> <p>Roku is a great place for people who want to work in a fast-paced environment where everyone is focused on the company's success rather than their own. We try to surround ourselves with people who are great at their jobs, who are easy to work with, and who keep their egos in check. We appreciate a sense of humor. We believe a fewer number of very talented folks can do more for less cost than a larger number of less talented teams. We're independent thinkers with big ideas who act boldly, move fast and accomplish extraordinary things through collaboration and trust. In short, at Roku you'll be part of a company that's changing how the world watches TV. </p> <p>We have a unique culture that we are proud of. We think of ourselves primarily as problem-solvers, which itself is a two-part idea. We come up with the solution, but the solution isn't real until it is built and delivered to the customer. That penchant for action gives us a pragmatic approach to innovation, one that has served us well since 2002. </p> <p>To learn more about Roku, our global footprint, and how we've grown, visit <a href="https://www.weareroku.com/factsheet">https://www.weareroku.com/factsheet</a>.</p> <p>By providing your information, you acknowledge that you want Roku to contact you about job roles, that you have read Roku's <a href="https://www.weareroku.com/roku-job-applicant-privacy-notice-for-job-applicants">Applicant Privacy Notice</a>, and understand that Roku will use your information as described in that notice. If you do not wish to receive any communications from Roku regarding this role or similar roles in the future, you may unsubscribe at any time by emailing <a ----- -----

Find more English Speaking Jobs in United Kingdom on Arbeitnow

Skills

  • 225 - Advertising Engineering

Similar roles

  • Opus 2 logo

    Digital Campaign Manager

    Opus 2·London, United Kingdom

    The Digital Campaign Manager is responsible for planning, managing, and executing integrated digital marketing initiatives to drive pipeline and revenue growth. You will work closely with stakeholders across marketing, sales, operations, and client success teams, focused on digital channels — including LinkedIn advertising, Demandbase ABM, display, and email — to engage target accounts and move prospects through the buyer's journey.…

    • Hybrid
    • Full-time
  • Insight Investment logo

    Senior Business Analyst (Fixed Income / Investment) - Contract

    Insight Investment·London, United Kingdom

    We're looking for a hands-on Business Analyst who enjoys working closely with Portfolio Managers, Investment teams, Technology and Operations. This role will suit someone who is comfortable gathering requirements, analysing complex issues, working with data and supporting delivery across the full project lifecycle. To succeed in this role you must be able to: face off to business teams, apply an…

    • Hybrid
    • Contract
  • Target logo

    Arrears Specialist

    Target·United Kingdom

    Arrears Specialist Fully Remote | £29,000 per annum Shift Hours = 7.5 hours between 8am and 8pm (Mon-Thurs) and 8am - 6pm (Fri). Requirement to work 1 in 3 Saturdays from 9am to 2pm Start Date: 5th October We’re looking for a supportive, approachable and confident Arrears Specialist to join our team. In this role, you’ll be speaking with customers…

    • Remote
    • Full-time
  • Future Publishing logo

    Auditor - Go.Compare

    Future Publishing·Cardiff, United Kingdom

    Who we are We're Future, a global leader in specialist media. Our people bring our trusted brands to life, helping millions of people discover expert content that informs, inspires, and drives action. As a pioneering multiplatform media powerhouse, we provide expert content and technology that build valuable communities across all channels. As a proud part of Future's brand portfolio, Go.Compare's…

    • Hybrid
    • Full-time
  • Marshalls PLC logo

    Technical Manager - Water Management

    Marshalls PLC·Leeds, United Kingdom

    Technical Manager - Water Management Field Based Competitive Salary, company car & benefits At Marshalls plc, we believe building tomorrow's world starts with what we can create together today. Since the 1890s, we've grown from a Yorkshire stone business into a leading UK manufacturer of building, roofing and landscaping solutions. Today, we support the people who design, build and maintain…

    • Remote
    • Full-time
  • Marshalls PLC logo

    Technical Manager - Water Management

    Marshalls PLC·Mells, United Kingdom

    Technical Manager - Water Management Field Based Competitive Salary, company car & benefits At Marshalls plc, we believe building tomorrow's world starts with what we can create together today. Since the 1890s, we've grown from a Yorkshire stone business into a leading UK manufacturer of building, roofing and landscaping solutions. Today, we support the people who design, build and maintain…

    • Remote
    • Full-time
  • Marshalls PLC logo

    Technical Manager - Water Management

    Marshalls PLC·Birmingham, United Kingdom

    Technical Manager - Water Management Field Based Competitive Salary, company car & benefits At Marshalls plc, we believe building tomorrow's world starts with what we can create together today. Since the 1890s, we've grown from a Yorkshire stone business into a leading UK manufacturer of building, roofing and landscaping solutions. Today, we support the people who design, build and maintain…

    • Remote
    • Full-time
  • GoodFit logo

    Solutions Engineer Team Lead

    GoodFit·London, United Kingdom

    WHAT WE DO? Today most companies are reliant on their sales reps to find leads. The challenge? Reps struggle to find great prospects. Worse, they waste huge amounts of time disqualifying leads they can't sell to. This is a poor experience for reps, inefficient use of their skills and sunk cost for the business. GoodFit helps companies identify their leads…

    • Hybrid
    • Full-time