Engineering Manager, Ads Signals & Targeting

Netflix Netflix · Big Tech · New York, NY +2 · Engineering

Engineering Manager for Netflix Ads, focusing on core targeting and signals platforms. This role involves leading teams to build and scale systems for audience and contextual targeting, enabling relevant and privacy-forward ad experiences. It requires partnering with ML teams on advanced models, working on high-scale, low-latency services, and shaping signal activation for targeting, optimization, and measurement. The role emphasizes ownership, rapid execution, and building high-performing teams in a fast-paced environment.

What you'd actually do

  1. Own the core signals and targeting systems that power relevant ads for Netflix members.
  2. Partner closely with ML teams to build advanced interest, lookalike, and expansion models.
  3. Work on high-scale, low-latency services that enrich every ad request in real time.
  4. Shape how Netflix activates first‑party and partner signals for targeting, optimization, and measurement.
  5. Create a dream team by hiring, retaining, and growing high performing talent.

Skills

Required

  • Proven experience leading teams that build and operate high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems in ads targeting, or similarly demanding domains
  • Hands-on background with signal services for ad request enrichment, including real‑time and batch data integration
  • Strong familiarity with contextual and profile-based signals and how they are used for audience and contextual targeting
  • Experience designing and managing signals registration, governance, and curation frameworks
  • Expertise with targeting and audience definition metadata (e.g., taxonomies, hierarchies, schemas, configuration management)
  • Experience leading ML engineers building and operating modeled profile audiences and lookalike models, including taking these models from development through integration into production systems.
  • Track record of building and leading high-performing engineering teams, setting technical direction, and delivering complex platform initiatives
  • Ability to navigate ambiguity and define clear strategies in a fast-evolving ads landscape
  • Excellent communication skills; you can explain complex systems to both technical and non-technical partners
  • 10+ years of total experience with 3+ years of management experience in building and leading diverse software engineering teams.
  • A strong product mindset along with experience in delivering large complex projects collaborating with a variety of cross-functional stakeholders that are technology, operations or business focused.
  • General understanding of the advertising marketplace and landscape.
  • Strong analytical and strategic thinking with demonstrated product sense and leadership in the working environment

Nice to have

  • Familiarity with legal compliance and changing landscape of ads regulations around the world.
  • Familiarity with ML and advertising systems that leverage data to drive optimal outcomes for the users and the business.
  • Experience working in the CTV

What the JD emphasized

  • high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems
  • real-time and batch data integration
  • signals registration, governance, and curation frameworks
  • targeting and audience definition metadata
  • taking these models from development through integration into production systems
  • fast paced, flat organization with minimal process and a heavy emphasis on ownership
  • navigating ambiguity and define clear strategies

Other signals

  • building and scaling foundational systems
  • partnering with ML teams
  • high-scale, low-latency services
  • activating first-party and partner signals
  • leading ML engineers