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Principal Software Engineer
eBay International Management B.V.
About the role
At eBay, we're more than a global ecommerce leader — we’re changing the way the world shops and sells. Our platform empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world. We’re committed to pushing boundaries and leaving our mark as we reinvent the future of ecommerce for enthusiasts.
Our customers are our compass, authenticity thrives, bold ideas are welcome, and everyone can bring their unique selves to work — every day. We're in this together, sustaining the future of our customers, our company, and our planet.
Join a team of passionate thinkers, innovators, and dreamers — and help us connect people and build communities to create economic opportunity for all.
Principal Software Engineer – eBay Ads (Backend / Platform Engineering) Amsterdam, Netherlands
At eBay, we’re more than a global ecommerce leader — we’re changing the way the world shops and connects. Our platform empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world. We’re committed to creating economic opportunity for all while fostering an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.
eBay Ads powers the advertising ecosystem that connects buyers with sellers through relevant and engaging ad experiences. Our teams build scalable platforms and services that support ad targeting, ranking, delivery, and measurement at global scale.
The Role We are looking for an experienced Principal Software Engineer to help shape the architecture and technical direction of eBay’s Ads platform. You will lead large-scale initiatives, drive platform modernization, and build highly scalable distributed systems that directly impact eBay’s business and customer experience.
What you'll do
Lead the design and evolution of large-scale, low-latency distributed systems
Drive technical strategy and architecture across multiple engineering teams
Build scalable services supporting ad serving, targeting, ranking, and reporting
Partner closely with product, data science, ML, and analytics teams
Improve system reliability, scalability, and operational efficiency
Mentor engineers and influence engineering best practices across the organization
Drive modernization initiatives and adoption of new technologies
What you'll bring
10+ years of experience building large-scale distributed systems and APIs
Strong expertise in system design, distributed architectures, and cloud technologies
Experience with Java, Scala, or other JVM-based technologies
Deep understanding of messaging systems, databases, and real-time platforms
Proven technical leadership across complex cross-functional initiatives
Strong communication, collaboration, and mentorship skills
Experience in Ads platforms or ML-driven products is a plus
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
Experience with: Distributed systems and microservices
REST/GraphQL APIs
Kafka or similar messaging technologies
RDBMS and NoSQL databases
Cloud-native and containerized environments
What's on offer
Opportunity to work on high-impact systems at global scale
Collaborative, inclusive, and innovative engineering culture
Flexible working environment and strong wellbeing support
Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits