Senior Ad Tech Engineer

Job description About Local Now Local Now is a free, ad-supported streaming service delivering local news, weather, sports, and lifestyle programming to viewers across virtually every connected device. As part of Allen Media Group, we operate at meaningful scale across mobile, smart TVs, streaming sticks, and the web, investing in a ground-up rebuild of our streaming platform with a focus on engineering rigor and sustainable growth. The Role We are seeking a Senior Ad Tech Engineer to serve as the resident expert in our streaming advertising ecosystem. This role is critical to our monetization strategy, sitting at the junction of content delivery and programmatic revenue. You will be responsible for the end-to-end management of our advertising stack, ensuring that every viewer experience is seamlessly integrated with high-quality, relevant advertising. You will own the technical configuration of our ad platforms, the optimization of ad load, and the analytical oversight needed to maximize fill rates and minimize latency across a diverse array of client applications and distribution partners like DISH and Sling.

Key Responsibilities Platform Orchestration:

Serve as the primary technical lead for integrating and managing demand-side and supply-side platforms, specifically The Trade Desk (including UID2 implementation) and Google Ad Manager.

Ad Load Management:

Define and configure advertising parameters such as pod size, ad frequency, and segments between ads to balance user experience with monetization goals.

SSAI & CSAI

Implementation:

Design and maintain server-side ad insertion (SSAI) workflows using tools like AWS MediaTailor, while coordinating client-side ad framework (RAF) requirements for platforms like Roku.

Protocol Management:

Configure and troubleshoot ad-decisioning endpoints using VAST, VMAP, and SCTE-35 markers to ensure precise ad stitching in both live and VOD streams.

Optimization & Analysis:

Continuously monitor and analyze operational analytics—including error rates, fill latency, and ad-decisioning performance—to identify and resolve bottlenecks in the ad delivery pipeline.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Partner with backend, frontend, and platform engineers to ensure the ad tech stack evolves in lockstep with client application needs and privacy-first architecture standards.

Vendor Management:

Work directly with ad tech vendors and internal stakeholders to troubleshoot delivery issues and extend content workflows end-to-end.

Qualifications Experience:

7+ years of experience in ad tech or backend engineering, specifically building and operating production-scale advertising services.

Technical Proficiency:

Deep understanding of the programmatic advertising ecosystem, including Real-Time Bidding (RTB), header bidding, and identity solutions like UID2.

Protocol Expertise:

Strong mastery of streaming protocols (HLS/DASH) and advertising standards (VAST, VMAP, VPAID, SCTE-35).

Analytical Rigor:

Extensive experience designing scalable analytics structures and using data to drive optimization in high-traffic environments.

Engineering Discipline:

Proficiency in C# and .NET Core, with the ability to implement privacy-first patterns such as consent propagation and data minimization at the platform layer. Nice to Have Familiarity with ad-stitching and DRM (Digital Rights Management) technologies. Experience with privacy and consent management technology (e.g., OneTrust or Fides). Background in media-industry content management systems (CMS) and their integration with ad-serving logic. Allen Media Group is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to these characteristics. We are dedicated to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. Keywords state-local-municipal network-latency warehousing-and-distribution distribution-and-storage service-management-and-orchestration-smo the-trade-desk unified-id-2-0 load-management user-experience-ux planning-and-design visual-art-design product-development-and-design amazon-web-services mediatailor troubleshooting video-on-demand video-on-demand-delivery testing-and-analysis analytics data-analytics errors-omissions-e-o technology-stack vendor-management supplier-management advertising-solutions programmatic time-and-attendance real-time-bidding-rtb header-bidding http-live-streaming-hls c-sharp digital-rights-management-drm consent-management insurance-consulting-and-technology onetrust content-management content-document-management charger-management-software-cms card-management centers-for-medicare-and-medicaid-services-cms cms-tools content-management-system-cms