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Hearst Newspapers · 1 month ago

Lead Engineer, Audience Data Platform

300 West 57th Street, New York, NY, 10019, US

Full-time

Hybrid

Lead/Staff

$168K/yr - $204K/yr

8+ years exp

Hearst Newspapers is a global media company that publishes nearly 200 magazine editions and 175 websites around the world. They are seeking a Lead Engineer to design and implement backend services and pipelines for their Audience Targeting and Contextual Intelligence Platform, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver AI-enabled advertising technology.

AdvertisingJournalismMarketingNewsSocial Media

Responsibilities

Lead the design and implementation of backend services and pipelines supporting contextual and audience targeting, taxonomy creation, and data ingestion

Architect APIs, data models, and streaming workflows for real-time classification, recommendations, and audience insights

Build and maintain Python-based (Quart/FastAPI) applications integrated with PostgreSQL, Redis, and event-driven architectures (AWS SNS/SQS)

Collaborate with and guide frontend engineers on full-stack development using React and modern web frameworks

Integrate with core platform services for identity, metadata, and analytics to ensure seamless interoperability

Design and manage multi-cloud infrastructure (primarily AWS, with GCP integrations for ML/data workflows)

Implement robust CI/CD, testing, and deployment pipelines

Implement observability using Datadog, Sentry, and other monitoring tools

Use modern AI development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Codex, Claude) to accelerate delivery and improve code quality

Partner with product managers and data scientists to evolve contextual AI and embedding models for privacy-safe, high-performance targeting

Qualification

PythonPostgreSQLAWSCI/CDDockerKubernetesAI development toolsCommunication skillsCross-functional collaboration

Required

8+ years of software engineering experience, with strong Python backend and full-stack development skills

3–5 years leading technical design or architecture for scalable, data-intensive applications

Proficiency in PostgreSQL (including pgvector) and Redis for performance and caching

Hands-on experience cloud-based development, primarily AWS (S3, RDS, SNS/SQS, Lambda); exposure to GCP (Pub/Sub, BigQuery)

Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and modern CI/CD workflows

Comfortable using AI-assisted development tools for productivity, testing, and documentation

Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills across technical and non-technical partners

Hybrid role based in NYC, with 4 days a week in-office

Preferred

Experience in building and maintaining taxonomy management systems

Knowledge of contextual or audience targeting, ad-tech systems, or recommendation platforms

Understanding of privacy-safe advertising, first-party data frameworks, and data-compliance standards (GDPR, CCPA)

Exposure to machine-learning workflows or AI-based personalization systems

Experience with GraphQL, Elasticsearch

Experience with observability stacks (Datadog, Sentry)

Benefits

Work with the Best: Collaborate with top-tier professionals across media, advertising, tech, fashion, lifestyle, and publishing, shaping the future of these dynamic industries.

Grow Your Skills: Unlock your potential with access to innovative training programs, immersive workshops, and exclusive industry events.

Work-Life Harmony: Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid work, empowering you to balance professional success with personal priorities.

Foster Connection & Belonging: Join our Employee Resource Groups and help create a welcoming workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered.

Wellness First: Prioritize your well-being with a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance from Day 1.

Plan for Your Financial Future: Enjoy competitive financial perks, including a 401(k) plan with a generous company match.