Lead Senior Software Engineer - Platform Security

The Platform Security team builds foundational systems that enable secure, reliable operation of The Trade Desk at scale. We focus on making security resilient, developer‑friendly, and deeply integrated into the platform.
Our team builds and operates critical services including:

• Authentication and authorization for users and services
• Workload identity (SPIFFE / SPIRE‑based)
• Secrets and certificate management
• Security health monitoring and risk mitigation
• Golden images, just‑in‑time access, and secure shared libraries

As a Lead / Senior Software Engineer on Platform Security, you will serve as a technical leader and end‑to‑end owner for security‑critical systems that operate at massive scale.
This role sits at the intersection of software engineering, reliability, and security. You will lead the design and evolution of core security platforms, drive complex initiatives across teams, and raise the bar for how security is built and operated across The Trade Desk.  You will manage a small team of Engineers to include leading technical direction, mentorship, and ownership.

We are a global team with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. To complement this team, you will welcome ideas that are different from your own and be well-versed in building from common ground to value, seek out, and foster invisible and visible dimensions of diversity.

• →Lead the design, implementation, and long‑term evolution of large‑scale security services, from architecture through production operations
• →Own complex, cross‑cutting initiatives spanning authentication, authorization, identity, and secure access
• →Make and influence architectural decisions that balance security, reliability, scalability, and developer experience
• →Drive high‑quality engineering practices, including testing, observability, operational readiness, and incident response
• →Build and maintain shared libraries and frameworks that standardize authentication, authorization, and security best practices across the company
• →Partner closely with engineers, SREs, and stakeholders across teams to deliver secure‑by‑default platforms
• →Mentor and guide other engineers through code reviews, design discussions, and technical leadership
• →Participate in on‑call rotations and lead incident response for security‑critical systems
• →Help shape future‑looking initiatives, including AI‑driven systems that reason about security posture, model architecture, and surface risk automatically
• →This role requires comfort operating in ambiguity and driving outcomes that impact the broader platform.
  

• Experience designing or operating identity and access management (IAM) systems
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, cloud platforms, or hybrid infrastructure at scale
• Background in security engineering or site reliability engineering
• Interest in applying automation or AI to improve security posture and resilience

Variety of technical opportunity is one of the best things about working at The Trade Desk as a software engineer which is why we do not expect you to know every technology we use when you start. What we care about is that you can learn quickly and find solutions to complex problems using the optimum tools for the job. What you know is less important than how well you learn and innovate. We don't need engineers who know all the answers; we need engineers who can invent the answers no one has thought of yet, to the questions yet to be asked.  

The Trade Desk does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm recruiters. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

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