Job Description
Job Description
Who We Are
Kargo creates powerful moments of connection between brands and consumers to build businesses. Every day, our 600+ employees work to radically raise the bar on what agentic AI, CTV, eCommerce, social, and mobile can do to deliver unique ad experiences across the world's most premium platforms. Taking a creative science approach to all we do, we continuously innovate solutions that outperform industry benchmarks and client expectations. Now 20+ years strong, Kargo has offices in NYC, Chicago, LA, Dallas, Sydney, Auckland, London and Waterford, Ireland.
Who We Hire
Techies who want to build the future. Creatives who want to design it better. Communicators to win business. Collaborators to build it. Data pros who turn numbers into insights. Product builders who turn ideas into innovations. Anyone eager to be on a team that doesn't stop to ask what's next, because they're already building it.
Mission
The Senior Forward Deployed Engineer is the technical authority that gets new advertising surfaces live on the Kargo platform — from first partner conversation to scaled, revenue-generating integration. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, partnerships, and product, owning the custom code, SDK work, and troubleshooting that turns novel ad environments into reliable inventory. When this role is firing, Kargo is expanding into new surfaces faster than competitors can follow.
This is a hybrid role requiring onsite presence 4 days per week.
Outcomes — What Success Looks Like in 6–12 Months
- New partner integrations ship on time and at quality — A consistent track record of taking partners from technical kickoff to live integration with minimal escalations, rework, or post-launch fire drills
- Custom integration solutions are scalable, not one-offs — Code, SDKs, and integration patterns developed for new surfaces are documented and reusable; the next integration takes less time than the last
- Technical troubleshooting is fast and self-sufficient — Complex ad-serving issues, latency problems, and discrepancies across web, mobile, and emerging surfaces are diagnosed and resolved independently without heavy reliance on core engineering
- Partner-facing technical credibility is a competitive differentiator — Partners cite Kargo's technical support as best-in-class; integration timelines are shorter and friction is lower than alternatives
- Documentation is comprehensive and actively maintained — API specs, integration guides, and best practices exist for all active surfaces and are current enough that internal teams can execute without ad-hoc tribal knowledge
Skills — Core Technical Capabilities
Required
- 5+ years in a technical ad tech role — integrations, solutions engineering, or technical account management — with hands-on implementation experience, not just oversight
- Deep fluency in the programmatic ecosystem — SSPs, DSPs, ad servers (Google Ad Manager), VAST/VPAID, header bidding/Prebid — and how these components interact in non-standard environments
- Advanced JavaScript proficiency for custom integration logic and non-standard DOM manipulation; strong HTML and CSS for ad rendering and placement in overlay and interstitial contexts
- REST API experience — designing against, debugging, and integrating via REST endpoints and JSON data structures for both client-server and server-to-server communication
- Proven partner-facing communication skills — can translate complex technical concepts clearly for both engineering counterparts and non-technical business stakeholders without losing accuracy
- Methodical debugging and troubleshooting approach across web, mobile, and desktop environments using standard web tools and platform-specific log analysis
Preferred
- Experience integrating non-traditional or emerging ad surfaces — gaming, CTV, desktop applications, or other environments outside standard display and video
- Familiarity with IAB standards, privacy compliance frameworks, and technical audit/QA processes for ad delivery
Competencies — Behaviors We Like to See
Technical Ownership in Novel Territory
- Comfortable building integrations into environments that don't have a playbook yet; figures it out methodically rather than waiting for guidance
- Takes end-to-end responsibility for integration quality — from scoping to launch to post-live stability — without needing a project manager to hold the thread
Partner-Facing Credibility
- Earns trust with technical and non-technical partner stakeholders quickly; sets realistic expectations and follows through consistently
- Manages partner complexity and competing timelines without drama — keeps integrations moving even when requirements shift mid-stream
Cross-Functional Fluency
- Works fluidly across product, BD, and sales to scope feasibility and surface blockers early; translates between business intent and technical reality in both directions
- Brings useful signal back from the field — partner feedback, integration friction, emerging surface patterns — that informs product and platform decisions
Documentation as a Force Multiplier
- Writes integration guides and API specs that other engineers can actually use — clear, complete, and maintained as surfaces evolve
- Treats knowledge transfer as a core deliverable, not an afterthought; actively reduces single points of failure in partner knowledge
In accordance with applicable federal, state, and local pay transparency laws, the anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, education, and skills.
U.S Salary Range $120,000—$160,000 USD
Our Laurels
- AdAge Best Places to Work
- ThinkLA Partner of the Year
- Built In Best Places to Work
- Cynopsis 2025 Top Women in Media - Jeannine Shao Collins
- Martech Breakthrough Awards - Best Overall Adtech Company
- Digiday Media Awards Best Event
- Cynopsis Media Impact Awards-Best CTV Platform
- Martech Breakthrough Awards-CTV Innovation
- Adweek Media Plan of the Year Awards - Best Use of Insights
Follow Our Lead
- Big Picture: kargo.com
- The Latest: Instagram (@kargomobile) and LinkedIn (Kargo)
Kargo is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace where all employees and applicants are treated with respect and dignity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or family status, national origin, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.
Pursuant to applicable fair chance laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Kargo will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.