
Senior Backend Software Engineer (Python or PHP) - Chicago - ONSITE 2X Week- FreeWheel
Chicago, IL · HybridFull-time$130–194K/yrPosted 5 days agoStill listed 5 days ago
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At a glance
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Job overview
FreeWheel’s Buyer Cloud team builds and maintains services for managing and executing digital real-time bidding campaigns. The App team focuses on APIs, support tools, and ad-serving systems. The Senior Backend Software Engineer plans and designs software applications, supports development and integration, and provides technical guidance to engineers. The role works on complex backend services in a high-scale advertising platform.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
FreeWheel, a Comcast company, provides comprehensive ad platforms for publishers, advertisers, and media buyers. Powered by premium video content, robust data, and advanced technology, we’re making it easier for buyers and sellers to transact across all screens, data types, and sales channels. As a global company, we have offices in nine countries and can insert advertisements around the world.
Job Summary FreeWheel’s mission is to build great advertising software. We offer the most extensible and transparent advertising buying platform in the world, operating at a massive global scale. We don’t just operate a Demand Side Platform (DSP) – we are the platform that powers hundreds of DSPs! As a result, we process trillions of transactions to satisfy millions of dollars’ worth of advertising campaigns every month. Our employees enjoy a culture of transparency and one with many challenging problems to solve. We value moving fast, building high-quality reliable software, and supporting each other in the service of driving success for our customers’ businesses.
Buyer Cloud (formerly Beeswax) is responsible for building and maintaining the services necessary to set up, configure, manage, monitor, and execute DSP digital real-time bidding campaigns. The App team focuses on APIs, support tools, and ad serving systems, supporting FreeWheel Engineering by enabling efficient and scalable programmatic advertising operations.
We are looking for a Sr Backend Python Developer to join our team. You will be responsible for planning and designing new software and web applications. Analyze tests and assists with the integration of new applications. Oversee the documentation of all development activity. Train non-technical personnel. Assist with tracking performance metrics. Provide guidance and support to other engineers. Integrate knowledge of business and functional priorities. Act as a key contributor in a complex and crucial environment. Job Description Responsibilities:
- Collaborates with project stakeholders to identify product and technical requirements. Conducts analysis to determine integration needs.
- Designs new software and web applications, supports applications under development and customizes current applications. Develops software update processes for existing applications. Assists in the roll-out of software releases.
- Trains junior Software Development Engineers on internally developed software applications.
- Oversees the researching, writing and editing of documentation and technical requirements, including software designs, evaluation plans, test results, technical manuals and formal recommendations and reports.
- Keeps current with technological developments within the industry. Monitors and evaluates competitive applications and products. Reviews literature, patents and current practices relevant to the solution of assigned projects.
- Assists with technical leadership throughout the design process and assists in guidance with regards to practices, procedures and techniques. Serves as a guide mentor for Software Development Engineers.
- Assists in tracking and evaluating performance metrics. Ensures team delivers software on time, to specification and within budget.
- Works with Quality Assurance team to determine if applications fit specification and technical requirements. Tests and evaluates systems, subsystems and components.
- Acts as a technical contact and liaison for outside vendors and/or customers.
- Presents and defends architectural, design and technical choices to internal and external audiences.
- Consistent exercise of independent judgment and discretion in matters of significance.
- Regular, consistent and punctual attendance. Must be able to work nights and weekends, variable schedule(s) as necessary.
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
The Ideal Skillset:
- 4+ Years of experience working with Python and Django.
- Experience creating/developing RESTful API's using Django.
- Experience with PHP
- Experience with Kubernetes/EKS, AWS, owning production deployments at scale for critical backend services.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or relatable technical field or experience equivalent.
BONUS POINTS:
- AdTech or Advertising experience.
Employees at all levels are expected to:
- Understand our Operating Principles; make them the guidelines for how you do your job.
- Own the customer experience think and act in ways that put our customers first, give them seamless digital options at every touchpoint, and make them promoters of our products and services.
- Know your stuff be enthusiastic learners, users and advocates of our game-changing technology, products and services, especially our digital tools and experiences.
- Win as a team make big things happen by working together and being open to new ideas.
- Be an active part of the Net Promoter System a way of working that brings more employee and customer feedback into the company by joining huddles, making call backs and helping us elevate opportunities to do better for our customers.
- Drive results and growth.
- Support a culture of inclusion in how you work and lead.
- Do what's right for each other, our customers, investors and our communities.
Disclaimer: This information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this role. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications.
Skills Back-End Development, Collaboration, Design
Compensation Illinois Pay Range: $129,515.93 - $194,273.89
Comcast intends to offer the selected candidate base pay within this range, dependent on job-related, non-discriminatory factors such as experience. The application window is 30 days from the date job is posted, unless the number of applicants requires it to close sooner or later.
Base pay is one part of the Total Rewards that Comcast provides to compensate and recognize employees for their work. Most sales positions are eligible for a Commission under the terms of an applicable plan, while most non-sales positions are eligible for a Bonus. Additionally, Comcast provides best-in-class Benefits to eligible employees. We believe that benefits should connect you to the support you need when it matters most, and should help you care for those who matter most. That’s why we provide an array of options, expert guidance and always-on tools, that are personalized to meet the needs of your reality – to help support you physically, financially and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. Please visit the compensation and benefits summary on our careers site for more details.
Education Bachelor's Degree (Required)
While possessing the stated degree is preferred, Comcast also may consider applicants who hold some combination of coursework and experience, or who have extensive related professional experience. Certifications (if applicable)
Relevant Work Experience 7-10 Years
Comcast is an equal opportunity workplace. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
How this job compares
Set against the 41,631 open Software Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$130–194K/yr
- Illinois median$118–199K/yr665 salary ranges
- US median$135–217K/yr33,223 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $162K, is 4% above the Illinois median midpoint ($156K) — in the middle half of Software Engineer salary ranges in Illinois.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 790 open Software Engineer jobs in Illinois and 41,631 across the US. 7% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Illinois
- Oracle91 open
- Deloitte51 open
- Kelly Services31 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 7 years of experience; Software Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (33,828 postings).
- Education
- 14,293 of the 41,631 open Software Engineer jobs (34%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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