Senior Software Engineer - Apple Platform (ESPN tvOS)

Senior Software Engineer – Apple Platform (ESPN tvOS)

About the Role & Team

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally. 

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world.  

Here are a few reasons why we think you’d love working here: 

• Building the future of Disney’s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come. 

• Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter to millions of people globally.  

• Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and solve complex and distinctive technical problems. 

Product Engineering is a unified team responsible for the engineering of Disney Entertainment & ESPN digital and streaming products and platforms. This includes product engineering, media engineering, quality assurance, engineering behind personalization, commerce, lifecycle, and identity. 

Join our innovative team at ESPN as a Senior Software Engineer, where you will play a crucial role in developing ESPN's tvOS applications using Swift. In this hands-on position, you will collaborate with a cross-functional team of Product Managers, Designers, Mobile/Web/Backend Engineers, and Content Creators to conceptualize and deliver world-class ESPN apps.

This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of ESPN's tvOS applications, delivering an exceptional user experience to millions of sports fans worldwide. If you are passionate about sports and technology, and thrive in a collaborative and dynamic environment, we would love to hear from you!

What You Will Do

• Technical Leadership: Utilize your extensive technical expertise to manage multiple project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables. Engage in the full software development lifecycle, including designing, developing, testing, deploying, maintaining, and enhancing software solutions.

• Architectural Design: Help to architect and implement reusable solutions that are shared across all Disney apps, ensuring scalability and efficiency.

• Team Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration and delivery of features, enhancing the overall user experience.

• Mentorship and Guidance: Work with and mentor other engineers, providing insight and guidance to solve complex problems and drive technical excellence.

Required Qualifications/ Experience/Skills/Training:

• 5+ years hands-on professional experience with iOS/tvOS development 

• Strong understanding of OO and Swift design patterns and concepts 

• A sound understanding of HTTP and REST-style web services 

• Demonstrated ability to design and build dynamic multi-threaded iOS/tvOS apps 

• Solid understanding of iOS app development life cycle including Apple App Store compliance policies and submissions requirements 

• Experience with Apple frameworks such as UIKit, AVFoundation, Security, and StoreKit 

• Motivated self-starter with the ability to learn and adapt to new technologies. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; can effectively articulate complex ideas and influence others through well-reasoned explanations 

• Write efficient, reliable, and maintainable code whether implementing architectural improvements, user-facing features, and/or fixing defects. 

• Work with minimal technical supervision and supplemental engineering support 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with tvOS-specific functionality including the Focus Engine, SIRI Remote, and the Top Shelf 

• Experience working on a significant consumer app that is currently available in the marketplace 

• Experience building video-based applications with knowledge of the HLS protocol and Fairplay DRM 

• Ability to collaborate in a small, productive development team as well as the larger engineering organization 

Experience with:

• Swift or Objective C

• Swift UI or UIKit

• Combine

• Async Await

• AVPlayer

Required Education  

• BS Computer Science or related technical discipline or its equivalent