Sr Software Engineer, Video Playback Engineering

3 Months ago • 5 Years + • Full Stack Development • $138,900 PA - $203,900 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

The Senior Software Engineer will develop and maintain the Rust and C/C++ player for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ streaming experiences across various devices (gaming consoles, mobile, set-top boxes). Responsibilities include optimizing player performance, designing and implementing cross-platform features, collaborating with other engineering teams, ensuring deployment quality and stability, and mentoring junior engineers. The role requires expertise in streaming technologies (HLS/DASH), DRM, adaptive bitrate streaming, and video codecs. The ideal candidate will have experience in multi-threaded application development, build systems, and testing strategies.
Must have:
  • 5+ years software development experience
  • Fluent in C/C++ or Rust
  • Streaming technologies (HLS preferred)
  • DRM (Playready or Widevine)
  • Adaptive Bitrate Streaming
  • Multi-threaded application development
Good to have:
  • Rust experience
  • Cross-platform development
  • Embedded OS experience
  • Gaming console development
  • Set-top box development

Job Details

Job Summary:

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming Disney’s media business for the future. Whether that’s evolving our streaming and digital products in new and immersive ways, powering worldwide advertising and distribution to improve flexibility and efficiency, or delivering Disney’s unmatched entertainment and sports content, every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

A few reasons why we think you’d love working here:

  • Building the future of Disney’s media: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
  • Reach & Scale: The products and platforms this group builds and operates delight millions of consumers every minute of every day – from Disney+ and Hulu, to ABC News and Entertainment, to ESPN and ESPN+, and much more.
  • Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience

Media Engineering builds the software and systems that prepare media content and metadata for the Disney Streaming platform - providing the best possible playback experience to our viewers.

Media Engineering handles audio, video, and metadata content from ingest through publish - for normalization, processing, and packaging - supporting operator tools and automation for a scalable workflow. We build logic across players and back-end services to measure, control, and optimize playback across our stack.

Job Summary

Our team is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to help us deliver excellent streaming experiences for Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ as a developer of our client player. Our team is responsible for playback across several devices including gaming consoles, mobile devices and set top boxes. You will have the opportunity to lead in the design and implementation of our cross-platform C/C++ and Rust player that runs Disney+ and Hulu on these devices.

We’re looking for an experienced C/C++ or Rust engineer who has video player and cross platform development experience. You should have a passion for coding and debugging hard problems, and an eagerness to help us deliver seamless video to our subscribers. Being a Senior member, you will get to own large features, lead the technical direction of our work, and mentor and provide technical expertise to other engineers. You will work closely with other technical teams in the application layer and backend video services to deliver features.

This opening is for a USA based employee, within commuting distance to any of our offices in Seattle WA, Morrisville NC, New York NY, and San Francisco CA.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain our Rust and C/C++ player that drives our streaming experience
  • Optimize our player to perform well for resource constrained platforms
  • Create and review architecture and designs for our team’s projects
  • Maintain a strong understanding of our code to identify, research and address issues
  • Collaborate with application development teams, services engineering teams and product management to help understand and explain device limitations and requirements
  • Lead in strategies to ensure the quality and stability of our deployments, including testing strategies and telemetry approaches
  • Develop our project’s build system and continuous integration system as needed
  • Provide technical expertise or mentoring to developers on our team
  • Hold our team accountable to high development standards

Basic Qualifications

  • 5+ years of full software development lifecycle experience
  • Fluent in C and C++ or Rust
  • Willing to learn Rust
  • Experience in Streaming technologies, such as:
    • HLS (preferred) or DASH
    • DRM technologies like Playready or Widevine
    • Adaptive Bitrate Streaming Algorithms
    • Caption and subtitle formats such as CEA-608 / 708
    • Codecs AVC, HEVC, AAC, EAC3
  • Experience developing and optimizing multi-threaded applications
  • Experience using build runners / compilation tools for multi-platform projects
  • Strong individual contributor with a drive to learn and patience to teach others
  • Great communication and collaboration skills and a strong teamwork ethic
  • BS or BA in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field or equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications

  • Rust
  • Cross-Platform Development
  • Embedded operating system experience
  • Experience developing for gaming consoles (e.g. Playstation, Switch), Android devices (e.g.FireTV), or similar devices
  • Familiarity with set-top box development and specialized SoCs from manufacturers like Broadcom, MediaTek, etc.


The hiring range for this position in Seattle, WA and New York, NY is $145,400 to $195,000 per year, in Santa Monica, CA is $138,900 to $186,200 per year and in San Francisco, CA is $152,100 to $203,900 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

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About The Company

From classic animated features and exhilarating theme park attractions to cutting edge sports coverage, and the hottest shows on television, The Walt Disney Company has been making magic since 1923, creating unforgettable stories that connect with audiences around the world. And we’re just getting started!

The key to our success…. The Cast, Crew, Imagineers and Employees who honor Disney’s rich legacy by stretching the bounds of imagination to create the never-before-seen, bringing unparalleled entertainment experiences to people of all ages. Begin a career that delivers unparalleled creative content and experiences to audiences around the world and just imagine the stories you could be part of…

What is #LifeAtDisney like? It’s a series of magical moments with cast members and employees developing and telling our stories in the most innovative ways. Whether it’s a day spent as a Disney VoluntEAR, or celebrating the release of a new interactive experience, retail product or movie, our days are filled with the knowledge that we are creating entertainment experiences the whole family can enjoy. Follow @DisneyCareers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for a peek behind-the-curtain, and discover how you could connect to a world of stories with Disney!

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