Senior Software Engineer - Live & VOD Video Infrastructure

About the role

Roku is on a mission to transform the way audiences experience television. As the leading TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, we aim to connect every television globally. Our innovative approach to streaming has revolutionized how viewers access their favorite content. In this role, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of video streaming by developing and enhancing the infrastructure that supports both Live and Video on Demand (VOD) services.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design and implement large-scale data streaming pipelines that support Live and VOD video encoding workflows within cloud environments like AWS or Google Cloud Platform.
• Create high-throughput and low-latency containerized services for various video processing tasks, including ingestion, decoding, transcoding, packaging, transport, and ad marker management.
• Architect systems capable of handling continuous video and audio streams from thousands of providers in real-time.
• Develop resilient mechanisms for worker-to-worker streaming and transport that can manage network instability, packet loss, and ensure smooth data flow at scale.
• Build orchestration and container management systems that support features like autoscaling, fault tolerance, service recovery, and rolling deployments.
• Implement advanced monitoring, telemetry, logging, and alerting systems to ensure operational visibility and rapid detection of failures.

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in backend systems engineering and cloud-native infrastructure development.
• Strong expertise in building distributed systems that can efficiently handle high-throughput data streams with stringent reliability and uptime requirements.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Go, Java, Rust, C, C++, or Python.
• Hands-on experience with media processing frameworks and libraries like GStreamer, FFmpeg, or similar technologies.
• Familiarity with container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes, ECS, or Nomad.
• Experience in debugging networking issues and managing distributed system failures in real-time streaming scenarios.
• Knowledge of observability tools like Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, ELK, or Datadog.
• Prior experience with GPU-accelerated encoding or hardware media pipelines is a plus.

What we're excited about

• A solid background in designing and implementing cloud-native infrastructure at scale.
• Deep understanding of container orchestration and worker lifecycle management.
• Familiarity with building fault-tolerant ingest or transcoding platforms across multiple regions.
• Experience in developing systems that continuously process high-throughput data streams under strict uptime requirements.

Practical notes

For candidates located in California, the anticipated annual salary for this position ranges from $285,000 to $345,000. Compensation is determined based on various factors, including skills, certifications, and geographical location. This role comes with a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, equity awards, life insurance, disability benefits, parental leave, wellness programs, and paid time off.

At Roku, we integrate artificial intelligence into our workflows, enhancing productivity and efficiency. We seek individuals who are adaptable and can demonstrate their experience with AI tools in their previous projects. Familiarity with the agentic engineering toolchain, including coding harnesses and custom skills, is beneficial.

What is Roku's approach to hybrid working?

Roku promotes a collaborative work environment, with teams generally working in the office from Monday to Thursday. Fridays offer flexibility for remote work, except for roles that require full-time office attendance.

Benefits overview

Roku is dedicated to providing a wide range of benefits to support our employees and their families. Our offerings include global access to mental health and financial wellness resources, along with local benefits that may encompass healthcare (medical, dental, and vision), life insurance, disability, commuter benefits, and retirement options (401(k)/pension). We encourage our employees to take time off in accordance with local leave policies to support their work-life balance. Specific benefits may vary by location and role.

Accommodations

Roku is committed to diversity and inclusion, welcoming applicants from all backgrounds. We provide reasonable accommodations during the hiring process as required by law. If you need assistance, please reach out to EmployeeRelations@Roku.com.

Company culture

Roku fosters a dynamic work environment where teamwork and collaboration are paramount. We value individuals who contribute to the company's success and prioritize collective achievement over personal recognition. Our culture is built on problem-solving, where innovative ideas are brought to life through action and delivery. We pride ourselves on our unique culture that encourages independent thinking and collaboration, allowing us to achieve extraordinary results.

To learn more about Roku and our global impact, visit https://www.weareroku.com/factsheet. By submitting your application, you agree to allow Roku to contact you regarding job opportunities and acknowledge our Applicant Privacy Notice. If you do not wish to receive communications from us regarding this or similar roles, you may opt-out at any time by contacting WorkforcePrivacy@Roku.com.