Playback Engineer

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer specializing in video playback services and player technologies to help deliver world-class streaming experiences. In this role, you will focus on building, optimizing, and evolving our playback platform, working across web, mobile, and connected devices. You will leverage modern player frameworks to fine-tune playback performance, reliability, and quality at scale.

The Senior Software Engineer will collaborate closely with video infrastructure, CDN, encoding, product, and device teams to ensure a seamless, high-quality viewing experience.

Job Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain playback services and client player integrations powering Sony Pictures' streaming applications
• Build and enhance playback functionality using Shaka Player, Media3 Player (ExoPlayer), Video.js, ,hls.js and other open source video players across web, mobile, and connected TV platforms
• Improve startup time, buffering performance, bitrate adaptation, and playback reliability
• Optimize playback pipelines for HLS and DASH streaming, including DRM, adaptive bitrate (ABR), and CDN interaction
• Analyze playback telemetry and QoE metrics to identify performance bottlenecks and drive improvements at scale
• Conduct deep technical investigations into playback failures, device compatibility issues, and streaming edge cases
• Implement advanced features such as: Low latency streaming; DRM integrations (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay); Ad insertion (SSAI / CSAI); Offline playback
• Collaborate with device partners and platform teams to resolve platform-specific playback issues across browsers, mobile OS, and smart TVs
• Contribute to technical strategy and best practices for streaming media playback
• Implement playback monitoring, telemetry, and analytics instrumentation to measure and improve video QoE
• Develop tools and dashboards to monitor playback health and diagnose issues in production environments

Job Qualifications:

• 5+ years of software engineering experience in video streaming, media playback, or related areas
• Strong experience with video player frameworks, including at least one of: Shaka Player, Media3 Player, Video.js, hls.js
• Deep understanding of adaptive streaming protocols: HLS, MPEG-DASH, CMAF
• Familiarity with DRM technologies including Widevine, PlayReady, or FairPlay.
• Strong proficiency in JavaScript / TypeScript and at least one backend or systems language (e.g., Java, Kotlin, Go, or C++).
• Experience analyzing video QoE metrics (startup time, rebuffering, bitrate adaptation, playback errors).
• Experience debugging cross-platform playback issues across browsers and devices.

Preferred Qualification:

• Experience building or contributing to player SDKs or playback frameworks
• Familiarity with Media3 Player (ExoPlayer) internals and Android media pipeline
• Experience with ad-supported streaming and FAST channel delivery
• Experience working with CDNs, edge delivery, and media packaging pipelines
• Understanding of modern codecs
• Experience contributing to or working with open source player ecosystems

Job Work Set up:

• Onsite (Office Location: Culver City, CA) - Mondays to Thursdays / Remote - Fridays
• 40 work hours/week
• Full-Time Position with Benefits - Includes Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.
• Note: This position does not include Paid Time Off (PTO) or 401(k) benefits.

Who are we?

Arcadian is a global leader in innovative technology solutions, seamlessly bridging expertise and scalability across the streaming video entertainment industry. As a B2B services company, we provide support with video and audio transcoding, quality assurance, app development, software development, and customer service. We have team members located in Los Angeles, Chicago, Singapore, and the Philippines.