Staff Software Engineer

Company Description
SPORTS NEXT
NBC Sports Next is where sports and technology intersect. We're fueled by our mission to innovate, create larger-than-life events and connect with sports fans through technology. We're a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to leading technology platforms and digital applications for Youth & Recreational Sports; Golf; and Emerging Media.
At NBC Sports Next, we equip more than 30MM players, coaches, athletes, sports administrators and fans in 40 countries with more than 25 sports solution products, including SportsEngine , the largest youth sports club, league and team management platform; SportsEngine Play , the first ever streaming service for youth and amateur sports, GolfNow , the leading online tee time marketplace and provider of golf course operations technology; and GolfPass the ultimate golf membership that connects golfers to exclusive content, tee time credits, instructional content and more.
FANDANGO
Over the past twenty years, Fandango has built a network of direct-to-consumer digital brands, where 50 million+ fans unite to celebrate their love for movies, TV and streaming. We take pride in serving fans throughout their entertainment journey from content discovery to theatrical moviegoing to watching at home. Our portfolio includes leading online movie ticketer, Fandango , which tickets for more than 31,000 U.S. movie screens; world-renowned entertainment review site, Rotten Tomatoes ; and Fandango at Home (previously known as Vudu), the on-demand streaming service offering the industry's best selection of 4K UHD titles and more than 250,000 new release and catalogue movies and next day TV shows.
Job Description
We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer with deep expertise in MSE/EME technologies to
join our Platform Engineering & Playback team. In this high-impact role, you will architect and
scale next-generation playback experiences that support both live and on-demand content
across formats. You will collaborate across engineering, product, and media operations teams
to deliver performant and flexible player SDKs that set the standard for streaming performance
and innovation.
Key Responsibilities

• Lead development of a video player SDK, enabling multi-format streaming (HLS, DASH,CMAF) in browsers with seamless adaptive bitrate support.
• Architect and implement advanced playback features such as low-latency streaming,ISOBMFF parsing, content steering, and text track/metadata extraction.
• Build and improve a modern, modular video playback engine from the ground up using JavaScript and TypeScript, designed for performance, reliability, and maintainability.
• Integrate deeply with Media Source Extensions (MSE), Encrypted Media Extensions (EME), DRM systems, and ad-insertion technologies.
• Collaborate with the Client Apps team to ensure high performance across web browsers and devices such as Chromecast.
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and mentor within the Platform Engineering & Playback team, guiding engineering standards and best practices.
• Partner closely with product managers and stakeholders to align scope, constraints, and deadlines-identifying trade-offs and communicating risks early.
• Maintain an active role in industry working groups and technical communities, helping shape the future of streaming media standards.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in software engineering
• Strong proficiency in JavaScript and TypeScript, with deep knowledge of video playback libraries and streaming protocols.
• Proven experience working with MSE/EME and developing playback solutions across web browsers.
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale video libraries or SDKs used at massive scale (e.g.,2.5M+ hours of daily playback).
• A clear enthusiasm for crafting elegant, high-performance video libraries that abstract away complexity for downstream teams.
• Skilled in problem-solving and decision-making with a strong sense of autonomy balanced by a collaborative, team-first attitude.

Desired Qualifications:

• A passion for cultivating an inclusive, diverse, and growth-oriented engineering culture.
• Experience contributing to or maintaining open-source video player libraries like video.js, Shaka Player, or hls.js.
• Understanding of server-side ad insertion (SSAI) and client-side ad insertion (CSAI) ecosystems.
• Knowledge of player observability frameworks (e.g., real-time playback analytics, error logging).
• Experience with A/B testing and optimizing playback UX in large-scale streaming environments.

Fully Remote: This position has been designated as fully remote, meaning that the position is expected to be performed from a non-NBCUniversal worksite, most commonly an employee's residence.
Additional Information
As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].
Although you'll be hired as an NBCU employee, your employment and the responsibilities associated with this job likely will transition to Versant in the future. By joining at this pivotal time, you'll be a part of this exciting company as it takes shape.