Sr. Software Engineer

NBCUniversal

Location
United States
Job Type
full-time
Salary
Unknown
Posted
August 14, 2025

Job Description

Company Description

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our theme parks and consumer experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, USA Network, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Universal Studio Group, and have world-renowned theme parks and attractions through Universal Destinations & Experiences. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world.

Comcast NBCUniversal has announced its intent to create a new publicly traded company ('Versant') comprised of most of NBCUniversal's cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025.

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.β€― 

Job Description

About the Role

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer with deep expertise in developing and optimizing video players across platforms to join our Platform & Playback team. In this role, you will be at the forefront of delivering high-quality streaming experiences to millions of users. You'll work closely with product, design, and backend teams to build performant, reliable, and feature-rich media playback solutions.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design, implement, and maintain a video player’s SDK.
  • Optimize playback performance for various devices and network conditions.
  • Work with streaming protocols such as HLS, DASH, MPEG-DASH, and CMAF.
  • Integrate 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.
  • Debug complex media playback issues across different environments (desktop, mobile, TV, etc.)
  • Write clean, maintainable, and well-tested code
  • Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership within the team
  • Stay up to date with industry trends, tools, and best practices in video playback technology

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

  • 4+ years of software engineering experience.
  • Strong Proficiency in a programming language (JavaScript/Typescript, Java, C#, etc.)
  • A code owner, committed to quality in every task, large or small
  • Experience integrating third-party video SDKs and analytics tools
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience with OTT platforms or live streaming
  • Deep knowledge of video playback libraries and streaming protocols.
  • Knowledge of accessibility standards for media (captions, subtitles, screen reader support)
  • Familiarity with cross-platform frameworks (e.g., React Native, Flutter)
  • Contributions to open-source video projects or media APIs

Fully Remote: This position has been designated as fully remote, meaning that the position is expected to contribute from a non-NBCUniversal worksite, most commonly an employee’s residence.

🎯 Who is this job for?

This role is ideal for a Senior-level engineer with strong experience in video playback development. Candidates should have solid skills in JavaScript/TypeScript or similar languages, and be familiar with HLS/DASH streaming, MSE/EME, DRM, and media SDK integration. Suitable for those who have worked on OTT platforms, video performance optimization, and cross-platform media apps.

πŸ’¬ Potential Interview Questions

  1. What is the difference between HLS and MPEG-DASH streaming protocols?
    HLS is developed by Apple and widely supported on Apple devices, using .m3u8 playlists, while MPEG-DASH is an open standard supporting .mpd manifests and offers more codec flexibility across platforms.

  2. How does Media Source Extensions (MSE) work in modern browsers?
    MSE allows JavaScript to feed media streams directly to the browser, enabling adaptive streaming by dynamically buffering segments based on network conditions.

  3. What are Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) and how do they relate to DRM?
    EME provides a standardized way for browsers to communicate with DRM systems to enable protected content playback without requiring plugins.

  4. Describe your experience optimizing video playback on low-bandwidth connections.
    This typically involves adaptive bitrate streaming, segment prefetching, buffer management, and codecs like AV1 or H.265 for better compression efficiency.

  5. What are some common issues with video playback on Chromecast and how do you debug them?
    Common issues include incorrect media formats, CORS problems, or DRM incompatibility; debugging involves using Cast SDK logs, remote device logs, and network monitoring tools.

  6. How would you implement ad-insertion in a streaming video player?
    Server-side ad insertion (SSAI) or client-side (CSAI) methods are used, with SDKs like Google IMA, integrating ad tags, managing playback state, and handling ad events.

  7. What testing strategies do you use for video playback features?
    Unit tests for logic, integration tests for SDKs, automated UI tests with playback validation, and manual cross-device testing are essential for media reliability.

  8. Explain how you handle cross-browser compatibility in video players.
    Use feature detection (not browser detection), polyfills for unsupported APIs, and conditional logic for handling different codec or MSE/EME support.

  9. What metrics or analytics would you track to evaluate video player performance?
    Buffering ratio, startup time, rebuffer events, bitrate shifts, error rate, and user engagement metrics help evaluate playback quality and user experience.

  10. Have you contributed to or worked with open-source video libraries like Shaka Player or Video.js?
    Yes, contributions might include custom plugins, bug fixes, or configuration tweaks to integrate with DRM systems, ad solutions, or analytics tools.

πŸ“‹ Job Summary

NBCUniversal’s Fandango team is hiring a Senior Software Engineer to lead video playback development for millions of streaming users. You’ll design and optimize cross-platform video SDKs, working with HLS, DASH, DRM, and ad-insertion tech. The role is fully remote, offers the chance to shape the new Versant DTC venture, and provides a rich stack including JavaScript/TypeScript, MSE/EME, and React Native. If you're passionate about cutting-edge media tech and want to impact a top-tier entertainment platform, this is your opportunity.

Required Skills

JavaScript. Typescript

Related jobs

Berlin, Chicago

React/Node.js Developer

RemoteMore

Full-time
London, United Kingdom

Web Developer

Sensor Tower

Full-time