Lead Software Engineer (Roku/BrightScript)

Job Title:

Lead Software Engineer, Roku

2450 Broadway Street Santa Monica CA, 90404

Department/Group Overview:

Describe the department or group. This information will be used to help attract and engage candidates.

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

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 maximize 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 for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology

• Building the future of Disney’s media business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power Disney’s 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 execute groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news.

Job Summary:

Describe what the person will do in the role - how he/she will impact the organization.

The Walt Disney Company has a rich tradition of creating innovative products and magical experiences for millions of people around the world. Software Engineers are at the heart of that innovation and magic, building platforms, services, tools and infrastructure for an unmatched collection of content and brands such as Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, and ABC.

As a Lead Software Engineer for the Roku Client Application team, you’ll be part of the team that builds our Direct-to-Consumer client apps, such as Disney+, Star+, ESPN and Hulu on Roku streaming devices and smart TVs. We’re looking for an engineer who, ideally, has experience in BrightScript and is ready to write client apps that provide the best experiences for our viewers.

If you:

• Employ a flexible attitude and can work constructively in a diverse team setting
• Value learning and being exposed to new experiences
• Demonstrate determination in finding solutions to complex puzzles
• Have the curiosity to research and learn new technologies
• Care about bringing people closer to their world

then working at Disney is unlike anything else. We have the latest technology, game-changing ideas, and world-class talent. Come be a part of our team and help us find new ways to interact with users, however and wherever they connect with our brands!

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

Summarize job responsibilities, core deliverables and major duties. What is required for the position to exist?  

-Focus on major areas of work, typically 20% or more of role

% of Time

• Be a critical member of a team of engineers responsible for building our client app experiences in BrightScript, using the Roku SceneGraph SDK
• Contribute to the development of new application features from on-boarding to browse UI/UX experiences, analytics, video playback UI/UX and much more. If you see it on screen, you’ll likely have a chance to work on it in code
• Have the opportunity to contribute to the development of tools and systems outside of the Roku apps, such as JavaScript- & React-based web tools, gulp build scripts, AWS configurations, and Node.js services
• Work with Roku to vet new hardware, firmware and certification requirements from a client application perspective
• Collaborate closely with our client SDK engineering, design engineering, services engineering teams and product owners to help understand and communicate requirements and device limitations

Required Education, Experience/Skills/Training:

Minimum and Preferred. Inclusive of Licenses/Certs (include functional experience as well as behavioral attributes and/or leadership capabilities)

Basic Qualifications

• At least 7 years of development experience with a client-side development stack, ideally with at least 2 years BrightScript experience
• Experience with MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) architecture
• Candidates will be expected to be proficient in technical design and development of generalized solutions, such as reusable utilities and UI components, and generalized logic that can be consumed by multiple applications 
• Demonstrated ability to research and learn new technologies
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail
• Driven and self motivated
• Candidates should have experience mentoring junior level team members

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive experience creating beautiful, rich, performant user interfaces, including implementing pixel-perfect designs and animations
• Experience working on user interface-level code and knowledge of common patterns, architectures, and approaches to present a data-driven UX to viewers
• Familiarity with development and troubleshooting on set-top boxes or Smart TVs
• Experience working on a range of devices with varying performance and capabilities
• Experience with configuration-driven development
• Experience with performance optimization and feature degradation techniques
• Experience creating and extending templated controls, and writing custom controls
• Experience with asynchronous and concurrent code
• Experience with unit testing and related patterns
• Familiarity with streaming media technologies such as HLS, DRM, HDCP, SSAI, SGAI
• Experience with JavaScript client- and server-side development
• Experience with DevOps, gulp scripts, Jenkins and AWS

Required Education  

• BS Computer Science or related technical discipline or its equivalent

Business Operations

• Business Operations is the glue of DE&E Technology, with a relentless focus on connecting all the pieces of the business. All the components that make up the organization – engineering, product, design, operations, support and more – come together and move the business forward with oversight, effective prioritization, and guidance. This team synthesizes information from across the business to ensure leaders are armed with all the necessary data before making strategic and financial decisions. From forecasting, funding, tracking, and reporting on projects, to ways of working, and resource management, Business Operations has visibility and input into all aspects of the team.

Content Operations

• Content Operations is ultimately responsible for successfully delivering Disney’s entertainment and sports content to millions of people every day. This involves developing, operating, and managing a global content supply chain – the myriad of steps involved from taking a finalized TV show/movie, or live piece of content, from inside Disney to audiences around the globe, in their preferred language and format. This team also manages technology operations in Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Design

• The Disney Entertainment & ESPN (DE&E) Technology Design team thinks beyond what is possible today. They discover, disrupt, and chart a course to where our fans and consumers will be next. Design brings the Disney magic to life by building digital customer experiences via the entire portfolio of both consumer-facing products and internal products and tooling. This includes Sports, Entertainment, News, Streaming and Enterprise Products and Experiences.

Engineering Services

• Engineering Services designs, builds, and sustains technology that powers DE&E Technology’s worldwide content production and distribution platforms. In doing so, they contribute to a series of cross-functional services and technologies, including Quality Assurance, Data Analytics, Software Development, Broadcast Infrastructure, and Networking & Security.

Media Engineering

• Media Engineering is an innovative organization that is focused on providing the best possible video playback experience, art, and metadata to customers around the world, powered by exceptional technology. This strategic work requires streamlining and repurposing technology across different business and distribution channels – including streaming, linear, and theatrical – so that technology can ebb and flow across the needs of the business.

The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is per year $156,300 - $209,600 per year, Seattle, WA is $156,300 - $209,600 per year, Bristol, CT is $149,300 - $200, 200 per year, and Glendale, CA is $149,300 - $200,200 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.