Senior Software Engineer

BBC Group and Public Services; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 64,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

BBC is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join Project Playback, driving a cloud-native AWS playout platform across multiple locations including Glasgow, London, Newcastle, Cardiff and Belfast, with remote options. You will design, build and operate highly available services as part of a cross-functional team.

You’ll lead on AWS infrastructure, automation, and bespoke software developments, collaborating with broadcast and media specialists to modernise BBC’s playout.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing, building and operating cloud-native solutions on AWS.
• Proven expertise in CI/CD pipelines, including AWS CodeBuild and related tooling.
• Strong proficiency in TypeScript and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience with infrastructure as code using AWS CDK or equivalent.
• Experience deploying third-party software into the cloud in an automated way.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy high quality software applications and services.
• Design systems for high availability across multiple cloud regions.
• Deploy, automate and support third-party software solutions within AWS environments.
• Build out CI/CD infrastructure, monitoring and alarming.
• Ensure the platform is resilient, scalable, performant and secure.
• Provide technical leadership through coaching, code reviews and inclusive engineering culture.
• Collaborate with project managers, systems engineers, architects, testers and operators to deliver features end-to-end.

Skills

AWS

CI/CD pipelines

TypeScript

AWS CDK

Third-party deployment

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Belfast, GBR, BT2 8HQ
| Cardiff, GBR, CF10 1FT
| Glasgow, GBR, G511DA
| London, GBR, W1A 1AA
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GBR, NE991RN
| Salford, GBR, M50 2QH

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent
DEPARTMENT: Media Tech
LOCATION: Glasgow Pacific Quay, London Broadcasting House, Newcastle, Cardiff Central Square, Belfast Broadcasting House, Salford Dock House, or Remote (UK)
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £64,000 - £74,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.
We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application - though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join Project Playback, a strategic initiative that is transforming how BBC Nations television channels are brought to audiences across the UK.
You'll lead on the design, delivery, and operational excellence of the BBC's next-generation television playout platform, delivering a cloud-native solution that will eventually replace traditional on-premises broadcast infrastructure.
Working within a highly collaborative, specialised cross-functional team, you'll combine software engineering, cloud infrastructure and automation expertise to build a resilient, scalable, highly available platform and bring it into operational service.
This is an opportunity to contribute to technology that sits at the heart of the BBC's broadcast operation while working with modern AWS-based architecture, automation tooling and media technology specialists.
Playout is the technology that turns schedules into live television, combining programmes, live content, continuity announcements and promotional material into a seamless 24/7 broadcast stream.
Project Playback is modernising this critical capability by building a cloud-native playout platform on AWS. Following a period of discovery and design, the team is now scaling rapidly to deliver a production-ready platform.
You’ll be part of a truly cross-functional team building a resilient, featured, and secure platform, working alongside systems engineers who are highly specialist in playout and the BBC’s world-class operational teams.
The role will involve designing and provisioning AWS infrastructure, deploying and integrating leading third-party broadcast technologies, developing bespoke software services where off-the-shelf products don't meet requirements, providing technical leadership, mentoring engineers, driving architectural decisions and helping shape the future of television broadcasting at the BBC.
This is a permanent role. Once the project has completed and the initial television channels have transferred on to the platform, it is expected that this role will transition into providing ongoing support, maintenance, and development for the platform in a live operational environment whilst also continuing to scale the number of television channels the platform supports. As a result from April 2027, there will be a requirement for on call cover and potentially for some routine extended hours or shift working.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Design, develop, test, and deploy high quality software applications and services
• Design systems for high availability across multiple cloud regions
• Deploy, automate and support third-party software solutions within AWS environments
• Build out CI/CD Infrastructure, monitoring and alarming
• Ensure the platform is resilient, scalable, performant and secure
• Provide technical leadership across the team through coaching, code reviews and fostering a psychologically safe and inclusive engineering culture where individuals are empowered to contribute, challenge ideas constructively, and continuously improve engineering practices.
• Work closely with project managers, systems engineers, architects, testers and operational users to deliver features end-to‑end

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Extensive experience designing, building and operating highly available cloud-native solutions on AWS
• Proven expertise designing, building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, including AWS CodeBuild and related tooling
• Strong proficiency in TypeScript and modern software engineering practices
• Experience defining, deploying, and managing infrastructure as code using AWS CDK or equivalent
• Experience deploying third party software into the cloud in a repeatable and automated way

DESIRABLE:

• Experience working with media, broadcast, streaming or video delivery workflows
• Knowledge of media standards and technologies such as AS-11, SRT, MPEG-TS, MOS or SCTE
• Experience with containerisation and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience with monitoring, observability and alerting tools such as CloudWatch, Grafana or Prometheus
• Knowledge of networking concepts including load balancing, routing, firewalls and DNS

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Redeployment

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance

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