Senior Android Video Player Engineer - Remote

Kake; Lisboa; On-site; EUR 121,000 - 164,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Pay in USD

Fully Remote

Better Me Fund

Compassion is Badass

Job summary

Kake is a remote-first company building world-class Android video playback experiences for live streaming. You will own design, development, and optimization of Android video players across devices, with deep work on ExoPlayer, ABR, and dynamic manifests in a high-scale environment.

The role emphasizes end-to-end playback reliability, QoE metrics, and collaboration with global teams. Excellent English and autonomous remote work are essential.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of Android development experience.
• Strong Kotlin and Java proficiency.
• Proven track record building video players for Android/Android TV.
• Deep knowledge of ExoPlayer and live streaming optimization.
• Familiarity with DASH and HLS protocols and ABR workflows.
• Experience with QoE metrics (e.g., Conviva, Mux).
• Excellent English communication and remote-work abilities.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize Android video player frameworks and SDKs for live streaming.
• Customize ExoPlayer components, ABR logic, and player builders to improve playback performance.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex playback issues in live streaming environments (buffering, latency).
• Work with dynamic manifests (MPD/M3U8) and adaptive bitrate logic to ensure smooth playback.
• Integrate ad technologies (IMA, DAI, SSAI) within the player framework.
• Leverage QoE analytics to diagnose issues and improve playback.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to maintain playback quality across devices.
• Contribute to best practices and streaming project improvements.

Skills

Android development

Kotlin

Java

ExoPlayer

Live streaming

ABR

DASH

HLS

QoE metrics

Jetpack Compose

Coroutines

Flows

Tools

ExoPlayer

Job description

Kake is a remote-first company and a people-first global community of senior engineers. Kake engineers are behind some of the world’s most innovative products (Brands you’ve heard!), from Fortune 500 to fast-growing companies. We believe it’s not where your table is, but what you bring to the table that matters. Our community spans 45,000+ engineers across 55+ countries; join a culture where great people stay, grow, and thrive (and love eating kake!).

We’re looking for Senior Android Video Player Engineers with deep, production-level experience in live video streaming, skilled in delivering high-quality playback experiences across Android and Android TV. It's a great fit for people who enjoy owning playback reliability end-to-end and thrive in a mature, high-scale streaming ecosystem.

What you’ll build and own

• Design, develop, and optimize Android video player frameworks and SDKs for live streaming.
• Customize and extend ExoPlayer components, ABR logic, and player builders to improve playback performance.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex playback issues in live streaming environments, including buffering, latency, and rebuffering.
• Work with dynamic manifests (MPD/M3U8) and adaptive bitrate logic to ensure smooth playback across network conditions.
• Integrate and maintain ad technologies (IMA, DAI, SSAI) within the player framework.
• Use QoE analytics integrations to diagnose issues and improve real-world playback performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure playback quality and reliability across devices.
• Contribute to best practices and continuous improvement initiatives across streaming projects.

Core Requirements

• 7+ years of Android development experience with deep expertise in Kotlin and Java.
• Proven experience building and maintaining video players and live playback components for Android/Android TV.
• Strong hands-on experience with ExoPlayer, including customization and performance optimization for live streaming.
• Demonstrated ability to debug and optimize playback performance, including rebuffering, latency, and playback stability.
• Familiarity with streaming protocols (DASH, HLS), adaptive bitrate workflows, and ad integrations (IMA, SSAI, DAI).
• Experience using video analytics or QoE metrics (e.g., Conviva, Mux, Hydrolix) to diagnose and improve real-world playback performance.
• Proficiency with Jetpack Compose, Kotlin Coroutines, and Flows.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to work independently in a remote, fast-paced environment.

Nice-to-Have

• Previous work in a broadcasting or OTT environment.
• Background working in large-scale sports live streaming environments.
• Comfortable working flexible hours to overlap with distributed teams across different time zones.

Additional

• US Timezone Overlap: 5h–6h daily PST

Why Join Kake?

The icing on the Kake:

• Competitive Pay in USD: Work globally, get paid globally.
• Fully Remote: Simply put, we trust you.
• Better Me Fund: We invest in your personal growth and passions.
• Compassion is Badass: Join a community that invests in social good.

Quick note: Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.