Lead Software Engineer - Roku

Paramount+; Burbank (CA); On-site; USD 157,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Attractive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages

Generous paid time off

On-site and virtual engagement opportunities

Job summary

Paramount+ is looking for a Lead Software Engineer for the Roku platform. This role involves defining the technical direction of the application, leading a team of engineers, and ensuring the successful deployment of features that reach millions of viewers. Strong expertise in Roku application development, team leadership, and technical writing is required. The competitive salary range is $157,000 to $200,000, depending on skills and experience, with full benefits offered.

Qualifications

• 8+ years writing software.
• 4+ years building Roku applications.
• 2+ years leading a team or serving as a technical lead.
• Strong foundation in OOP, data structures, and algorithms.
• BrightScript and SceneGraph SDK expertise.
• Deep command of the Roku threading model.
• Experience with unit and integration testing on Roku.
• Knowledge of RESTful API design and HTTP caching.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical direction of the Paramount+ Roku application.
• Build and maintain core framework components and features.
• Lead a team through code reviews and feedback.
• Coordinate with Product, Design, Backend Engineering, and DevOps.
• Maintain and improve CI/CD pipelines and testing infrastructure.
• Architect around Roku’s constraints.

Skills

Software development

Roku application development

Team leadership

OOP and data structures

Technical writing

RESTful API design

Git and GitHub

AI development tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Git

Docker

CI/CD tools

Job description

LEAD SOFTWARE ENGINEER — ROKU

Location: On‑Site - New York / Los Angeles / San Francisco / Ft. Lauderdale

About The Role

You’ll own the technical direction of the Paramount+ Roku application — the platform, the patterns, the architecture. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you write and review code and set the standard for a team of engineers shipping features to millions of viewers.

Roku’s constraints — tight memory budgets, a single‑threaded render loop, hardware spanning five years of device generations — are the environment you thrive in, not just tolerate. You know these constraints well enough to teach them, and you’ll lead a team through them.

What You’ll Do

• Set technical direction for the Paramount+ Roku application — choose the patterns, own the architecture, defend the decisions
• Build and maintain core framework components and features — this is a hands‑on role where you ship code
• Lead a team of Roku engineers through code reviews, pair programming, and feedback that helps people grow
• Architect around Roku’s constraints: memory limits, render‑thread/task‑thread boundaries, device performance tiers, and certification requirements
• Ship real‑time personalization features — personalized recommendations, dynamic artwork, and ad engagement experiences — within Roku’s memory and threading constraints
• Drive adoption of RSG 1.3 data transfer APIs, BrightScript Memory Monitor, and Perfetto tracing across the team
• Scope projects, identify risks before they become blockers, and keep the team shipping
• Coordinate with Product, Design, Backend Engineering, and DevOps/SRE to translate requirements into plans your team can execute
• Write architecture docs, RFCs, and component guides so decisions are visible and durable
• Maintain and improve CI/CD pipelines, testing infrastructure, and build tooling
• Design and run A/B tests, then act on the results
• Use AI development tools to move faster, and help the team adopt them

What Good Looks Like

• Your team ships on time because you scoped the work correctly — not because anyone worked weekends
• Engineers on your team grow quarter over quarter. They take on harder problems this quarter than last. You can name what changed
• You open a 200‑file BrightScript repo you’ve never seen and start making changes the same day — and you’ve given your team the docs and context to do the same
• You notice a memory spike on a Roku Express before QA files a ticket. You fix it, write up what happened, and turn it into a pattern the team follows
• You write architecture decisions down. Six months later, a new engineer reads one and understands why you chose what you chose
• You push back when a plan has gaps and suggest a better one — without making people feel small
• You treat the build pipeline, test coverage, and error monitoring like product features
• You make the people around you better at their jobs. They’d say so if asked

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years writing software
• 4+ years building Roku applications
• 2+ years leading a team or serving as a technical lead
• BS in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent work experience
• Strong foundation in OOP, data structures, and algorithms — able to design systems and evaluate others’ designs
• BrightScript and SceneGraph SDK, including RSG 1.3 — you can explain the tradeoffs between MoveIntoField, PostMessage, and CopyMessage without looking them up
• Deep command of the Roku threading model and where performance falls apart on low‑end devices
• Roku frameworks and services: RAF, RMF, RokuPay
• Unit and integration testing on Roku — you’ve built test infrastructure, not just written tests
• RESTful API design, HTTP caching behavior, and CDN interaction
• Git and GitHub
• Strong technical writing — architecture docs and plans that people actually read and act on
• Active use of AI development tools (Copilot, Claude, Cursor, or similar) with concrete examples of how they’ve changed how you work

Desired Qualifications

• BrighterScript and Roku community tooling (ropm, bslint, roku‑debug)
• Other OTT platforms: Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, LG webOS
• Observability tools: Conviva, New Relic, Datadog, Sentry
• Microservices and backend‑for‑frontend patterns
• Experience integrating personalization or recommendation systems into connected‑device applications
• Experience with real‑time or event‑driven architectures on client platforms
• E2E testing for connected‑device applications
• Docker and CI/CD tooling (Jenkins or similar)
• GraphQL
• Track record of introducing AI tools to a team — actual adoption, not just a demo
• You care about UX enough to push back on Product and Design when something isn’t right
• You’ve worked across time zones without waiting for meetings to unblock yourself

Hiring Salary Range

$157,000.00 – $200,000.00. The hiring salary range applies to New York, California, Colorado, Washington state, and most other geographies. Starting pay for the successful applicant depends on a variety of job‑related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education. This position is bonus eligible.

Benefits

• Attractive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages. Full list: https://www.paramount.com/careers/benefits
• Generous paid time off
• An exciting and fulfilling opportunity to be part of one of Paramount’s most dynamic teams
• Opportunities for both on‑site and virtual engagement events
• Unique opportunities to make meaningful connections and build a vibrant community, both inside and outside the workplace
• Explore life at Paramount: https://www.paramount.com/careers/life-at-paramount

Equal Opportunity Employer

Paramount is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Paramount is proud to be an equal‑opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, and Veteran status.

Accommodations for Disabilities

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation. Contact 212.846.5500 or send an email to [e-mail]. Only messages left for this purpose will be returned.