Principal Software Engineer

5014 Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC; California (MO); On-site; USD 206,400 - 276,700; Full time

Job summary

5014 Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC is seeking an experienced candidate to conduct research and development in video streaming technologies. The role requires leading complex projects, collaborating with various teams, and driving innovation in video coding and media processing.

Applicants should have a minimum of 10 years of experience, expertise in video streaming technologies, and a degree in a relevant field. The expected compensation ranges from $206,400 to $276,700 per year.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of related work experience.
• Deep expertise in video streaming technologies.
• Strong background in applying deep learning techniques.

Responsibilities

• Conduct multidisciplinary research in video streaming.
• Design media processing algorithms and workflows.
• Lead documentation, architecture, and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Video streaming technologies

Deep learning techniques

Multimedia frameworks

C/C++

Python

Education

Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science

Tools

gStreamer Media Framework

Docker

Job description

Overview

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally. The team marries technology with creativity to build world‑class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are storytellers and innovators, creators and builders, entertainers and engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world.

Responsibilities

• Conduct multidisciplinary research and development in video streaming for both live and on‑demand use cases.
• Participate in multimedia standardizations such as AOM, MPEG, IETF, and VQEG, and connect with academic research groups and conferences.
• Design media processing algorithms and software workflows to achieve velocity, scale, and efficiency, further optimizing our media platform.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with teams such as studios, streaming backend, streaming delivery, client, and product to investigate, develop, and adopt cutting‑edge technologies and specifications into production.
• Lead coordination for large projects and facilitate cross‑team collaboration, owning complex and innovative projects that span multiple teams and components.
• Lead documentation, architecture, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring compatibility of practices and driving technical standards across the organization.
• Drive innovation and technical strategy while influencing various codebases and contributing to architectural best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of related work experience.
• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Deep expertise in video streaming technologies (e.g., codecs, streaming packagers and distribution, playback algorithms).
• Strong background in applying deep learning techniques to media processing tasks.
• In‑depth understanding and experience with multimedia frameworks.
• Proven track record of success and demonstrable experience in research and advanced development in video coding, media processing, or adjacent fields.
• Proven track record of IP generation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in video coding standards such as AV1, AV2, AVC, HEVC, VVC.
• Knowledge and experience in C/C++ and Python.
• Applied knowledge of Media Metadata and Processing, gStreamer Media Framework.
• Experience deploying and optimizing AI/ML models and frameworks.
• Experience with building web‑apps/dashboards for data visualization.
• Experience with Docker, web service development, REST APIs, and XML/JSON.
• Release management, continuous integration, Git/GitHub.
• Experience with high‑load, highly scalable and distributed applications.

Compensation

The hiring range for this position in California is $206,400.00 to $276,700.00 per year and in North Carolina is $175,500.00 to $235,400.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and 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 other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.