Senior Video Playback Engineer (Web)

5V Video; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

5V Video is seeking a software engineer to advance our web video player stack. You will work on playback with Shaka Player, hls.js or dash.js, focusing on robustness and performance across browsers.

You will implement HLS/DASH with CMAF, LL-HLS/LL-DASH, and MSE/EME integration for secure, high-quality streaming. In addition, you’ll optimize ABR, buffering, and startup behavior while supporting ad insertion and captions.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of software engineering with a focus on web video playback.
• Hands-on experience with at least one of Shaka Player, hls.js, dash.js or Video.js at source level.
• Deep knowledge of HLS and DASH: manifests, segments, bitrate ladders, live vs VOD behavior.
• Practical experience with MSE/EME and DRM integration.
• Understanding of CDNs, caching and how delivery affects playback.

Responsibilities

• Build, maintain, and extend a web video player using Shaka Player, hls.js and/or dash.js.
• Implement and troubleshoot HLS/DASH playback including CMAF and LL-HLS/LL-DASH.
• Work with MSE/EME to deliver secure playback with multi-DRM (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay).
• Tune ABR logic, buffer management and startup behavior to improve QoE metrics.
• Assist with ad insertion (SSAI/CSA I, e.g. IMA), and handle captions/subtitles and multiple audio tracks.

Skills

Web video playback

Shaka Player

hls.js

dash.js

MSE/EME

DRM integration

ABR tuning

QoE metrics

Job description

• Building, maintaining and extending our web video player using Shaka Player, hls.js and/or dash.js
• Implementing and troubleshooting HLS and MPEG-DASH playback, including CMAF and low-latency streaming (LL-HLS, LL-DASH)
• Working with Media Source Extensions (MSE) and Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) to deliver smooth, secure playback
• Integrating multi-DRM (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay) with licence servers and key systems
• Tuning ABR logic, buffer management and startup behaviour to improve QoE metrics like time-to-first-frame, rebuffer ratio and playback failures
• Supporting ad insertion (SSAI and/or CSAI, e.g. Google IMA, VAST/VMAP) without breaking the viewing experience
• Handling captions and subtitles (WebVTT, TTML/IMSC, CEA-608/708), multiple audio tracks and accessibility needs
• Instrumenting the player for analytics and QoE monitoring (e.g. Mux, Conviva, NPAW/Youbora or in-house)
• Contributing to player architecture, code reviews and engineering standards

What we're looking for

• [3–5+] years of software engineering, with a solid chunk spent on web video playback
• Hands‑on experience with at least one of Shaka Player, hls.js, dash.js or Video.js, ideally at source level, not just config
• Deep working knowledge of HLS and DASH: manifests, segments, bitrate ladders, discontinuities and live vs VOD behaviour
• Practical experience with MSE/EME and DRM integration
• Understanding of CDNs, caching and how delivery affects playback

Nice to have

• Contributions to open-source players (Shaka, hls.js, dash.js)
• Experience with Smart TV / connected TV web platforms (Tizen, webOS, Vizio, Xbox) or Chromecast receivers
• Exposure to native players (AVPlayer, ExoPlayer/Media3) or React Native video
• Knowledge of encoding and packaging (FFmpeg, Shaka Packager, Bento4, AWS Elemental)
• Low-latency live, sports or FAST channel experience