Staff Researcher, Video Standards

Via Licensing Corporation; Sunnyvale (CA); Hybrid; USD 191,000 - 234,000; Full time

Job summary

Dolby seeks a senior researcher to advance video coding and processing technologies in Sunnyvale, CA. You will research and develop algorithms for next‑generation codecs, prototype proof‑of‑concept systems, and assess end‑to‑end performance across platforms.

You will publish results, contribute to standards discussions, and collaborate with ML specialists to integrate deep learning into video processing. Travel internationally and to Bay Area meetings as needed.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in developing video compression algorithms or learning-based visual computing.
• Strong research background in video or image coding and processing.
• Extensive programming in Python/C/C++ for image/video coding/processing and frameworks like TensorFlow/PyTorch.
• Track record of research, publications, or patents in video coding and processing.
• Excellent English communication; able to work in a team and independently.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop advanced video processing technologies to improve quality and efficiency.
• Create and prototype algorithms; evaluate end-to-end performance across platforms.
• Document and present new algorithms via standards contributions, papers, and white papers.
• Represent Dolby technology interests in industry groups and standards bodies.
• Maintain high technical and ethical standards in the workplace.

Skills

Video coding

Deep learning

Python

C/C++

English communication

Team collaboration

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in EE/CE/CS

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Job description

Join the leader in entertainment innovation and help us design the future. At Dolby, science meets art, and high tech means more than computer code. As a member of the Dolby team, you’ll see and hear the results of your work everywhere, from movie theaters to smartphones. We continue to revolutionize how people create, deliver, and enjoy entertainment worldwide. To do that, we need the absolute best talent. We’re big enough to give you all the resources you need, and small enough so you can make a real difference and earn recognition for your work. We offer a collegial culture, challenging projects, and excellent compensation and benefits.

For this high functioning team, the nature of the work benefits from frequent in-office presence, and employees may be expected to work from a company office up to four days per week. While we remain committed to flexibility, this team’s rhythm includes regular in-person connection to support collaboration, learning, and impact.

The Legal Department provides core legal support to all Dolby functions, runs several IP-centric businesses, and leads government relations.

You will bring your experience in video coding and processing technology development to Dolby’s video codec R&D team. You will research and develop cutting edge technologies that will power the next generations of state-of-the-art video compression and processing. As a prerequisite for your work, you have expert knowledge of video coding standards (e.g., AVC, HEVC, and VVC) and strong understanding of deep learning in the context of image and video processing. Your solid understanding of trade-offs between computational complexity and picture quality will guide you in decisions. You will research and develop new algorithms to improve video coding systems, develop proof-of-concept prototypes, and evaluate end-to-end system performance.

You must have expert knowledge of the principles, algorithms, and techniques in video and image processing, or machine learning, or computer vision technology. You should have excellent software design, problem solving, and debugging skills. You will join a highly skilled and motivated team to research and develop advanced video processing technologies to improve the quality, efficiency, and capabilities of video coding.

Job Functions

• Works with a general understanding of competitive technologies in video compression.
• Works to understand the system context in which new technologies will be used and the requirements that the technology must fulfill for success.
• Creates early-stage conceptual models that demonstrate feasibility.
• Documents and presents new algorithms and implementations in various forms, including standards contributions, patent applications, conference and journal publications, presentations, and technical white papers at various venues (JVET/MPEG meetings, IEEE conferences, etc.).
• Represent company technology interests in industry associations or international standards bodies based on guidance from senior technical staff or management.
• Maintain the highest technical and moral integrity for Dolby in the workplace and marketplace.

Skills, Education, and Experience Required

• Master's or Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science, or related engineering disciplines required.
• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in developing algorithms for video compression or learning-based visual computing.
• Solid research background in video or image coding and processing.
• Extensive programming experience in python/C/C++ applied to image/video coding/processing and experience with one or more deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow and PyTorch) is required.
• Track record of successful research accomplishments, published papers, and/or patent applications in the field of video coding and processing.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills. Strong team player who also works effectively and independently.
• Ability to travel internationally 3-4 times per year for MPEG/JVET standards meetings.
• Ability to travel to Sunnyvale, CA for business meetings 6-8 weeks per year and to accommodate weekly meetings during Sunnyvale, CA business hours
• Ability to work effectively across different time zones and cultures.

Skills and Experience Preferred

• In-depth knowledge in development, training, testing, and computing platforms for deep learning (DL) and statistical machine learning (ML) preferred.
• Experience in filing patents of newly developed technologies preferred.
• Prior participation in standardization activities with experience in drafting and defending contributions preferred.

Note:

We are open to remote candidates for this role. While day-to-day work can be performed remotely, the successful candidate should be available for periodic business travel to attend key meetings, conferences, customer engagements, and other business-related activities.

The San Francisco/Bay Area base salary range for this full-time position is $191,000-$234,200 which can vary if outside this location, plus bonus, benefits,profit-sharing and equity. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, competencies, experience, market demands, internal parity, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range and perks and benefits for your location during the hiring process.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Dolby is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our success depends on the combined skills and talents of all our employees. We are committed to making employment decisions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, marital status, family status, medical condition, disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws and ordinances.

Dolby will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of San Francisco Police Code, Article 49, and Administrative Code, Article 12.