Principal Software Engineer- Video Transcoding (San Francisco)

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are

When we say, the stuff dreams are made of, were not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBDs vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating whats next

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Max is where storytelling takes center stage and where creatives find a home with the support and resources to do their best work, no matter the genre or format. Whatever the viewer wants to watch is front and center and more of what they crave is easily discovered. It is where our exclusive Max Originals and iconic entertainment brands thrive, with HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., DC, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network and more delivering the greatest array of series, movies, and specials for audiences of all ages. HBO Max originally launched in the United States in May 2020 and introduced a lower priced, advertising-supported tier in June 2021. It rolled out globally across Latin America and the Caribbean in 2021, followed by its first European launches in the Nordics and Spain later that year. In May 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery introduced Max, an enhanced streaming platform, in the U.S. HBO Max is currently available in 46 countries and there are plans for the continued global expansion of Max in 2024.

The Job

Premium content and iconic moments are the heart of Warner Bros. Discoverys digital offerings. World-famous brands like HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures, CNN, and Eurosport deserve pristine video and audio to fully immerse viewers in the compelling TV, Movies, Sports, and News that we deliver every day to eager viewers.

As a Principal Engineer on our Media Core Engineering team, you will be responsible for the architecture, implementation, documentation, and operation of systems at the heart of delivering great audio and video experiences to WBDs digital customers. In this role, you will help us deliver state-the-art transcoding technologies, enabling us to reach customers globally with great playback experiences leveraging the most efficient possible video compression, uncompromising quality, and enhancements like Per-Title Encoding, UHD, HDR, and Immersive Audio.

Role and Responsibilities

• Design, implement, operate , maintain, and enhance live and VOD transcoding systems powering WBDs Direct-to-Consumer platform.

• Build and operate scalable , stable, cloud-hosted video transcoding solutions.

• Integrate state-of-the-art transcoding technologies like Content-Aware Encoding, Next-Gen Codecs, and Perceptual Quality Metrics into WBDs content processing systems.

• Collaborate across teams, organizations, and companies to define and deliver state-of-the-art video experiences across our digital products.

• Initiate and oversee the execution of research and innovation effort s focused on improving video and audio quality for our digital products, including HBO Max .

• Provide executive - level briefings for high profile projects.

• Provide on-call coverage in support of business-critical video services.

Required Experience

• 12+ years of experience delivering production software and encoding technologies for VOD and/or Live video content.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

• Extensive experience developing in Go lang and C++ .

• Mastery of professional software engineering practices & best practices for the full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, automated testing, and operations

• Expert ise in video technologies including Video and Audio codecs, packaging formats , quality metrics , UHD, HDR video, immersive audio , HLS, and MPEG-DASH.

• Proven track record developing cloud-based video workflows.

• Can work and thrive in an Agile software environment , embracing continuous integration and deployment practices.

• Experience mentoring more junior engineers and improving a team s software and processes.

• Strong collaboration and communication skills .

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Per-Title or Content-Adaptive encoding technologies is strongly preferred.

• Masters degree or PhD in computer science or equivalent

How We Get Things Done

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If youre a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discoverys total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $193,200.00 - $358,800.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.If youre a qualified candidate with an arrest or conviction record, please know that your application will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. #J-18808-Ljbffr