Principal Software Engineer- Video Transcoding

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

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s 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 what’s 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. Discovery’s 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 WBD’s 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 WBD’s 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 WBD’s 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 efforts 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