This job is with BBC, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.
JOB DETAILS JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: Playback Core
LOCATION: Salford - Hybrid
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: up to £70,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.
We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application - though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE We are the Playback Core team for iPlayer and Sounds on TV. As a Senior Software Engineer in our team, you will help ensure millions of viewers enjoy a seamless, reliable playback experience across TVs and connected entertainment devices.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM?
- This is an exciting time for playback at the BBC. We are evolving our platform to meet growing audience expectations and increasingly complex device ecosystems.
- You will work in a multidisciplinary team of engineers, testers and product managers to build the playback platform that powers BBC TV applications. We collaborate closely with UI, Media Distribution, R&D and partner teams across the organisation.
- Your work will have a direct impact on how audiences experience BBC content, contributing to one of the UK's most valued public services.
YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT
Lead the design and delivery of reliable, well-tested playback software used by millions of viewers.
Take ownership of complex technical problems from early discovery through to release and beyond.
Improve playback performance and reliability across a wide range of TV platforms, from modern smart TVs to older, constrained devices.
Provide technical leadership within the team, supporting and mentoring other engineers and helping to maintain high engineering standards.
Work closely with Product, UI, Distribution, Test, Certification and Partner teams to deliver improvements that genuinely benefit audiences.
Help shape the future of our playback platform through thoughtful technical decisions and continuous improvement.
YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL
Strong software engineering fundamentals and experience building and operating production systems (JavaScript/TypeScript are our primary languages).
Experience leading technical initiatives in cross-functional teams, balancing quality, pace and outcomes.
Comfortable tackling complex problems and making pragmatic decisions that balance quality, pace and impact.
Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills, particularly in client-side or distributed systems.
A growth mindset: you share knowledge openly, support others and actively improve how the team works - with excellent communication skills and the confidence to collaborate, challenge constructively and align teams around decisions.
DESIRABLE
We do not expect candidates to have experience in all of the following. If you bring experience in some of these areas, or a strong understanding of the underlying principles, we would welcome your application:
Media playback or streaming technologies (for example DASH or HLS).
Browser media APIs (such as MSE or W3C Media APIs).
Debugging on constrained or embedded devices such as TVs, consoles or set-top boxes.
Familiarity with media formats and tooling (for example AVC/H.264, AAC, CMAF or ffmpeg).
Experience with observability, performance optimisation and operational support in production systems.
If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.
Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.