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: C
Contract Type:
Permanent/Full-time
Department: TV Core - Playback Team
Location: Media City, Salford (Hybrid)
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE:
£45,000-£55,000 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. (delete if not applicable)
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
As a Software Engineer on the iPlayer TV Playback team, you'll play a key role in ensuring that millions of viewers enjoy a seamless and reliable playback experience on their TVs. You'll join the team at an exciting time, helping to shape the future of playback at the BBC. Your work will have a direct impact on our audience, improving how they watch content and contributing to one of the UK's most-loved digital services.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM
We're a close-knit team of experienced software engineers passionate about what we do. We love delivering high-quality software and continually improving playback performance and reliability. You'll collaborate with supportive colleagues who take pride in building software that millions of people use every day, and who enjoy tackling interesting technical challenges together.
YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT
Improve playback performance and reliability across a range of TV devices.
Build APIs and interfaces that are used by other teams to enhance the iPlayer experience.
Work closely with Certification and Partner Engineering teams to onboard new TVs and troubleshoot partner issues.
Debug complex TV-specific playback problems and help deliver solutions that directly enhance viewer satisfaction.
Contribute to the ongoing evolution of iPlayer TV playback, helping to shape its future direction and technical excellence.
YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Have a passion for continuous improvement and a collaborative mindset
Enjoys sharing knowledge and learning from others
Takes a logical, methodical approach to solving complex problems
Communicates clearly with both technical and non-technical colleagues
Is proactive in setting learning and development goals
Has experience designing and delivering robust software in fast-paced environments
Cares deeply about quality, testing, and engineering best practices
ESSENTIAL SKILLS
Proficient in JavaScript (ES6+) and/or TypeScript, especially outside of UI frameworks
Strong debugging skills, including identifying memory leaks and performance bottlenecks
Interest in working with media playback technologies (e.g. MSE, DASH, HLS) - prior experience is not essential
Experience writing automated tests, including unit and integration tests
Comfortable working with APIs using fetch or XHR, and parsing structured data formats (e.g. JSON, XML)
Experience with backend services and full-stack software development
Understanding of operational concerns such as performance, reliability, monitoring, and security
Solid grasp of software design principles and common design patterns
Familiarity with Agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban
Experience working in structured software teams with established best practices
Ability to deliver high-quality, maintainable code as part of a collaborative team
DESIRABLE BUT NOT REQUIRED:
Experience working with TV platforms (e.g. Tizen, webOS, Android TV)
Exposure to media streaming protocols or playback frameworks (e.g. DASH.js, HLS, MSE, HTML5 Video)
Experience developing accessible applications
Familiarity with open-source practices or contributions
Understanding of how to optimise code for low-powered or embedded environments
Experience mentoring junior engineers or supporting a learning-focused team culture