Senior Director, Linear IP Video Engineering
Denver, CO

Job Description

Business Unit:

The Video IP Engineering & Research (VIPER) team is looking for an outstanding Senior Director level candidate to lead the VIPER Linear Engineering Team. This is a technical leadership role, reporting to the Senior Vice President of VIPER.

What is the VIPER Linear Engineering Team?

The VIPER Linear Engineering team consists over 20 software engineers responsible for developing the systems that deliver live linear video content across over Comcast's IP network. This team is on a mission to build a live linear IP video distribution platform that surpasses the value of QAM. They build the live encoders, packagers, signal processors, decision managers, and virtual stream stitchers that concurrently process tens of thousands of channels; all day, every day.

Who does the leader of VIPER Linear Engineering Team work with?

As the Senior Director of VIPER Linear Engineering, you will be working with the best and brightest minds in the IP Video industry. You will partner with three peer Engineering Directors at VIPER. The Director of Video-On-Demand, will supply your linear streams with ad content. The Director of Time Shifted Video will allow your linear streams to be recorded, in the cloud. The Director of the Player Platform builds the video engines that allows your linear streams to be viewed on set top boxes, smartphones, tablets, web browsers and SmartTVs. This gang of four engineering Directors are supported with collaborators from network engineering, content delivery network engineering, CPE engineering, and advanced advertising specialists. You will represent the linear IP video platform in strategic discussions with Comcast executives.

What are some interesting problems you'll be working on?

* Build a scalable, reliable and efficient real-time linear adaptive bitrate transcoder
* Redesign the existing on-premise based IP linear video distribution system to utilize a hybrid cloud architecture
* Make a science of onboarding live-linear streams; even when they each bring their own unique interpretation of how ad breaks should be signaled
* Use computer vision to automate system acceptance tests
* Scale systems for insane peak-second load, at the top of each hour, when programming switches and a thundering herd of alternate content decisions need to be made

Where can you make an impact?

You'll join a team that is rapidly changing the landscape of TV and redefining the industry through its video delivery infrastructure that will power the next generation of television. In your role, you will have opportunities to redefine how TV content is enjoyed inside and outside the home on devices of consumers' choice. Major entertainment and sporting events such as Oscars, Olympics provide you opportunities to innovate and offer new content experiences to customers.

Responsibilities:

* Lead a software development organization
* Provide technical guidance and domain expertise
* Make development commitments to stakeholders
* Develop and grow engineering talent
* Identify, measure and report on the metrics that represent quality of user experience
* Assert non-functional requirements and guard the capacity to meet them
* Foster an environment of diversity, innovation and collaboration

Preferred Qualifications

* Expertise managing managers of software engineering teams
* Expertise in developing complex distributed systems
* Experience in audio and video codecs: h.264, h.265, AAC, AC-3, DD+
* Experience with video streaming formats: DASH, HLS
* Experience with dynamic ad insertion (DAI) technologies: ESAM, SCTE 35, SCTE 130, VAST
* Experience with linear blackout and content substitution technologies: SCTE 224
* Familiarity with digital rights management (DRM) technologies: Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay
* Strong analytical & strategic planning skills; ability to set clear objectives and priorities to drive execution
* Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills, ability to build and maintain relationships, to influence without direct authority
* Excellent communicator; able to analyze and clearly articulate complex issues and technologies understandably and engagingly
* BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related technical field

We are interested in attracting a diverse set of candidates for this position; if you're not sure you're qualified please err on the side of applying.

About Comcast VIPER (Video IP Engineering & Research)

VIPER (Video IP Engineering & Research), is a startup division within Comcast's Technology and Product Division and spun out from IP Video and online projects originated within Comcast Interactive Media is based in downtown Denver, CO. We are a cloud-based, IP video infrastructure that's been built to deliver a broad mix of on-demand video, live TV streams and an assortment of other digital media to an array of connected devices in the home.

Comcast is an EOE/Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer