Senior Android Video Player Engineer

About Kake

Kake is a remote-first, people-centered global community comprised of experienced senior engineers. Our engineers contribute to leading products from Fortune 500 companies to rapidly growing startups. Our network spans over 45,000 engineers in more than 55 countries, fostering a culture where talent thrives and innovation flourishes.

Role Overview

We are searching for Senior Android Video Player Engineers with extensive production experience in live video streaming. Candidates should excel in delivering seamless playback experiences on Android and Android TV platforms, taking full ownership of playback reliability within a mature and large-scale streaming framework.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and refine Android video player frameworks and SDKs tailored for live streaming scenarios.
• Customize ExoPlayer components, adaptive bitrate (ABR) mechanisms, and player configuration to enhance playback quality and performance.
• Investigate and fix intricate live streaming playback challenges, such as buffering, latency, and rebuffering issues.
• Manage dynamic streaming manifests (such as MPD and M3U8) and optimize adaptive bitrate strategies to ensure smooth video playback under varying network conditions.
• Integrate and sustain advertising technologies including IMA, DAI, and SSAI within the player ecosystem.
• Leverage Quality of Experience (QoE) analytics tools to detect playback issues and drive improvements in real-world performance.
• Collaborate with diverse teams to uphold device compatibility and playback consistency.
• Lead initiatives to enhance best practices and continuous improvements within streaming projects.

Essential Qualifications

• Minimum seven years of professional Android development, with strong command of Kotlin and Java languages.
• Solid background in designing and supporting video playback systems and live streaming components for Android and Android TV platforms.
• Advanced proficiency in working with ExoPlayer, focusing on customizations and performance tuning for live streams.
• Expertise in troubleshooting playback issues including latency, rebuffering, and ensuring stable playback.
• Knowledge of streaming protocols such as DASH and HLS, adaptive bitrate workflows, and ad insertion techniques (IMA, SSAI, DAI).
• Experience utilizing video analytics platforms like Conviva, Mux, or Hydrolix to monitor and enhance playback quality based on real user data.
• Familiarity with modern Android tools such as Jetpack Compose, Kotlin Coroutines, and Flows to support development.
• Strong communication skills in English, both spoken and written.
• Capacity to operate autonomously in a dynamic, remote work environment.

Preferred Experience

• Background in the broadcasting or OTT streaming space.
• Experience with large-scale live sports streaming applications.
• Willingness and flexibility to work hours overlapping with global, distributed teams.

Benefits and Culture

• Competitive compensation paid in USD, supporting a global workforce.
• 100% remote working model emphasizing trust and autonomy.
• Personal development support through the Better Me Fund, encouraging growth and passion projects.
• A community committed to social impact and compassion-driven initiatives.