Senior Android Video Player Engineer

About Kake

Kake is a globally distributed, remote-first company prioritizing people and engineering excellence. Our community consists of over 45,000 senior engineers across more than 55 countries, contributing to renowned products for Fortune 500 and rapidly growing organizations. We value the contributions you bring over physical location, fostering an environment where top talent thrives and grows.

Role Overview

We seek seasoned Senior Android Video Player Engineers with strong expertise in live video streaming to craft and maintain top-tier playback experiences on Android and Android TV platforms. This role suits engineers passionate about owning playback stability end-to-end within a mature, high-scale streaming ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, and fine-tune Android video player frameworks and software development kits (SDKs) tailored for live streaming applications.
• Customize and extend ExoPlayer features, including adaptive bitrate (ABR) control and player construction tools, to optimize playback performance.
• Diagnose and resolve intricate playback issues such as buffering delays, latency, and rebuffering events encountered in live streaming contexts.
• Handle dynamic streaming manifests (MPD and M3U8) and manage adaptive bitrate strategies to guarantee smooth viewing over varying network conditions.
• Integrate and sustain advertising technologies like Interactive Media Ads (IMA), Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), and Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) within the player ecosystem.
• Leverage Quality of Experience (QoE) analytics tools to identify playback issues and enhance real-world performance metrics.
• Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams to assure playback quality and dependability across diverse devices.
• Push initiatives for best practices and continuous improvements across streaming-related projects.

Essential Qualifications

• Over seven years developing Android applications with advanced skills in Kotlin and Java programming.
• Substantial hands-on involvement in building and supporting video player technology and live playback mechanisms specialized for Android and Android TV.
• Expertise with ExoPlayer including its customization and optimization specifically for live streaming scenarios.
• Proficient at troubleshooting and enhancing playback smoothness, addressing issues like rebuffering and latency.
• Knowledgeable in streaming protocols such as DASH and HLS, adaptive bitrate methodologies, and advertising frameworks including IMA, SSAI, and DAI.
• Experience employing video analytics platforms (e.g., Conviva, Mux, Hydrolix) for performance monitoring and quality assurance.
• Familiarity with modern Android development tools including Jetpack Compose, Kotlin Coroutines, and Flows.
• Strong command of written and spoken English to effectively communicate in a remote environment.
• Capable of independent, self-directed work within fast-moving, remote team settings.

Preferred Experience

• Background in broadcasting or over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms.
• Experience supporting large-scale live sports streaming systems.
• Flexibility to work hours that overlap with teams distributed across multiple time zones, including approximately 5-6 hours daily overlap with Pacific Standard Time (PST).

Additional Information

• Daily required overlap with US timezones ranging around 5–6 hours per day (PST).

Benefits of Joining Kake

• Competitive compensation paid in US dollars, enabling you to work and earn globally.
• Fully remote work arrangement endorsing trust and autonomy.
• Access to the "Better Me Fund" which supports your personal growth and passions.
• Being part of a community that supports social causes and fosters compassion.