Software Engineer (Platform Engineering)

Company Description

VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT) is an industry-changing media and entertainment business and home to trusted brands that shape culture, inform audiences, and build lasting connections. It operates across four core markets: political news and opinion, business news and personal finance, golf, and sports and genre entertainment. These markets are served through a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Versant’s sports division USA Sports, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass.

Job Description

Versant’s Software Engineering team provides core services to our business, underpinning our strategy and execution of linear & digital distribution of content, platforms, and data. As a leader of our engineering team, you will have a direct role in defining our roadmap towards our future vision in the video landscape. 

The Software Engineer (Video Platform) role is a technology role responsible for the implementation of video services, delivery, and operation of VERSANT’s video platform ecosystem across digital, OTT, and authenticated experiences. 

This role will be hands on in the creation of Versant’s end-to-end video delivery stack, including client integrations and playback experiences, TV Everywhere (TVE) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) authentication and user flows, live and on-demand video pipelines, and observability across playback and streaming systems. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Video Platform & Client Playback Engineering 

• Join development of video player frameworks and SDKs across multiple platforms (web, iOS, Android, CTV). 

• Implement playback experiences with authentication, personalization, and analytics systems. 

• Optimize startup time, buffering, bitrate adaptation, and overall QoE across device types and network conditions. 

• Ensure systems support real-time and near-real-time workflows for live sports, news, and event-based programming. 

• Implement solutions for advertising through DAI and core ad tech integrations across our platform landscape. 

• Ensure secure, scalable integration with MVPDs, identity providers, and subscription platforms. 

• Integrate with personalization services and data platforms to provide user-specific context and optimizations. 

• Cross-Functional Partnership 

• Partner closely with Product, Distribution, Ad Tech, Data, and Editorial teams to deliver integrated video experiences. 

• Align with infrastructure, cloud, and DevOps teams to ensure scalable, reliable platform operations. 

• Work closely with product and architecture teams to align on technical direction and business priorities. 

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in professional software development experience, with a background in video technology. 

• Experience with HLS/DASH, DRM, CDNs, encoding/transcoding, and player frameworks. 

• Skilled in modern JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML/CSS, and frameworks like React, Vue or Angular. 

• Experience developing and integrating backend services in languages like Node, Python, or Go. 

• Familiarity with ad-supported video (AVOD) and monetization workflows. 

• Experience with analytics, observability, and performance monitoring. 

• Experience and familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and CI/CD methodologies. 

• Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset. 

Additional Information 

Location: New York City, NY or Englewood Cliffs, NJ - (Hybrid – 3 days onsite) 

Employees based in our Englewood Cliffs office have access to a variety of convenient on-site services and amenities, including free employee parking, complimentary electric vehicle charging stations, an on-site fitness center with locker rooms and towel service, and dry-cleaning drop-off and pick-up.

To support an easier commute, shuttle service is also available to and from the Englewood Cliffs campus, with pickup locations across Manhattan’s East Side and West Side, Brooklyn, Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, and Secaucus.

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to candidateaccessibility@versantmedia.com.

VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc.

VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.