Senior Java Engineer

We’re seeking a Senior Java Video Streaming Engineer with deep expertise in backend Java with direct experience writing code for a streaming server or engine (e.g., Wowza, FFmpeg, Ant Media, Red5) to join our engineering team. In this role, you will architect, implement, and optimize live and on-demand streaming pipelines in Wowza Streaming Engine. We are looking for someone with deep expertise in streaming video standards and a low level understanding of the key components in video processing.

What You’ll Do

• Design and develop core features within Wowza Streaming Engine designed for testability and scale.
• Design and implement advanced transcoder workflows for new codecs and accelerators.
• Design and implement highly scalable packaging workflows.
• Debug and resolve customer reported issues, bugs and performance issues.
• Participate in cross-functional projects from conception through deployment.
• Be a resource to other team members as a streaming subject matter expert.

Technical Requirements

Java Expertise (Core Requirement)

Must have worked on core streaming engine code or extended engine modules — not platforms that wrap streaming

• 8+ years of hands-on Java development in performance-critical, large-scale systems.
• Deep understanding of Java concurrency and multithreading — thread pools, locks, synchronization, concurrent data structures, and designing thread-safe components for high-throughput workloads.
• Strong knowledge of JVM internals including garbage collection tuning (G1, ZGC, Shenandoah), heap/off-heap memory management, and GC pause optimization for latency-sensitive applications.
• Proven ability to optimize Java applications for memory, CPU, and GPU utilization using standard Java profiling and diagnostic tools.
• Experience with JNI (Java Native Interface) for integrating Java with native C/C++ libraries and managing cross-boundary memory and threading safely.
• Experience with Unit testing, performance testing/tuning (heap dump analysis, thread dump analysis), and debugging complex multithreaded Java applications.

Video Streaming & Domain Knowledge

• 5+ years’ experience in transcoding and packaging workflows (Wowza or similar).
• Deep knowledge of video codecs: H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, VP8/VP9, AV1.
• Hands-on experience with GPU or VPU accelerated transcoding pipelines.
• Extensive experience with one or more of the common streaming protocols – RTMP, RTSP, HLS, MPEG-DASH, CMAF, WebRTC.
• Knowledge of content encryption and DRM.
• Familiarity with video quality metrics (PSNR, SSIM, VMAF).

Nice to Have

• Experience with C/C++ development and ability to read, debug, and contribute to native codebases that interface with Java via JNI.
• Contributions to open-source video projects such FFmpeg or gStreamer.
• Experience with Wowza Streaming Engine.
• Understanding of build (CI/CD) and test automation frameworks for large scale software.
• Experience creating and documenting public APIs and creating publicly available SDKs.

Who We Are

Wowza Media Systems is a Colorado-based global leader in video streaming software. Our technology powers live and on-demand video delivery for education, healthcare, enterprise, gaming, government, and more—reaching customers in over 100 countries. Backed by Clearhaven Partners, we continue to grow by pushing innovation in scalable, low-latency video streaming.

Why Join Wowza?

At Wowza, you’ll be part of a fast-paced, mission-driven team working on solutions that power critical real-world applications—from live-streaming graduations to helping parents monitor NICU care. We encourage ownership, collaboration, and innovation while providing a supportive, global team environment.