Senior Android Video Player Engineer

About the Role and Company

Kake is a global, remote-first community of senior engineers focused on innovation, supporting products used by Fortune 500 companies and fast-growing enterprises worldwide. With over 45,000 engineers in 55+ countries, Kake values skills and contributions beyond physical location. Our culture fosters growth, collaboration, and a love for crafting exceptional technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and refine Android video player frameworks and software development kits designed for live streaming scenarios.
• Enhance and tailor ExoPlayer modules, adaptive bitrate logic, and player builders to optimize playback performance and reliability.
• Identify and fix complex playback challenges such as buffering, latency issues, and rebuffering in live streaming contexts.
• Handle dynamic stream manifests (MPD and M3U8) and adaptive bitrate algorithms that guarantee seamless playback under varying network conditions.
• Implement and manage advertisement technologies like IMA, DAI, and SSAI within the video player infrastructure.
• Leverage Quality of Experience analytics to detect performance bottlenecks and enhance real-world playback behavior.
• Partner with diverse teams to uphold consistent playback quality and stability across Android and Android TV devices.
• Lead and contribute to ongoing improvements and best practices throughout streaming projects.

Essential Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience in Android development, with advanced skills in Kotlin and Java programming languages.
• Demonstrated track record of developing and maintaining video player applications and live playback features specifically for Android and Android TV platforms.
• In-depth proficiency with ExoPlayer, including its customization and optimizing performance for live video streaming.
• Strong expertise in debugging and enhancing playback stability, addressing issues such as rebuffering and latency.
• Sound understanding of streaming protocols like DASH and HLS, combined with experience in adaptive bitrate streaming workflows and ad integrations (IMA, SSAI, DAI).
• Usage of video analytics and QoE tools such as Conviva, Mux, or Hydrolix for performance diagnostics and improvements.
• Familiarity with modern Android development tools and frameworks including Jetpack Compose, Kotlin Coroutines, and Flows.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and written, enabling effective collaboration in a remote setting.
• Proven ability to work autonomously and efficiently in a fast-paced, distributed team environment.

Preferred Experience

• Past involvement in broadcasting or over-the-top (OTT) streaming environments.
• Experience with large-scale live streaming events, particularly in sports broadcasting.
• Flexibility to work hours overlapping with teams distributed across multiple time zones.

Employee Benefits and Culture

• Competitive salary paid in US dollars, supporting global work arrangements.
• Completely remote working model based on trust and autonomy.
• Access to the "Better Me Fund" that supports personal development and individual passions.
• Engagement in a socially conscious community with a focus on compassion and social good.