Senior Software Engineer

A small broadcast engineering team that does two things. They consult with broadcasters and vendors on IP infrastructure and the shift from SDI to IP. They also build, and are launching their own product next year: an appliance that encodes live video and moves it across public internet and private networks at low latency, with a browser interface on the device and a cloud platform managing the fleet.

Small team, so the work is varied and nobody is far from the decisions. You will help shape how the product ships and see it running on real hardware behind major televised events.

The Role

Senior, hands-on development on the new product, working across the stack with most time in the backend and the media path. Reporting to the Technology Director. 1 year fixed term with likely extension if the product lands well.

What You'll Own

Product Development

• Senior developer on the product, spanning device and cloud
• Restructuring the media pipeline to support more advanced and efficient workflows
• Turning roadmap items into shipped features alongside the product engineers steering the direction
• Helping define sprints and keeping delivery moving

Engineering Foundations

• Building out test harnesses, continuous integration, code review, release and versioning
• Automating the route from a clean unit off the hardware supplier to a flashed, primed device ready to ship
• Introducing engineering practice pragmatically, in the right order, rather than all at once

Team

• Not customer-facing day to day, but occasionally in the room with one
• Part of the conversations about where the product goes next
• Sharing what you know, giving and receiving feedback so the team performs better

The Stack

On the device

• Go control application and C++ media service, talking over gRPC
• GStreamer with hardware-accelerated encode and decode on Intel
• REST and WebSocket APIs to a React and TypeScript operator interface
• Linux, systemd, SQLite throughout

In the cloud

• TypeScript monorepo on Node.js
• NestJS on Fastify, PostgreSQL with TimescaleDB, Drizzle
• MQTT for device messaging, mTLS and PKI for device authentication
• React frontend, Docker, Caddy

How it gets built

• Git and GitHub Actions
• Sprints with monthly priority reviews, mutual code review as the team grows
• AI coding agents on scoped work where they genuinely help. Engineers own the design and the review; nobody is shipping code they do not understand

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Strong backend experience in a compiled systems language in production. Real depth in either Go or C++, and the confidence to work in the other
• Real-time or performance-sensitive work: profiling, concurrency, memory behaviour, finding where the time actually goes rather than guessing
• Confident on Linux as a development and deployment target, including building against third-party libraries and SDKs
• API and service design, and holding a contract with other developers
• Relational databases, including schema design and migrations
• Enough TypeScript and React to work on a frontend when needed, and the willingness to do it
• A track record of putting engineering practice in place: automated testing, CI, review, releases
• Security-conscious by default, particularly around device authentication and secret handling
• Clear written and spoken English. Specs and design notes come with the job
• Right to work in the UK

Useful

• GStreamer or FFmpeg, including writing or extending elements
• Real-time transport in production: RIST, SRT, MPEG-TS or WebRTC
• Hardware-accelerated media, GPU surface sharing, zero-copy buffer handling
• Codecs in practice: H.264, HEVC, AV1 or JPEG XS
• Broadcast, streaming or pro AV domain experience
• Embedded or appliance Linux, firmware update, device provisioning
• MQTT and device fleets, mTLS and PKI
• NestJS, PostgreSQL, Docker

The broadcast side can be taught. Engineering judgement cannot.

Package

• £54,000 to £70,000, depending on experience
• Pension matched up to 5%
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, or opt out of bank holidays (except Christmas and Boxing Day) and take 31 days whenever you like
• Discounted gym membership
• Core hours 10am to 4pm, flexible around them
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Company socials

The Details

• 1 year fixed term, extension likely depending on how the product lands
• Full time, 40 hours, Monday to Friday
• Start December 2026 or January 2027, flexible for the right person
• Hybrid: office near Gatwick and home, occasional travel where the work needs it

Get in touch for a confidential conversation. Imogen@waverecruitment.co.uk