Senior Software Engineer, Backend

Teamwork makes the stream work. Roku is changing how the world watches TV Roku is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and we've set our sights on powering every television in the world. Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. Our mission is to be the TV streaming platform that connects the entire TV ecosystem. We connect consumers to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers unique capabilities to engage consumers. From your first day at Roku, you'll make a valuable - and valued - contribution. We're a fast-growing public company where no one is a bystander. We offer you the opportunity to delight millions of TV streamers around the world while gaining meaningful experience across a variety of disciplines. About the Role We are seeking a seasoned Senior Backend Engineer to join the Roku APPS team and help shape our large-scale, consumer-facing platform. In this role, you will design, build, and operate highly available and scalable distributed services used by millions of devices worldwide. You will collaborate closely with Product and Design teams to drive features from concept to production, mentor engineers, and influence architectural decisions across the platform. This role is ideal for a self-starter who thrives on solving complex problems at scale, has a strong operational mindset, and enjoys balancing hands-on engineering with strategic impact. You will have the opportunity to work on challenging distributed systems, help adopt best practices, and ensure our platform remains reliable, performant, and innovative. About the Team The Roku APPS team is a group of highly skilled technologists building innovative platform products and services that power the Roku ecosystem for over 100M+ users and streaming devices. We focus on critical device services - including setup, configuration, software updates, and smart home integration that ensure seamless experiences across millions of devices. As part of Roku’s broader mission to lead the streaming industry, our team drives the architecture and implementation of scalable, reliable services that support the Roku platform and enhance the way users discover and interact with content. We thrive on solving complex technical challenges, delivering high-impact features, and shaping the future of connected entertainment. For California Only - The estimated annual base salary for this position is between $380,000 - $450,000 annually. Compensation packages are based on factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, certifications, and specific geographical location. This role is eligible for health insurance, equity awards, life insurance, disability benefits, parental leave, wellness benefits, and paid time off. How will I use AI at Roku? At Roku, we don’t just use AI, we work with it. AI agents and smart tools help power drafts, analysis, and repetitive workflows, while our people bring direction, judgment, and accountability. We’re looking for curious, adaptable builders who can show how they’ve used AI or automation to move faster, raise the bar, and scale their impact. We value your AI skills if you have built fluency across the agentic engineering toolchain — coding harnesses like Claude Code or Cursor, MCP servers, custom skills, or agent frameworks. And you can describe projects where you shipped real work with these tools. You know how to drive an agent, verify its output, and ramp on an unfamiliar codebase with an agent helping you. What you'll be doing • Build and own large-scale platform services used internally and by millions of devices. • Lead architectural discussions and design highly available, scalable, distributed systems. • Partner with Product and Design to deliver features from ideation through production and ongoing support. • Manage technical scope, priorities, and delivery timelines. • Champion engineering excellence through hands-on development (70%), code/design reviews, and mentorship. • Evaluate emerging technologies and drive adoption of best practices across engineering, QA, and operations. We're excited if you have • 8+ years of experience designing, building, and operating large-scale backend and distributed systems. • Strong software development experience (Java preferred). • Expertise in building large-scale cloud services in AWS and/or Google Cloud. • Deep understanding of infrastructure fundamentals (networking, compute, storage, containers) with hands-on experience troubleshooting Kubernetes clusters and distributed systems in production. • Experience selecting appropriate data stores and analyzing performance, scalability, and consistency trade-offs. • Track record of monitoring deployments and diagnosing production issues. • Strong understanding of end-to-end web architecture, from client devices to backend services. • Bachelor’s degree in CS, CE, or equivalent experience. #LI-SG1 What's Roku's approach to hybrid working? Roku fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment where teams generally work in the office Monday through Thursday. Fridays are generally flexible for remote work, except for employees whose specific roles or assigned office location require five days' a week attendance. What are some of the benefits? Roku is committed to offering a diverse range of benefits as part of our compensation package to support our employees and their families. Our comprehensive benefits include global access to mental health and financial wellness support and resources. Local benefits include statutory and voluntary benefits which may include healthcare (medical, dental, and vision), life, accident, disability, commuter, and retirement options (401(k)/pension). Employees are supported in taking time off, in accordance with local leave policies and other personal needs to support their evolving work and life needs. It's important to note that not every benefit is available in all locations or for every role. For details specific to your location, please consult with your recruiter. Accommodations Roku welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and provides reasonable accommodations and adjustments in accordance with applicable law. If you require reasonable accommodation at any point in the hiring process, please direct your inquiries to EmployeeRelations@Roku.com. What should I know about Roku's culture? Roku is a great place for people who want to work in a fast-paced environment where everyone is focused on the company's success rather than their own. We try to surround ourselves with people who are great at their jobs, who are easy to work with, and who keep their egos in check. We appreciate a sense of humor. We believe a fewer number of very talented folks can do more for less cost than a larger number of less talented teams. We're independent thinkers with big ideas who act boldly, move fast and accomplish extraordinary things through collaboration and trust. In short, at Roku you'll be part of a company that's changing how the world watches TV.  We have a unique culture that we are proud of. We think of ourselves primarily as problem-solvers, which itself is a two-part idea. We come up with the solution, but the solution isn't real until it is built and delivered to the customer. That penchant for action gives us a pragmatic approach to innovation, one that has served us well since 2002.  To learn more about Roku, our global footprint, and how we've grown, visit https://www.weareroku.com/factsheet. By providing your information, you acknowledge that you want Roku to contact you about job roles, that you have read Roku's Applicant Privacy Notice, and understand that Roku will use your information as described in that notice. If you do not wish to receive any communications from Roku regarding this role or similar roles in the future, you may unsubscribe at any time by emailing WorkforcePrivacy@Roku.com.