Wowza powers the world's leading live and on-demand streaming experiences. From global events and enterprise broadcasts to AI-powered video intelligence at the edge, Wowza provides the most trusted, extensible, and developer-friendly streaming platform on the market.
We are seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to join our AI-powered video intelligence team. You should have strong experience in Python backend development and building real-time, performance-critical applications, with a passion for learning new domains. While video streaming and AI/ML experience are bonuses, we're looking for someone eager to dive into the intersection of video technology and artificial intelligence. This role requires solid Python programming skills, experience with asynchronous systems, and the ability to work on high-throughput applications that process video streams at scale.
The Senior Backend Engineer will design and develop scalable real-time video analysis services using modern Python frameworks. This role operates at the intersection of backend engineering, AI integration, and high-performance computing, building systems that process thousands of video frames per second with computer vision models.
Design and develop scalable real-time video analysis services using FastAPI and WebSocket protocols
Build and maintain high-performance AI inference pipelines that process thousands of video frames per second
Optimize GPU utilization, model sharing, and resource allocation across concurrent video streams
Evaluate and integrate computer vision models (object detection, scene classification, VLMs) into production services
Implement fair scheduling algorithms and multi-device inference coordination
Monitor and optimize production systems for memory efficiency, inference latency, and throughput
Work with product management to translate business requirements into technical solutions
Learn and contribute to video processing and AI/ML technologies as part of your role growth
8+ years of experience in commercial software engineering
5+ years of backend development experience with Python, particularly modern async frameworks (FastAPI, asyncio)
Strong understanding of concurrent programming, async/await patterns, and event-driven architectures
Experience with real-time systems, WebSocket protocols, and binary data streaming
Knowledge of performance optimization including profiling, memory management, and bottleneck analysis
Strong understanding of distributed systems concepts: load balancing, resource pooling, fair scheduling
Experience with REST APIs, protocol design, and client-server architectures
Solid debugging skills for complex multi-threaded/async systems
Strong motivation to learn new technologies and domains, particularly video processing and AI/ML integration
Good communication skills and ability to work effectively in a collaborative environment
Commitment to code quality: type annotations, testing, documentation, and maintainability
Experience with video processing, streaming protocols (RTMP, WebRTC, HLS), or media frameworks (FFmpeg, OpenCV)
Knowledge of computer vision, object detection, or ML model inference in production
Experience with PyTorch, TensorFlow, or other ML frameworks for model integration (not ML research)
Familiarity with ML inference optimization
Understanding of video codecs, frame encoding/decoding, and media transport protocols
Experience with object tracking algorithms or real-time video analytics
Background in high-throughput data processing or stream processing systems
Knowledge of Wowza Streaming Engine or similar media server platforms
Languages: Python (modern type hints, async/await)
Frameworks: FastAPI
AI/ML: PyTorch, TensorRT, OpenCV, Hugging Face, computer vision models
Infrastructure: Docker, Github Actions
Protocols: WebSocket, binary streaming, custom protocols
Tools: Git, pytest, mypy, black, rye (Python packaging)
• Paid Time Off
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance (effective Day 1)
• 401(k) with strong company match
• Dependent Care FSA
• Employer-paid Life Insurance and AD&D
• Paid Parental Leave
Wowza Media Systems is a streaming software, cloud services, and hardware provider aimed at powering live streaming for today’s most innovative companies. We frequent Streaming Media’s list of Companies That Matter Most in Online Video and Readers’ Choice Awards, as well as Built in Colorado’s list of Best Midsize Workplaces.Cofounders David Stubenvoll and Charlie Good first set out to create cool stuff with like-minded people in 2005. In the years that have followed, Wowza’s become the gold standard for streaming. One third of content delivery networks (CDNs) have Wowza’s technology built in and more than 35,000 organizations across the globe power their streaming with Wowza.With adoption rates exploding, use cases proliferating, and video quality increasing, the streaming industry’s influence on everyday life continues to grow. And when it comes to live video, one thing rings true: If you can dream it, the experts at Wowza can help you build it.
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