Staff Software Engineer - Media Platform (Backend)

Job Description

About the Role

The Media Platform team builds the unified backend platform that powers media ingestion, processing, intelligence, and delivery for Uber's Safety ecosystem. We enable real-time streaming, media processing, media intelligence, and compliant storage at global scale so Safety teams can build impactful products without worrying about scale, privacy, or infrastructure.

As a Staff Backend Engineer, you will shape the architecture and technical direction of a platform that directly impacts rider and driver safety worldwide. You will help build the systems that empower Uber to prevent safety risks, respond in real time, and drive accurate, trustworthy decisions using intelligent media insights.

What the Candidate Will Need / Bonus Points

---- What the Candidate Will Do ----

1. Architect and evolve Uber's Media Platform backend systems for ingestion, processing, storage, and delivery of real-time and recorded media.
2. Lead cross-team technical initiatives that improve reliability, scalability, cost efficiency, and compliance of media systems.
3. Define and enforce platform standards for performance, privacy, retention, and operational excellence.
4. Partner with Safety, Legal, and Product teams to translate complex requirements into scalable platform capabilities.
5. Mentor senior engineers and act as a technical multiplier across the organization.

---- Basic Qualifications ----

1. 10+ years of backend engineering experience, with deep expertise in distributed systems and large-scale service architecture.
2. Strong proficiency in one or more backend languages (e.g., Go, Java, or similar) and experience building high-availability microservices.
3. Proven experience designing and operating systems that handle high throughput, low latency, and strict reliability requirements.

---- Preferred Qualifications ----

1. Experience building or operating media systems (e.g., video ingestion, streaming pipelines, transcoding, storage, CDN integration). Familiarity with media container formats, codecs, and streaming protocols such as MP4, HEVC, H.264, VP9, JPEG, HLS, and DASH.
2. Strong understanding of event-driven architectures (Kafka/PubSub), real-time streaming systems, and asynchronous processing pipelines.
3. Experience working with privacy, data retention, compliance, and security-sensitive systems.
4. Demonstrated Staff-level impact: technical leadership across teams, setting architecture direction, mentoring senior engineers, and driving multi-quarter initiatives.

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Responsibilities

For San Francisco, CA-based roles: The base salary range for this role is USD $232,000 per year - USD $258,000 per year.

For Sunnyvale, CA-based roles: The base salary range for this role is USD $232,000 per year - USD $258,000 per year.

For all US locations, you will be eligible to participate in Uber's bonus program, and may be offered an equity award & other types of comp. All full-time employees are eligible to participate in a 401(k) plan. You will also be eligible for various benefits.

About Us

Ready to Ride?

This isn't the kind of place where you follow a playbook - it's where you help write one. If you're driven by impact, energized by challenge, and ready to shape how the world moves - we'd love to hear from you.

You may be eligible for bonuses, equity, and other compensation, as well as a range of benefits. Explore our benefits.

Offices remain key to collaboration and Uber's culture. Unless approved for full remote work, employees must spend at least 50% of their time in-office. Some roles, like those at greenlight hubs, require full-time in-office presence. Ask your Recruiter for details about this role's requirements.

Uber is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing this form.