Senior Software Engineer, Video Compression

Senior Software Engineer, Video Compression

Ofinno is a leading research and development lab headquartered in Reston, Virginia, specializing in advancing communication and media standards. Our team's innovative work has led to significant contributions to technologies such as 5G cellular, Wi-Fi, and media compression. Ofinno holds strategic partnerships and licensing agreements with several of the world's leading technology companies that use such technologies. At Ofinno, we foster an environment of collaboration and excellence, where researchers can focus on delivering breakthroughs that shape the future of technology.

Position Overview

As a Senior Software Engineer in the Advanced Media Lab, you will enable research engineers across levels to turn research ideas into working prototypes and high-quality software implementations. You will provide hands-on C/C++ engineering leadership for video codec software development, helping translate concepts into reproducible experiments, efficient implementations, and robust tooling. This role is highly implementation-focused and collaborative, working closely with researchers and external partners to deliver measurable performance and quality improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with research engineers across levels to implement and validate video compression ideas, delivering reproducible prototypes and integration-ready code

• Design, implement, and optimize video codec software components with strong engineering rigor (correctness, performance, maintainability, and testability).

• Provide software implementation guidance and technical reviews (architecture, coding style, performance trade-offs), helping unblock research execution and improve delivery velocity.

• Build and improve shared infrastructure (e.g., testing pipelines, scripts, datasets, configurations, regression tests, profiling tools) to scale team experimentation and quality.

• Integrate and profile tool interactions, ensuring stable baselines and reliable comparisons across experiments and platforms.

• Communicate technical findings and implementation insights to internal stakeholders and, when needed, to clients/partners and industry audiences.

• Mentor and support teammates through code reviews, interview participation, technical discussions, and onboarding to engineering best practices.

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Ph.D. or M.S. (EE/CS or related) with 2+ and 6+ years of relevant research and/or product experience in video compression, respectively.

• Experience with standards reference software, conformance/bitstream compliance, and maintaining stable experimental baselines.

• Solid understanding of at least one modern video coding standard, including HEVC/H.265, VP9, VVC/H.266, AV1, AV2, or ECM.

• Expert-level C/C++ skills, with strong debugging, profiling, and performance optimization capability.

• Proven experience developing video codec software, including hands-on development of software video encoders (e.g., encoder architecture, tool integration, rate control, performance optimization, or real-time pipelines).

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to collaborate effectively with researchers and cross-functional partners.

• Track record of technical impact through high-quality software delivery, performance improvements, and/or widely used internal tooling.

Preferred:

• Hands-on implementation experience in one or more coding tool areas (e.g., intra/inter prediction, transform/quantization, in-loop filtering, entropy coding, high-level syntax).

• Experience with performance portability and optimization (SIMD, multithreading, and platform-aware profiling).

• Familiarity with IP generation workflows and supporting patent filings (e.g., evidence generation, documentation, and collaboration with patent counsel).

What else you should know Our people are our business. We know you have to see it to believe it, but here are some of the perks you can count on:

• 401(K) matching -- We help you plan and save for retirement with a 401(K) matching program that's available on day one.
• Free healthcare plans -- Ofinno covers full premiums for you and your family on select healthcare plans, including employer HSA contributions if applicable.
• Free Food -- Our kitchen is always fully stocked, including lunch, protein bars, fruit, sodas, coffee, and tea.
• Unlimited Paid Time Off -- Our lives are enriched by family time, vacations, and personal time. We offer unlimited paid time off and sick leave.
• On-campus gym -- Unwind, reduce stress and feel great – even when you're at work.
• Other benefits, too long to list -- Please discuss with our great People Ops team about additional benefits offered.

What Now? What are you waiting for? We hope you will forward your credentials to us today. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.