Software Engineer, Advanced Development

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.

What does the team work on?

The Advanced Development organization pushes beyond product line boundaries to build new things. We think independently of standard shipping cadences and timelines, working on foundational technologies that will impact every Roku device in the future, and on ideas that no one has seen before in their living room. As part of Advanced Development, the Developer Experience team focuses on driving internal tooling changes to improve developer satisfaction and productivity. The team listens to their customers, determines the most impactful opportunities, and executes on delivering those changes. The team works in technologies including modern Linux embedded C++, CI systems, complex AWS cloud backend systems, and web platforms

What is the role?

Roku is seeking a Software Engineer, Build Systems, to join the Developer Experience team within the Advanced Development organization. In this role, you will design, implement, and operate the build systems that bring together every component of Roku's embedded software products - including set-top boxes, televisions, and soundbar speakers - and get them running on resource-constrained hardware. You will serve as the connective tissue between advanced engineering teams and the tools they rely on, ensuring that complex build pipelines function effectively in an AI-driven development landscape. A critical part of your work will involve enabling existing build systems to integrate with AI agents and automation, allowing autonomous build and ship workflows to operate at scale. You will partner with software development teams across the company, shipping feature enhancements and bug fixes within the build system while interpreting build output to keep every team unblocked. This role requires a strong foundation in embedded systems engineering and modern build tools, along with the ability to communicate the internals of build systems to both technical and non-technical audiences.

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 are the responsibilities of the role?

• Design, implement, and operate complex build systems across monolithic and multi-repository environments, spanning both Bazel and BitBake/OpenEmbedded build paths
• Build systems that bring together all components of a software product and enable it to function on the low-powered hardware found in embedded systems
• Enable and adapt the build infrastructure to integrate with AI agents and automation tools, supporting autonomous build and ship workflows
• Provide embedded software architecture input to ensure released products work efficiently within storage, memory, and processing constraints
• Operate the build system in partnership with all software development teams, delivering feature enhancements and bug fixes for engineers who depend on it
• Interpret build system output to understand both the system itself and the development goals of the teams it supports, ensuring timely and accurate support
• Iterate on build processes to improve reliability, speed, and developer experience across the organization

What experience would help someone be successful in this role at Roku?

• 2+ years of experience in build systems engineering or a related role
• At least 1 year designing, implementing, and operating complex build systems in both monolithic and multi-repository environments
• At least 1 year in embedded systems engineering and embedded build tooling, including Open Embedded, BitBake, Bazel, Make, and CMake
• Practical, hands-on experience with Bazel at production scale, including remote caching and cross-compilation sandboxing
• Experience with modern Linux embedded C++ development environments
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an agile environment
• Clear communication skills with the ability to explain build-system internals to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Graduate degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Advanced and demonstrable skills with generative AI tools or workflows applied to software engineering

#LI-SB5

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 [email protected].

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.

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