# Software Engineer - Media

**Company:** [xAI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/xai)
**Location:** Palo Alto, CA
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $180k – $440k/yr
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** C++, Go, Rust, Kubernetes, Webrtc, Ll-Hls, Foundationdb, Envoy, H.264, H.265
**Posted:** 2026-03-06

> Build and optimize large-scale video services, media processing pipelines using Rust, C++, Go. Require 5+ years experience, expertise in WebRTC/LL-HLS/video transcoding, and distributed systems for high-performance media at massive scale.

## Job Description

## What You'll Do
- Build the next generation of large-scale video services
- Contribute to and rebuild core media processing and distribution pipelines in high-performance languages (Rust, C++ or Go)
- Obsess over every millisecond and pixel, ensuring end-to-end media quality and performance at scale across products and user platforms

## Who You Are
- Have at least 5 years of experience
- Obsessed with media quality, performance, and product experience
- Proficient in high performance C++ or Go
- In-depth knowledge of either WebRTC or LL-HLS or video transcoding pipelines
- Familiar with building and running scalable and resilient distributed systems

## Tech Stack
Go, C++, Rust, Java, Scala  
Kubernetes, FoundationDB, ValKey, Envoy, S3  
H.264, H.265, AV1, MP4, CMAF, VMAF, RTP, RTMP, LL-HLS, HDR, DRM

## Annual Salary Range
$180,000 - $440,000 USD

## Benefits
Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.

## Similar roles

- [Backend Engineer](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/8c0cdac6-4075-42b1-a874-6e856a68d2ba) - Fathom - AI Notetaker - Remote - $180k – $240k/yr
- [Software Engineer, Knowledge Systems](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/afb75fbb-e379-420c-99a7-1eb6f7155291) - Exa - San Francisco, CA - $180k – $350k/yr
- [Software Engineer, Control Plane](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/1f8d4743-d927-4daf-b738-f3122fe354d7) - Hightouch - Remote - $180k – $260k/yr
- [Software Engineer, Streaming Systems](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/42426ad1-4ce5-451e-bd46-474088d85183) - Hightouch - Remote - $180k – $320k/yr
- [Software Engineer, Customer Studio Backend](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/c1a85145-b4d5-46dd-9b35-e98f04a3d626) - Hightouch - Remote - $180k – $320k/yr

**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/7b35e84a-d582-4fff-91ed-d5cdef9f12b0
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/7b35e84a-d582-4fff-91ed-d5cdef9f12b0