Lead Software Engineer, Backend Services

Paramount•West Hollywood, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Lead Software Engineer on the Backend Services team, you will take ownership of core API services and contracts within Paramount Streaming’s content discovery and engagement systems. You will drive API design, contribute to system architecture, and partner closely with peers, product managers, and stakeholders to deliver reliable, scalable, and high-performance APIs for Paramount+ and Pluto TV. This role is focused on leading API development for a next-generation streaming personalization engine, a real-time inference platform that dynamically determines the optimal streaming experiences for each viewer. You will design and build APIs that expose real-time decisioning and personalization capabilities, integrate high-volume user event data and content metadata systems, and enable seamless communication between content systems, video and ad services, and client applications. This role requires both deep technical expertise and the ability to lead engineers through influence, shaping platform direction and enabling engineering velocity at scale.

Requirements

BS in Computer Science or related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with 2+ years in a technical lead or senior engineering role
Proven track record of designing and delivering high-quality APIs and backend systems at scale
Strong proficiency in Java (Spring Boot) or similar backend frameworks, building RESTful APIs and microservices
Deep expertise in API design (REST, GraphQL, contract-first development, OpenAPI/Swagger, versioning strategies)
Experience designing APIs for high-scale, low-latency systems (thousands of RPS, millions of users)
Strong knowledge of event-driven architectures (Kafka, Pub/Sub, Kinesis) and asynchronous API patterns
Experience integrating APIs with data pipelines, content systems, and real-time services
Solid experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and data modeling
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS or GCP) and containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes)
Strong experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and API validation strategies
Experience using or familiarity with AI-powered development tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT)
Excellent communication skills and ability to drive technical alignment across teams
Demonstrated ability to balance technical excellence with pragmatic delivery

Nice To Haves

Experience incorporating AI into the software development lifecycle, including code generation, testing, documentation, and system design
Familiarity with content management domains, editorial workflows, or media/streaming platforms.
Experience with multi-region or multi-tenant architectures.
API design expertise — OpenAPI/Swagger, contract-first development, versioning strategies.
Infrastructure as code and deployment tooling (Helm, ArgoCD, Terraform).
Observability and monitoring platforms (Grafana, Prometheus, Datadog, or similar).
Experience with Redis (caching, RediSearch) and NoSQL data stores.
OAuth2/OIDC authentication and authorization patterns.
Experience with automated testing at scale — integration testing with TestContainers, E2E with Playwright or similar.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain high-performance, scalable APIs that power content, personalization, and engagement experiences
Define and enforce API standards and best practices, including versioning, contract design, and backward compatibility
Lead the development of APIs supporting personalization engines, enabling real-time decisioning and low-latency responses
Collaborate with frontend, backend, data, and platform teams to ensure clean, reliable system integrations
Evolve existing content management and metadata APIs to support dynamic, personalized experiences
Design APIs for event-driven systems, integrating with Kafka, Pub/Sub, or similar messaging platforms
Optimize APIs for performance, scalability, and reliability under high traffic conditions
Leverage AI-assisted development tools to accelerate API development, testing, and debugging
Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and release processes to ensure safe and efficient deployments
Participate in architecture discussions, RFCs, and cross-team technical initiatives
Mentor engineers and promote best practices in API design and system development

Benefits

Attractive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages.
Generous paid time off.
An exciting and fulfilling opportunity to be part of one of Paramount’s most dynamic teams.
Opportunities for both on-site and virtual engagement events.
Unique opportunities to make meaningful connections and build a vibrant community, both inside and outside the workplace.
medical
dental
vision
401(k) plan
life insurance coverage
disability benefits
tuition assistance program
PTO
bonus eligible