---
title: 'Software Engineer III, Playback Services at Crunchyroll, LLC'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-iii-playback-services-crunchyroll-llc-san-francisco-ca-6h5x6s8np7f4'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# Software Engineer III, Playback Services at Crunchyroll, LLC

- **Company:** Crunchyroll, LLC
- **Location:** San Francisco CA, United States
- **Compensation:** $17k–$205k
- **Posted:** 2026-08-18
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/crunchyroll/jobs/8092597?gh_jid=8092597

## Job description

## About Crunchyroll

Founded by fans, Crunchyroll delivers the art and culture of anime to a passionate community. We super-serve over 100 million anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories, and help them connect with the stories and characters they crave. Whether that experience is online or in-person, streaming video, theatrical, games, merchandise, events and more, it’s powered by the anime content we all love.

Join our team, and help us shape the future of anime!

## About the role

In the role of Video Playback Services Software Engineer III, you will report to the Senior Engineering Manager, Playback Services.

As a Software Engineer III on the Playback Services team, you will help accelerate critical initiatives aimed at reducing playback latency, bolstering streaming security, and refining the customer experience through better content availability and publishing workflows. A primary focus for this role will be advancing Content Protection / Security initiatives.

In this role, you will:

- Design, build, and improve backend services and APIs that support secure, reliable video playback.
- Take ownership of projects that improve content protection and security services, playback latency, streaming security, content publishing, and avails testing.
- Deliver well-scoped projects from design through deployment, balancing speed, quality, and long-term maintainability.
- Collaborate with product, QA, and adjacent engineering teams to ship high-quality features and operational improvements.
- Strengthen the team’s ability to support and evolve content protection and security-related systems by contributing in a specialized area that is critical to future roadmap execution.
- Participate in on-call and incident response, helping expand coverage and improve response effectiveness over time.
- Debug and resolve moderate to complex production issues related to video delivery, entitlement, configuration, service health, or content protection / security flows.
- Contribute to code reviews, design discussions, testing practices, and technical documentation to improve overall engineering quality.
- Identify technical risks and dependency gaps early, then work with the right stakeholders to drive them to closure.
- Help increase delivery velocity by contributing pragmatic solutions, dependable execution, and durable service improvements.

## About You

You're a great fit for this role if you:

- Have 5+ years of professional software development experience building backend services in production environments.
- Have strong experience with backend programming languages such as TypeScript, Go, or similar.
- Have hands-on experience with cloud platforms like AWS or GCP and are comfortable working with distributed systems in production.
- Understand video streaming fundamentals, APIs, backend service architecture, and the operational realities of delivering playback at scale.
- Can independently own well-scoped projects from design to deployment and make sound technical decisions with the right stakeholder input.
- Are comfortable working in systems related to content protection, entitlement, secure content access, or adjacent playback security concerns.
- Can debug moderate to complex service issues and improve systems through testing, documentation, observability, and maintainable design.
- Communicate clearly, collaborate effectively across functions, and proactively surface risks, trade-offs, and dependency concerns.
- Are motivated by improving delivery velocity, strengthening operational coverage, and helping build redundancy in critical technical domains.

## About the Team

The Video Platform teams build the systems that power Crunchyroll’s most important user experience: watching video. From ingestion to playback, we work on highly scalable systems that deliver video across mobile, desktop, and connected devices.

The Playback Services team focuses on the backend systems that support the player, including configuration, telemetry, and playback optimization. As an SWE III, you’ll start contributing to these systems with guidance and grow your expertise over time

## Why you will love working at Crunchyroll

In addition to getting to work with fun, passionate and inspired colleagues, you will also enjoy the following benefits and perks:

- Receive a great compensation package including salary plus performance bonus earning potential, paid annually.
- Flexible time off policies allowing you to take the time you need to be your whole self.
- Generous medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD, and life insurance
- Health Saving Account HSA program
- Health care and dependent care FSA
- 401(k) plan, with employer match
- Employer paid commuter benefit
- Support program for new parents
- Pet insurance and some of our offices are pet friendly!

#LifeAtCrunchyroll #LI-Hybrid The Pay Range for this position is listed. Actual pay will vary based on factors including, but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Crunchyroll’s Total Rewards offerings for employees. Other rewards may include performance bonuses, employer matched retirement savings, time-off programs, and progressive health benefits and perks. Pay Transparency - San Francisco, CA $16,900—$205,000 USD

## About our Values

We want to be everything for someone rather than something for everyone and we do this by living and modeling our values in all that we do. We value

- Courage. We believe that when we overcome fear, we enable our best selves.

- Curiosity. We are curious, which is the gateway to empathy, inclusion, and understanding.

- Kaizen. We have a growth mindset committed to constant forward progress.

- Service. We serve our community with humility, enabling joy and belonging for others.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

Our mission of helping people belong reflects our commitment to diversity & inclusion. It's just the way we do business.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Crunchyroll. Pursuant to applicable law, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Japan's Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.

Questions about Crunchyroll’s hiring process? Please check out our Hiring FAQs: https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040471712-Crunchyroll-Hiring-FAQs

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Policy for more information about how we process your personal information, and your data protection rights: https://tbcdn.talentbrew.com/company/22978/v1_0/docs/spe-jobs-privacy-policy-update-for-crpa-dec-21-22.pdf

Please beware of recent scams to online job seekers. Those applying to our job openings will only be contacted directly from @crunchyroll.com email account.

## About Crunchyroll, LLC

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Crunchyroll is the world’s largest anime streaming service, delivering anime content, theatrical releases, merchandise, games, news, events, and music to a global fan community.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Joint Venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex of Japan)
- **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2006
- **Founders**: Not publicly available in recent sources

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Entertainment (anime streaming and media)
- **Target customers**: B2C – anime fans globally (individual consumers)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “We deliver what anime fans love—anytime, anywhere. We believe anime is more than entertainment—it’s a way of life.” [crunchyroll.com](https://crunchyroll.com/about/jobs)

## Products & Services
- **Crunchyroll Streaming Service**: The world’s largest anime streaming library with subtitled and dubbed content, available via web, mobile, and TV apps. (SaaS/Subscription)
- **Theatrical Releases**: Distribution of anime films in theaters worldwide.
- **Merchandise Store**: Official anime merchandise, figures, apparel, and collectibles (e-commerce).
- **Crunchyroll Games**: Mobile and browser games based on popular anime franchises.
- **News & Events**: Anime news coverage, virtual and in-person fan events, and conventions.
- **Music**: Anime soundtracks and original music distribution.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (acquired by Funimation in 2020 for $1.175B; now part of Sony/Funimation Global Group)
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue of $140.0M (as of latest data) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/crunchyroll)
- **Total Funding**: $26.8M across 3 rounds (last venture round in 2015 led by Otter Media) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/crunchyroll)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Aniplex of Japan, Otter Media, TV Tokyo
- **Growth Signals**: 1,453 employees operating in 31 countries; job postings up +82.9% year-over-year; LinkedIn followers +20.5% yearly; active in India, France, Mexico, Japan, and more. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/crunchyroll)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Largest anime streaming library** globally, with deep catalog and simulcast rights.
- **Sony/Aniplex partnership** provides unique access to Japanese anime production and distribution.
- **Integrated ecosystem** spanning streaming, merchandise, games, events, and music—creating multiple touchpoints for fans.
- **Authenticity and cultural roots** in Japan, reinforced by the Aniplex connection.
- **Global scale** with offices in 14 cities and localized content in multiple languages.

## Strategic Focus
- Expand global reach into emerging markets (India, Latin America, Southeast Asia).
- Deepen fan engagement through interactive experiences (games, events, community features).
- Grow the merchandise and e-commerce business.
- Continue investing in original co-productions and theatrical releases.
- Leverage AI/ML for personalization and content discovery (e.g., hiring Manager of Machine Learning and Data Science). [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/crunchyroll)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: Employees are passionate about anime and serving a global fan community. [builtinsf.com](https://www.builtinsf.com/company/crunchyroll/faq/workplace-perception)
- **Hybrid work model**: Three in-person days per week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays) with flexibility; remote options for some roles. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/crunchyroll)
- **Comprehensive benefits**: Health insurance, 401(k) match, mental-health support, flexible time off, free anime subscriptions, catered lunches, commuter benefits, pet-friendly offices, childcare benefits, and parental leave. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/crunchyroll)
- **Career development**: Job training, conferences, online course subscriptions, and promotion opportunities. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/crunchyroll)
- **Positive employee sentiment**: High satisfaction ratings on Glassdoor and Comparably, with praise for collaborative environment and growth opportunities. [builtinsf.com](https://www.builtinsf.com/company/crunchyroll/faq/workplace-perception)
- **Diversity & inclusion**: Dedicated DEI staff, documented equal pay policy, and highly diverse management team. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/crunchyroll)
- **Offices in 14 global locations**: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, London, Mexico City, Hyderabad, and more. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/crunchyroll)

## Sources
1. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/crunchyroll) – Company overview, financials, workforce, and growth data.
2. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/crunchyroll) – Perks, culture, hybrid policy, benefits, and technology.
3. [crunchyroll.com](https://crunchyroll.com/about/jobs) – Official about page and mission.
4. [help.crunchyroll.com](https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040471712-Crunchyroll-Hiring-FAQs) – Hiring process and recruitment fraud warnings.
5. [builtinsf.com](https://www.builtinsf.com/company/crunchyroll/faq/workplace-perception) – Employee satisfaction and workplace perception.

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