Software Engineer, Roku UI

Roku, Inc.
UK
1 day ago
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Role details

Contract type
Permanent contract
Employment type
Full-time (> 32 hours)
Experience level
Expert
Experience required
6 years minimum
Working hours
Shift work
Job source

Tech stack

JavaScript (Programming Language) Computer Animation Artificial Intelligence Software Quality Digital Rendering Cursor (Graphical User Interface Elements) Software Debugging Firmware Graphics Software Python (Programming Language) Pair Programming Performance Tuning
+8 more
Software Engineering Toolchain TypeScript Scripting Multi-Agent Systems Ios Frameworks Automation Anywhere BrightScript

Job description

At Roku, the UI team builds the foundational frameworks, tooling, and high-performance UI components that power experiences across millions of devices. We own the middleware and UI layers that enable smooth navigation, responsive interactions, rich animations, and consistent developer workflows across the platform.

Our work spans graphics rendering, layout and animation systems, performance optimization, and developer APIs that make it easy to create reliable, visually compelling applications at scale. We operate in a collaborative, high-trust environment and partner closely with firmware, platform, and product teams to ensure the end-to-end experience is fast, robust, and future-ready., As a Senior Software Engineer on the UI team, you’ll design, implement, and optimize systems that underpin Roku’s user experience and developer platform. You’ll work on performance-critical code paths across graphics rendering, animation, layout, and UI frameworks, ensuring smooth visuals and highly responsive interactions across a wide range of devices.

At Roku, AI agents do most of the keystroke-level coding. Engineers act as the technical leads for those agents - setting context, planning work, verifying outputs, and recovering when the agent goes off course. You’ll play a key role in shaping core architecture, working across the stack with hardware, firmware, and application teams, and delivering solutions that directly impact tens of millions of users. This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy deep technical problem-solving, care about performance at a systems level, want to build the foundational layers that power great user experiences - and are energized by the shift to agentic engineering. If you are excited about working this way, we want to talk to you., * Design and implement performance-critical systems across rendering pipelines, layout engines, and animation frameworks using C++

  • Drive work through agentic coding tools - setting context, planning, and verifying agent-generated output across the full SDLC
  • Develop and maintain developer-facing tools and UI layers
  • Lead technical investigations and architect solutions across middleware and UI infrastructure
  • Integrate AI/ML and generative AI capabilities into developer workflows and platform features
  • Establish verification practices - testing, review, and quality gates - that let the team operate confidently on AI-assisted work
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver platform features with measurable gains in performance, reliability, and scalability
  • Create tooling, frameworks, and automation that improve developer efficiency and code quality
  • Mentor junior engineers through design reviews, pair programming, and technical guidance - including how to effectively drive and verify AI agents
  • Stay current with advancements in graphics, UI systems, and AI, and proactively identify opportunities for improvement, 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.

Requirements

  • 6+ years of software engineering experience with a strong focus on UI frameworks, systems, or application development
  • Strong proficiency in C++ for performance-critical systems and rendering pipelines
  • Strong proficiency in TypeScript for building UI layers and developer-facing tooling
  • Experience with JavaScript/BrightScript or similar scripting languages
  • Proficiency in Python for tooling, automation, or AI workflows
  • Demonstrated fluency across the agentic engineering toolchain - coding harnesses like Claude Code or Cursor, MCP servers, custom skills, or agent frameworks - with projects where you’ve shipped real work using these tools
  • The ability to drive an agent, verify its output, and ramp on an unfamiliar codebase with an agent helping you
  • A working understanding of common AI failure modes and the habits to catch them before they ship
  • Hands-on experience integrating AI/ML and generative AI tools into development workflows or product features
  • Solid understanding of graphics systems, rendering, or UI performance optimization
  • Strong debugging and root cause analysis skills
  • Clear and effective technical communication skills
  • You can describe specific examples where you used AI tools, agents, or workflow automation to move faster, raise quality, or scale your impact. You frame problems well, guide AI-assisted work, verify results, and ramp quickly in unfamiliar domains
  • Above all: curiosity, adaptability, good judgment, and a genuine willingness to learn new ways of working alongside AI

About the company

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 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., 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.

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