Lead Engineer, Discovery

Paramount

. Drive architecture and design for backend services and APIs covering search, browse, recommendations, editorial curation, and content metadata .

Posted 11/9/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesSenior💰 $157,000 - $235,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates extensive expertise in backend architecture, API design, and distributed systems, with a strong focus on high-concurrency services and operational reliability. Proven ability to mentor engineers and lead cross-functional technical discussions while ensuring adherence to code quality and performance standards.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Backend Architecture DesignAPI Design and DeliveryDistributed Systems ExpertiseJava-Based Backend ServicesCloud Infrastructure (GCP)

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Backend ServicesAPI DesignDistributed SystemsSearch IndexingRecommendation PipelinesData ModelingCaching StrategiesHigh-Throughput ServicesOperational KPIsMetrics Analysis

Soft Skills

Strong CommunicationCross-Functional CollaborationMentoring EngineersProactive OwnershipIncremental Delivery

Tools & Technologies

JavaGCPCI/CD PracticesElasticsearchSolr

Industry Keywords

StreamingMediaE-CommerceHigh-Traffic Consumer PlatformsMulti-Brand Platforms

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

CloudDistributed SystemsElasticSearchGoogle Cloud PlatformJava

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Drive architecture and design for backend services and APIs covering search, browse, recommendations, editorial curation, and content metadata
Serve as hands-on technical authority in design reviews
Break large-scale architectural initiatives into shippable, measurable phases
Lead delivery of the highest-complexity or highest-risk components
Set and enforce standards for code quality, testing, API design, and documentation
Ensure backend services meet availability, low-latency, and high-concurrency targets
Lead on-call practices, incident response, and postmortems
Serve as senior escalation point for complex production issues
Define, track, and optimize operational KPIs
Partner with Product Management and Data Science & Personalization
Represent the team in cross-domain technical discussions
Communicate technical trade-offs, design decisions, and risks
Mentor and grow engineers through code review, design pairing, and hands-on guidance
Partner with the Engineering Manager on technical hiring and onboarding
Foster technical ownership and operational accountability
Coordinate with distributed or offshore engineering partners
Contribute to agile workflows including sprint planning, backlog grooming, and retrospectives
Own documentation for system architecture, API contracts, domain data models, and operational runbooks

Requirements

What you’ll need

8+ years of software engineering experience
Strong track record as a senior hands-on contributor on backend and distributed systems in streaming, media, e-commerce, or another high-traffic consumer platform
Experience owning the design and delivery of high-concurrency APIs or platforms consumed at scale across heterogeneous client surfaces
Strong familiarity with search indexing, recommendation pipelines, content metadata, or ranking systems
Deep, current, hands-on expertise in distributed systems, API design, caching strategies, and data modeling for high-throughput, low-latency services
Ability to serve as the technical tie-breaker in architecture reviews
Hands-on expertise with Java-based backend services, cloud infrastructure (GCP preferred), and modern CI/CD practices
Experience operating services under strict SLAs
Experience using metrics such as p99 latency, error rates, cache hit ratios, and A/B test data
Track record of mentoring engineers without formal management authority
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
Comfortable working with geographically distributed engineering teams across time zones
Strong bias toward incremental, measurable delivery
Proactive ownership of operational health and system reliability
Preferred: recommendation systems, ML-adjacent infrastructure, or search technologies such as Elasticsearch or Solr
Preferred: multi-brand or multi-app streaming platforms (AVOD, SVOD, FAST)
Preferred: vendor and offshore engineering resource experience

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
401(k) plan
Life insurance coverage
Disability benefits
Tuition assistance program
PTO
Attractive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages
Generous paid time off
Complimentary subscriptions to HBO Max, Paramount+, and other Skydance streaming services and digital news products
Exclusive screenings and events
Speaker series
Volunteer activities
Bonus eligible