Software Engineer - TV Platform

Location: Berlin or Köln (50 % Remote possible) We use AI to accelerate – not to replace thinking. We design the system, steer the output, and take responsibility for what we ship. Fast where it makes sense. Careful where it matters. The Challenge Stop building React apps that only run in the latest Chrome. Everyone can do that. Instead, make JavaScript run on a 5-year-old Smart TV with a crippled engine, limited memory, and a manufacturer’s implementation of HbbTV that defies logic. Do this at smartclip. Stop being a component developer. Become a Platform Engineer. Join a guild of JS veterans. Stop fighting the browser – start conquering the fragmentation of the living room. Your Mission Break the Browser Barrier: Take JavaScript into the wild. Build and optimise SDKs that perform flawlessly on Smart TVs, HbbTV, CTV, and DVB devices.Master the Legacy: Dive deep into VanillaJS. Command Prototypes and ES3–ES5. Make them fly.Engineer for Stability: Build a bulletproof testing suite. Kill the phrase „it works on my machine“. Ensure your code survives thousands of different TV models.Hunt the Unhuntable: Debug issues that only appear on one specific OS version of one specific TV brand in one specific country. Find the pattern. Fix the root cause.Decode the Protocols: Master HbbTV, CTV, and DVB. Turn opaque specifications into elegant, high-performance code. Your Skills Dominate JS Foundations: Bring 3+ years of professional engineering experience. Stop relying on frameworks – understand how JavaScript actually works under the hood (Prototypes, Event Loop, Memory).Leverage the Modern Stack: Use TypeScript and Node.js to bring structure to the chaos.Obsess Over Testing: Don’t stop until every edge case is covered. Weaponise Mocha, Supertest, Puppeteer, and Playwright.Command Git: Make version control your second nature.Bonus XP (The Edge): Fight the battle with Smart TV / HbbTV / CTV / DVB.Deploy with Docker, Kubernetes, and Jenkins.Read Grafana dashboards and Graylog traces like a map. Why you’ll love working with us Ownership over tickets: You’re trusted with real responsibility, not just tasks. No unnecessary bureaucracy, no micromanagement – we rely on you to take things forward.Build > Talk: We test what works – not what sounds good. Fail fast, learn faster.High standards, low ego: We take our work seriously, but not ourselves. Direct feedback, honest collaboration, no drama.Stay sharp: Hackathons, conferences, community – we invest in your growth and keep you at the cutting edge.And yes – the fundamentals are covered too: 30 days of vacation + Dec 24 & 31 off, Smart Fridays (4 days week possible), mobility (Germany ticket & JobRad), sports & health offerings, mental health support, corporate benefits, RTL+ access, and more. Your CV is just the starting point. What matters more to us than your resume: a portfolio, a side project, a demo repo – anything that shows you don’t just talk about code, you ship it. Production-ready. Thought through. Done. Welcome to smartclip! We’re just your average group of techies, you know, trying to keep the internet open and defend the European TV industry from Silicon Valley’s giants. Join us! About smartclip smartclip is the adtech development unit of RTL Group — Europe’s leading free-to-air broadcaster group. Our proprietary advertising technology is custom-built for the needs of European broadcasters and publishers — enabling media owners to implement smarter monetisation strategies. We are committed to delivering the most innovative ad experiences spanning in-stream, out-stream, addressable TV, connected TV, audio, and gaming — ultimately empowering brands with true cross-screen storytelling opportunities on all devices. For more information: Please visit www.smartclip.tv and follow us on LinkedIn.