Software Engineer Intern, Streaming Media

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Roku

San Jose, California

Hybrid

Posted April 1, 2026

Job Description

Teamwork makes the stream work.

Roku is changing how the world watches TV

Roku is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and we've set our sights on powering every television in the world. Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. Our mission is to be the TV streaming platform that connects the entire TV ecosystem. We connect consumers to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers unique capabilities to engage consumers.

From your first day at Roku, you'll make a valuable - and valued - contribution. We're a fast-growing public company where no one is a bystander. We offer you the opportunity to delight millions of TV streamers around the world while gaining meaningful experience across a variety of disciplines.

Build the future of streaming with real ownership

Join Roku’s MediaPlayer team as a Software Engineer Intern, where you will work at the intersection of embedded systems and digital media. During this paid 12-week internship starting in Summer 2026, you will contribute to the core component of RokuOS that handles video and audio streaming. You’ll be assigned a high-impact project designed to enhance the media playback engine optimizing playback performance, or improving the reliability of our media stack across millions of devices.

Why this program stands out

High-impact work, not side projects. You’ll be matched to a scoped, production-grade project aligned to real business outcomes.
Clear success metrics. Define and track KPIs with your team, so progress and value are obvious from day one.
Senior mentorship. A dedicated senior engineer supervises your journey and gives you direct, actionable feedback.
Velocity + autonomy. Expect rapid iteration, ownership of decisions, and a culture that favors building over bureaucracy.
Tech breadth + depth. Exposure to Core OS, Cloud Infrastructure, Advertising Technology, Platform Portability, Advanced Development, and ML—with opportunities to go deep where you’re strongest.
Global collaboration. Partner with experts across the US and internationally (including Cambridge) on cross-functional initiatives.

What you’ll be doing

Own a project within the MediaPlayer stack; examples include implementing new media features, optimizing for media playback KPIs, or enhancing support for modern streaming protocols and codecs.
Develop high-performance C++ code on Linux-based systems to improve the efficiency and stability of the core media pipeline.
Use advanced debugging and analysis tools to reproduce, isolate, and fix complex playback issues across various hardware profiles.
Collaborate with senior engineers across firmware and platform teams to innovate on the next generation of media features that delight Roku users

You’ll thrive here if you have

Education & Experience: Pursuing an MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field; prior internship experience preferred.
Technical Fundamentals: Strong command of data structures, algorithms, Object-Oriented Design (OOD), and systems design.
Systems Programming: Practical expertise in C++, Python, and Bash, with a focus on developing and debugging within Linux-based embedded systems.
Linux Expertise: Deep understanding of Linux kern