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Location: Southampton area

SOFTWARE ARCHITECTS – x2

If you are watching pay TV anywhere in the world, the chances are that a considerable part of the software infrastructure that supports it is developed by our client.  More than half the world's digital satellite pay-TV viewers now access their broadcasts with our client’s viewing cards to TVs, set-top boxes (STBs), personal computers and mobile devices.  Our client is the only company that can boast complete end-to-end solutions to the digital broadcast TV industry.  Their systems enable network operators and content providers to profit from emerging digital-TV technology and its associated interactive services.  It is fair to say that they dominate this growing market.

Specifically, our client develops a market-leading Core Set Top Box (STB) software and undertakes integration of this software with different STB hardware platforms.  Middleware solutions power more than 16 million STBs on every type of digital TV platform—cable, satellite, broadband and digital terrestrial networks.  Core software is developed in the UK, France, India, USA and Korea.

The continued growth of their customer base and the development of next generation products requires the expansion of our team located near Southhampton. This is an opportunity to work for a world leading company on technically challenging, business critical TV solutions for broadcast clients. 

It involves developing a range of platforms and cutting edge solutions including development of High Definition Set Top Boxes and XTV, NDS’ flagship Personal Video Recorder (PVR) product.

Main Responsibilities/Duties

Multimedia Technology Group (MMT)

The group's primary activity is the development and integration of Set Top Box (STB) software (primarily low level embedded, although there is some work with higher level applications). The group's main product is the set top box middleware or operating system known as Media-highway Core.  This software is used by cable and satellite pay television broadcasters throughout the world, and there are several new deployments of Core each year. The group also develops and integrates software for the NDS integrated Personal Video Recorder (PVR) known as XTV. This is a large and rapidly expanding department.  Tools and technologies (used across the department, but not in every role) include RTOS operating systems/multitasking, Embedded C, HTML, XML, JavaScript, Java, TCP/IP, UML, VM, Software Version Control (PVCS), Defect tracking (ClearQuest), Cable and PSTN Modems, DOCSIS and DVB.

Broadcast Technologies Group (BT)

Whereas the MMT group provides solutions for the set top box the Broadcast Technologies group focuses on software that resides with the broadcaster. BT is split into a number of teams.  The Head End Server Technology team develop applications that synchronize and bring together the streams of data that the DTV viewer experiences as a coherent transmission of programs and advertisements complete with interactive functionality. The Applications Server Group and Stream Content Group develop application software.

Tasks:

• Designing of architecture to meet customer and internal requirements, defining software building blocks and the interfaces between them,
• Developing product roadmaps
• Guiding software developers to promote best working practices and quality
• Providing technical direction and high-level designs throughout the development phase and
• Contributing to overall company strategy in development and examination of new technologies.
• Coordinating with partners (suppliers, hardware designers, manufacturing, customers, product marketing, etc.) to guarantee a coherent end-to-end design
• Liaising with other development groups worldwide
• Tracking general defects or new developments against the schedule
• Identifying technical changes necessary to achieve a specific customer requirement

Skills and Experience:

• A minimum of 2 years experience embedded C in a structured environment architecture
• 6+ years of software development experience
• A degree in computer science, electronics engineering or communications engineering is anticipated
• Knowledge of all major aspects of Software Engineering (requirements capture, structured design methodologies, development and testing)
• Competent in the use of analytical tools
• The ability to communicate effectively at all levels, both verbally and in writing
• Experience of working to specific deadlines in a fast moving environment
• Conceptually adept and able to relate to digital communication technologies
• Self-confident able to contribute to team based problem solving
• An understanding of real-time operating system
• Digital Set Top Box architecture
• Use of CM and defect tracking systems (eg Rational ClearCase/ClearQuest)

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