Video Distribution Architect, SME

Company Profile

At Sand Cherry Associates, we excel in the design and delivery of strategic customer-centric initiatives through digitally native, data-empowered solutions. Our client’s confidence in us is centered on exceptionally skilled, high-energy talent working with the support of the full Sand Cherry team. Finding the right match for this role is a critical aspect of continuing that success.

Overview

The Video Distribution Expert will serve as a subject matter expert responsible for the strategy, architecture, design, optimization, and deployment of a large-scale terrestrial Content Delivery Network (CDN) supporting satellite-terrestrial video distribution across the United States. This role will provide deep technical expertise in designing and operating distributed Content Delivery Network architectures to provide resiliency for primary satellite video distribution infrastructure.

This role will focus on delivering a highly resilient, scalable, video distribution platform capable of responding to extraordinary demand, optimizing last-mile bandwidth consumption, minimizing operating costs, and maintaining reliable service during significant weather events and other network disruptions. This role will work cross functionally with many other business teams and external technology partners to develop scalable, standards-based video delivery content that supports current and future business requirements.

This is a remote role working mostly EST hours. All qualified candidates MUST be authorized to work without visa sponsorship or visa transfers. Please note that we do not work C2C.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical subject matter expert for distributed Content Delivery Network (CDN) architecture, video distribution, consumption, IP media transport, and network recovery.
• Design and optimize a large-scale, geographically distributed terrestrial CDN providing resiliency for primary satellite video distribution infrastructure.
• Develop strategies to optimize last-mile bandwidth consumption between the CDN and customer headends while maintaining required service levels and minimizing operating expenses.
• Define best practices for the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for the terrestrial CDN and packet recovery network minimizing the organization's role between customers and their affiliates while maintaining network command and control.
• Evaluate traffic engineering, capacity management, geographic distribution, and other approaches to improve network efficiency and reduce bandwidth costs.
• Design mechanisms to dynamically scale regional CDN capacity in response to extraordinary or unpredictable demand, including significant weather events, like hurricanes or widespread service disruptions.
• Establish capacity planning methodologies, performance thresholds, and operational processes for determining when additional network resources should be activated.
• Develop strategies for balancing network resources across regions based on anticipated demand.
• Establish recovery mechanisms capable of detecting packet loss across the satellite distribution environment, delivering missing packets through a geographically diverse terrestrial IP network, and reconstructing video streams in real time at affiliate and distribution endpoints.
• Define architecture standards for packet loss detection, recovery orchestration, recovery data transport, timing synchronization, network monitoring, and operational reporting.
• Establish recovery performance objectives, including recovery rates, latency budgets, network availability, and recovery event reporting.
• Establish practical network controls that provide visibility into utilization, performance, capacity, and customer behavior while preserving customer operational autonomy.
• Establish operational thresholds, escalation procedures, and controls
• Define end-to-end test strategies and test plans to manage the scope and capabilities of laboratory and test environments, peak demand and network recovery scenarios.
• Evaluate commercial technology partners and solution offerings to identify best-of-breed
• Ensure interoperability with customers' preferred TAP, receiver, headend, and video distribution technologies.
• Establish lifecycle management processes to ensure video distribution architecture evolves with changing technology, customer requirements, and business needs.
• Collaborate with other cross functional teams to ensure successful integration and operational readiness while serving as a trusted advisor.
• Balance performance, resiliency, scalability, supportability, and cost when evaluating technical solutions and making architecture decisions.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10+ years of experience designing, architecting, engineering, or operating large-scale video distribution and IP-based media transport networks.
• Significant experience designing and operating large, distributed Content Delivery Network (CDN) environments.
• Proven experience designing and operating carrier-grade video delivery architectures.
• Strong understanding of terrestrial IP networking, distributed network architecture, traffic management, capacity planning, and network optimization.
• Proven experience optimizing last-mile bandwidth utilization and reducing network operating costs.
• Experience designing networks capable of dynamically scaling in response to extraordinary or unpredictable demand.
• Experience developing Concept of Operations (CONOPS), operational controls, monitoring strategies, and network management processes for large-scale distributed networks.
• Experience with live and linear video delivery, packet recovery networks, ARQ, RIST-based transport, or media edge distribution architectures.
• Experience with hybrid satellite-terrestrial video distribution systems.
• Experience with Video Services Forum specifications, including VSF TR-06-4 Parts 6 & 7
• Experience with satellite distribution, headends, earth stations, TAPs, receivers, or related video distribution infrastructure.
• Experience in selecting, and managing technology vendors and external engineering partners.
• Demonstrated systems thinking, and an ability to view hybrid video distribution as an end-to-end ecosystem.
• Understand the broader business objectives and connect architecture and engineering decisions to strategic outcomes.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to evaluate competing technical approaches and make timely, data-driven recommendations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts and effectively influence technical and business stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively across engineering, operations, vendors, customers, and other stakeholders.
• Education
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Broadcast Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.