Descript
Descript is a fast-growing audio/video production platform that makes creating media as fast and easy as using a word processor, launched in December 2017 and backed by Andreesen Horowitz.
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Software Engineer - Backend Montréal, QC, Canada, San Francisco, CA, United States, or Remote
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Software Engineer - Full Stack Montréal, QC, Canada, San Francisco, CA, United States, or Remote
Why join us?
You’ll do interesting and challenging work.
Example 1: Descript is one of the most ambitious examples of using Web technologies to build something that’s traditionally the domain of desktop applications. We’re treading new ground, figuring out how to enable cloud-first user experiences, like live collaboration, but on multi-gigabyte projects, while maintaining the performance people have come to expect from professional desktop editing applications.
Example 2: Applications of AI and machine learning, such as Descript’s text-based media editor, will transform the way we make content in the coming years. Descript’s editor is the perfect receptacle for these exciting technologies, which to date have been mostly relegated to research demos.
You’ll have an impact.
Internally: Descript is still a small company, and you’ll have a voice in conversations ranging from feature design all the way up to company strategy. If you crave the autonomy that comes with working at a startup, this is the place for you.
Externally: We believe that one day soon, the majority of talk-driven media will be created with Descript (or a tool like it, if we mess up). You’ll be part of a small team that helped define the biggest change in media creation since editing rigs moved to computers.
The team. Your co-workers are super smart, nice, and collaborative. Your CEO is experienced (Andrew Mason, Groupon founder). Your investor is top-notch (Andreesen Horowitz).
You’d be joining at a great point - we're growing fast, but still small enough that you'll have a huge impact.
Engineering at Descript
Every two weeks, we meet as a team to prioritize tasks for the next sprint. We also have a weekly Design Review, where the team has an opportunity to weigh in on everything from UX to design mockups to business strategy. Quarterly, the engineering team works together to set their OKRs.
Engineers typically work with a designer, product manager and any other relevant parties to shape a feature before autonomously leading technical design and execution. The engineering team takes pride in ensuring the launch is smooth both in terms of technical as well as product metrics.
See below examples for details.
Audio/Text Sync: Use machine learning to create timestamps for the start and end position of each word, allowing for precise editing. Automatically refresh timestamps in real-time as the user corrects transcription errors. Must be fast and accurate for both short strings and multi-hour transcriptions imported by the user.
Offline Support: Descript’s customers are used to professional editors that work offline and are capable of quickly manipulating high resolution, multi-gigabyte files. We’re building a system that makes this possible, while keeping projects synchronized in the cloud, enabling live collaboration.
Working at Descript
At Descript, we’re building a tool that many of our customers will use every day. So we believe that the way to build a great business is to simply build a product that customers love to use. And we believe that the best way to build a great product is by pushing down decision making authority to the builders on the front lines. We work hard to make sure everyone here is empowered with the context necessary to know what to build for our customers, and then give them the autonomy to build it.
As part of our commitment to an inclusive workplace, we are happy to offer prospective engineers the chance to connect with our engineering employees who come from underrepresented backgrounds. It’s a way to get a better sense of our team and what it might be like to work with us.
If you’re interested in connecting with our team, be sure to bring this up during one of our introductory calls!
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Generous Vacation
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Pet Friendly
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Free Food
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Flexible Hours
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Maternal/Paternal Leave
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Beautiful Office
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Health Insurance
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Work from Home
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401(k) Contribution
Interested in this company?
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