Director, Media Standards

Join the leader in entertainment innovation and help us design the future. At Dolby, science meets art, and high tech means more than computer code. As a member of the Dolby team, you’ll see and hear the results of your work everywhere, from movie theaters to smartphones. We continue to revolutionize how people create, deliver, and enjoy entertainment worldwide. To do that, we need the absolute best talent. We’re big enough to give you all the resources you need, and small enough so you can make a real difference and earn recognition for your work. We offer a collegial culture, challenging projects, and excellent compensation and benefits, not to mention a Flex Work approach that is truly flexible to support where, when, and how you do your best work.

The Legal Department provides core legal support to all Dolby functions, runs several IP-centric businesses, and leads government relations.

We’re seeking a Director of Media Standards to join our IP Strategy & Standards Team. This is a pivotal role where you’ll shape the future of media technologies while working with expert colleagues in a collaborative, supportive team.

As the Director of Media Standards, you’ll play a critical role in developing a new standard onmedia authenticity, advancing MPEG systems standards and media streaming/distributiontechnologies. Your work will drive innovation across standardized audio, video, and streaming/distribution solutions.

What you will do: 

• Lead with expertise: Bring your in-depth experience and understanding of media codecs and streaming technologies to both technology/standards development and business strategy.

• Foster collaboration: Partner with internal teams & external entities and represent Dolby in key standards activities, ensuring that our technology drives industry standards.

• Drive impact: Contribute to cutting-edge advancements that shape how people experience audio and video globally.

• Lead standardization work on digital media authenticity/provenance that will serve the evolving needs of the ecosystem, consumers, and regulators worldwide, 

o Identify the right home for this standard with favorable business conditions for contributors & with high degree of recognition globally. 

o Review and analyze the relevant industry specifications and standards, toolkits etc.  Survey worldwide regulatory/enforcement environments to identify gap areas relative to the ideal state of the media provenance/authenticity as a standard.  Develop a plan to address the gaps with the new standard. 

o Devise a practical mechanism for this standard to coexist and evolve with relevant industry/ecosystem solutions over time.  

o Partner with Dolby engineers and researchers to develop new technologies and make high quality contributions towards these new standards.  Work with third parties to align goals and develop best-of-breed standards solutions.  

o Within the defined time frame, execute on the standardization plans. 

o Coordinate with patent experts, licensing professionals about developing Dolby's licensing business opportunities, appropriate licensing program prospects, 

In addition, you will: 

• Drive and support the 3GPP study/work items to distribute media, especially for advanced media distribution specification development.  

• Shape and drive Dolby’s activities in media streaming, so that we can achieve better ecosystem adoption for the various technologies & codecs that Dolby cares about. 

• As MPEG systems standards (DASH, CMAF, ISOBMFF) expert, act as advisor to IP/Legal unbranded audio/video codec and streaming technologies, 

Requirements

We’re seeking a dynamic leader with the following qualifications:

• Education and Experience:

o 15+ years of experience demonstrating proven expertise in Systems Architecture, Media Standards, and Multimedia Research.

o A PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a comparable field is preferred, though equivalent experience and expertise will also be considered.

o Alternatively, 20+ years of experience and master’s degree or bachelor’s degree in related fields of expertise. 

• Technical Expertise:

o Extensive experience in developing and working with advanced audio/video technologies and products.

o Deep knowledge of MPEG systems standards (DASH, CMAF, ISOBMFF) and streaming technologies.

o Familiarity with Dolby technologies or related workflows.

• Leadership and Strategic Vision:

o Experience in strategic planning for emerging business opportunities, with a proven ability to meet project deadlines and establish clear, actionable plans.

o Strong leadership skills to drive business strategy for media standards while fostering collaboration across teams and stakeholders.

• Industry and Technical Knowledge:

o Demonstrated expertise in broadcast and streaming (OTT) ecosystems, including encoding/decoding methods, packaging, software, and protocols.

o Proven success in navigating complex standards development processes within international organizations like ITU, ISO/IEC, 3GPP and MPEG etc.

• Communication and Collaboration:

o Exceptional skills in crafting precise technical documentation and delivering persuasive presentations to diverse audiences.

o A track record of facilitating & leading technical discussions and negotiations to achieve consensus, ensuring stakeholder alignment while championing Dolby’s vision and objectives.

o Be productive across different time zones and diverse backgrounds.  Often you will need to work outside of ‘regular’ business hours to interact with experts in other time zones.

(Ability and willingness to travel internationally for standards meetings and other business as needed)

The Los Angeles Area base salary range for this full-time position is $166,300-$228,500, which can vary if outside this location, plus bonus, benefits, and some roles may also include equity. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, competencies, experience, market demands, internal parity, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range and perks and benefits for your location during the hiring process.

Dolby will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of San Francisco Police Code, Article 49, and Administrative Code, Article 12

Equal Employment Opportunity:
Dolby is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our success depends on the combined skills and talents of all our employees. We are committed to making employment decisions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, marital status, family status, medical condition, disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws and ordinances.