Stellenticket Technische Universität Dresden

About the Project – QUICast
QUICast is a research and development project that explores a new paradigm for scalable live video delivery by combining IP multicast with modern transport protocols such as QUIC. The goal is to significantly improve the efficiency and scalability of large-scale live streaming compared to traditional unicast-based approaches.

The project is funded within the xG-Incubator program and runs for an initial 12-month development phase, during which a functional demonstrator will be implemented and evaluated in a real-world environment.

QUICast brings together expertise in network protocols, distributed systems, video streaming, and client applications. If the project is successful, a startup spin-off is planned in a second phase to further develop and deploy the technology.

We are building a small, highly technical team to design and implement the core components of this system.

The work builds on the IETF Internet-Draft “QUIC Multicast”, co-authored within the project, and aims to develop a prototype implementation and experimental evaluation.

The position is initially limited until 31/05/2027; if the project successfully leads to a startup spin-off, there will be if necessary an opportunity to continue working on the technology within the new company.

To strengthen our team, we are looking for a Backend Engineer who will focus on designing and implementing the server-side architecture of the QUICast system.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Designing and implementing a scalable backend architecture for live video distribution
• Developing the multicast sender infrastructure and fan-out mechanisms
• Implementing integrity hash generation and verification
• Implementing and optimizing flow control and congestion handling
• Designing stream and channel management mechanisms
• Developing and testing fallback mechanisms from multicast to unicast delivery
• Ensuring robustness, performance, and scalability of the backend infrastructure
• Collaborating closely with other developers working on client implementations and network stack extensions
• Contributing to testing, documentation, and system evaluation

Expected Outcomes After One Year
At the end of the first project phase, the backend system you developed should achieve the following milestones:

• A fully functional server architecture capable of supporting up to 1000 concurrent clients
• A robust fallback mechanism from multicast to unicast with failover times below 2 seconds
• Unicast fallback overhead below 10% compared to baseline QUIC transmissions
• A prototype fan-out architecture where the multicast source and unicast handler operate on separate machines
• A stable demonstrator deployment suitable for evaluation in a real-world environment

• Successfully completed univrsity degree (Master, Diplom or equivalent) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Business Informatics, or a related field
• Strong understanding of networking fundamentals, particularly:

1. Transport protocols
2. QUIC
3. IP multicast

• Experience with low-level network programming
• Experience with backend system development in performance-critical environments
• Familiarity with Linux networking and server environments
• Ability to work independently in a small, focused research and development team desirable
• Interest in building novel networking technology and demonstrators desirable
• Good knowledge of German and/or English required; willingness to acquire the respective missing language skills
• Experience with QUIC implementations (e.g., quiche, msquic, picoquic) desirable
• Experience with high-performance networking or streaming systems desirable
• Experience with Rust, C, or C++ desirable
• Familiarity with real-time media streaming desirable
• Experience with distributed systems or scalable backend architectures desirable

• Work on a cutting-edge networking technology
• Opportunity to shape a potential startup technology from the ground up
• A small, highly focused team with a strong technical orientation
• The chance to work on real-world deployments of next-generation media delivery systems

Please send your application, including the reference number and the usual supporting documents, by email to m.franke@tu-berlin.de.

By submitting your application via email you consent to having your data electronically processed and saved. Please note that we do not provide a guaranty for the protection of your personal data when submitted as unprotected file. Please find our data protection notice acc. DSGVO (General Data Protection Regulation) at the TU staff department homepage: https://www.abt2-t.tu-berlin.de/menue/themen_a_z/datenschutzerklaerung/.

To ensure equal opportunities between women and men, applications by women with the required qualifications are explicitly desired. Qualified individuals with disabilities will be favored. The TU Berlin values the diversity of its members and is committed to the goals of equal opportunities. Applications from people of all nationalities and with a migration background are very welcome.