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ElasticPrincipal Software Engineer - Search Infra - Elasticsearch
This full-time Principal Software Engineer job is with the Elasticsearch Search Infra team, based in the United States and marked as on-site. The team is a…
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About This Role
This full-time Principal Software Engineer job is with the Elasticsearch Search Infra team, based in the United States and marked as on-site. The team is a globally distributed group of experienced engineers who deliver a strong search experience and help improve search within Lucene. The engineer gives long-term technical direction to Elasticsearch's core search infrastructure, spanning indexing, retrieval and relevance. Responsibilities cover defining and building the next wave of search…
Job Description
This full-time Principal Software Engineer job is with the Elasticsearch Search Infra team, based in the United States and marked as on-site. The team is a globally distributed group of experienced engineers who deliver a strong search experience and help improve search within Lucene.
The engineer gives long-term technical direction to Elasticsearch's core search infrastructure, spanning indexing, retrieval and relevance. Responsibilities cover defining and building the next wave of search capabilities, investigating recent progress in search infrastructure, its data structures and retrieval methods, and helping partners and product teams shape the roadmap. The engineer is expected to become a reference expert for several areas of the product.
Candidates should have led technical work in search infrastructure or distributed systems and be able to mentor expert engineers. A defined multi-year plan for a search or retrieval engine at the core, hands-on experience with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr, and strong Java skills are needed. The role calls for autonomy, clear communication and a collaborative approach across distributed teams.
The posting describes compensation as base salary only, with no variable component. The typical starting range is 80,400 to 127,200 euros, and the final figure depends on experience, skills, role requirements and the scope of the position.
Responsibilities
- Give long-term technical direction for indexing, retrieval and relevance
- Define and build the next wave of search capabilities
- Investigate advances in search infrastructure and retrieval algorithms
- Help partners and product teams shape the search roadmap
- Serve as a reference expert and keep improving several areas of the product
- Mentor expert engineers on technical and professional matters
Requirements
- Experience leading technical projects in search infrastructure or distributed systems
- Experience running complex search platforms in production
- Experience defining a multi-year plan for a search or retrieval engine at the core
- Hands-on experience with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr
- Strong core Java skills, including concurrency and efficient data structures
- High autonomy in taking projects from concept to completion
- Excellent verbal and written communication
Qualifications
- Background in large-scale data or search platforms and distributed storage engines
- Experience with open source projects and common source control workflows
Core Skills
Benefits
- Competitive pay set by the work performed, not by previous salary
- Health coverage for employees and their families in many locations
- Scheduling and location flexibility for many roles
- Generous annual vacation allowance
- Company match of up to $2,000 (or local equivalent) for donations and service
- Up to 40 hours a year available for volunteer work
- At least 16 weeks of parental leave
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
Where is this role based?
The listing gives the United States as the location and marks the role as on-site.
Is the role full-time?
Yes. The listing states full-time employment.
What is the salary range?
The posting gives a typical starting base salary range of 80,400 to 127,200 euros. Base salary is the only form of pay, with no variable component.
What experience is expected?
Experience leading technical projects in search or distributed systems, mentoring engineers and defining a multi-year technical plan is expected.
Are there any bonus skills?
Experience building with Elasticsearch, working on open source projects and understanding search and retrieval theory are listed as bonus points.
Sample Interview Questions
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