Opportunity at
ElasticPrincipal Software Engineer - Search Infra - Elasticsearch
This full-time Principal Software Engineer role is on the Elasticsearch Search Infra team in the United States and is marked as on-site. The team is globally…
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About This Role
This full-time Principal Software Engineer role is on the Elasticsearch Search Infra team in the United States and is marked as on-site. The team is globally distributed and focuses on a strong, feature-rich search experience, including contributions to search in Lucene. The engineer sets the technical roadmap and steering for core search infrastructure, covering indexing, retrieval and relevance. Responsibilities include defining and building the next wave of Elasticsearch capabilities, investigating…
Job Description
This full-time Principal Software Engineer role is on the Elasticsearch Search Infra team in the United States and is marked as on-site. The team is globally distributed and focuses on a strong, feature-rich search experience, including contributions to search in Lucene.
The engineer sets the technical roadmap and steering for core search infrastructure, covering indexing, retrieval and relevance. Responsibilities include defining and building the next wave of Elasticsearch capabilities, investigating advances in search data structures and retrieval algorithms, and shaping the long-term search roadmap with partner and product teams.
Candidates should have led technical projects across search infrastructure or distributed systems, operated sophisticated search platforms and mentored experienced engineers. Hands-on work with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr, strong core Java including concurrency and advanced data structures, and the ability to take projects from concept to completion are expected. Clear, supportive communication with distributed colleagues matters.
Pay is base salary with no variable component. The posting gives a typical starting range of $159,800 to $252,800 USD, or $191,900 to $303,500 USD in select locations named in the listing. Eligibility for Elastic's stock program and a 401k plan the company matches dollar for dollar on eligible earnings up to 6 percent, are also described.
Responsibilities
- Provide the technical roadmap and steering for indexing, retrieval and relevance
- Define and build the next wave of Elasticsearch capabilities
- Investigate advances in search data structures and retrieval algorithms
- Shape the long-term search roadmap with partner and product teams
- Guide the evolution of indexing, query execution and relevance components
- Serve as a recognised reference point across multiple Elasticsearch areas
Requirements
- Experience leading technical projects in search infrastructure or distributed systems
- Proven knowledge of building and operating search platforms
- Experience mentoring senior engineers
- Hands-on experience with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr
- Strong core Java, including concurrency and advanced data structures
- Ability to take projects from concept to completion with minimal supervision
- Clear verbal and written communication
Qualifications
- Experience building with Elasticsearch
- Experience with open source projects and source control and CI workflows
- Experience in search and information retrieval
Core Skills
Benefits
- Eligibility for Elastic's stock program
- Company 401k match, dollar for dollar on eligible earnings up to 6 percent
- 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 $159,800 to $252,800 USD, or $191,900 to $303,500 USD in select locations. Base salary is the only pay form, with no variable component.
Are equity and retirement benefits mentioned?
Yes. The posting describes eligibility for Elastic's stock program and a 401k plan the company matches dollar for dollar on eligible earnings up to 6 percent.
What core skills are needed?
Strong Java skills and hands-on experience with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr are required, along with experience leading technical projects.
Sample Interview Questions
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