
Opportunity at
ElasticPrincipal Software Engineer - Search Infra - Elasticsearch
This full-time Principal Software Engineer role sits in the Elasticsearch Search Infra group and is listed as on-site in the United States. The group is a…
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About This Role
This full-time Principal Software Engineer role sits in the Elasticsearch Search Infra group and is listed as on-site in the United States. The group is a globally distributed team that builds a strong search experience and contributes to search improvements in Lucene. The engineer leads the technical roadmap for search infrastructure, spanning indexing, retrieval and relevance. Duties include defining and building new search and indexing capabilities, reviewing research into search…
Job Description
This full-time Principal Software Engineer role sits in the Elasticsearch Search Infra group and is listed as on-site in the United States. The group is a globally distributed team that builds a strong search experience and contributes to search improvements in Lucene.
The engineer leads the technical roadmap for search infrastructure, spanning indexing, retrieval and relevance. Duties include defining and building new search and indexing capabilities, reviewing research into search data structures and retrieval algorithms, and advising partners and product teams on long-term search direction. The role is also the expert others consult on several Elasticsearch domains.
Applicants should have led search or distributed systems projects, built and run sophisticated search platforms and mentored senior engineers. They should also have a defined multi-year plan for a search or retrieval engine at the core, hands-on experience with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr, and strong core Java skills. Autonomy and clear communication with distributed colleagues are important.
Compensation is base salary only, with no variable component. The posting lists a typical starting range of 102,700 to 162,500 euros, and says the final figure depends on experience, skills, role requirements and the scope of the position.
Responsibilities
- Lead the technical roadmap for search infrastructure covering indexing, retrieval and relevance
- Define and build new search and indexing capabilities
- Review research into search data structures and retrieval algorithms
- Advise partners and product teams on long-term search direction
- Act as the expert others consult on several Elasticsearch domains
Requirements
- Experience leading search or distributed systems projects
- Experience building and running sophisticated search platforms
- Experience mentoring senior engineers
- Defined multi-year plan for a search or retrieval engine at the core
- Hands-on experience with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr
- Strong core Java skills
- Autonomy and clear communication with distributed colleagues
Qualifications
- Background in large-scale data or search platforms
- Experience with open source projects and source control and CI practices
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 102,700 to 162,500 euros. Base salary is the only form of pay, with no variable component.
What determines pay within the range?
The posting says placement depends on relevant experience, skills, alignment with role requirements and the scope and complexity of the role.
What core skills are needed?
Strong core Java and hands-on experience with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr are needed, along with experience leading search or distributed systems projects.
Sample Interview Questions
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