Principal Software Engineer, Search Algorithms, Elasticsearch

Elastic

Confirmed live yesterday Low trust

Remote

Quick summary

Work type: Remote
Location: Remote
Posted: 15 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday

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Salary context

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $201k

$130k most similar roles pay here $266k

This listing doesn't post a salary. Most similar roles pay $171,850–$231,000.

Based on 240 similar postings.

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About Elastic

Elastic is the company behind Elasticsearch and the Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats, and Logstash). It sells search, observability, and security products built on that search engine, primarily through its Elastic Cloud managed service.

Elastic currently has 240 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $133,100–$210,600 across 91 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Software Engineer, Search Algorithms, Elasticsearch

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Principal Software Engineer - Search Algorithms - Elasticsearch joins the Elasticsearch search team to enhance vector similarity search functionality. This role involves designing and implementing new features, improving existing capabilities, and resolving bugs within the Lucene-based search experience. The engineer will lead initiatives to build a high-performance vector database offering, potentially inventing new algorithms or data structures while working closely with a globally distributed team of experts. Key technical requirements include proficiency in modern Java, including standard libraries for data structures and concurrency constructs. Candidates must possess experience with vector similarity algorithms like HNSW and IVF, along with familiarity with technologies such as Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra. The role focuses on solving complex search relevance problems by optimizing how the platform handles large-scale structured and unstructured data to provide high-speed results.

What does a Software Engineer earn in Remote?

Median $204500 from 415 postings across 57 companies.

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Skills

Elasticsearch Java Vector Search Lucene HNSW IVF PostgreSQL MongoDB Cassandra Solr GitHub Open Source Data Structures Algorithms Concurrency

What you'll do

Lead initiatives to develop an industry-leading vector database offering with high speed and relevance.
Design and implement new vector search features and improvements to existing functionality within Elasticsearch.
Develop, debug, and optimize complex systems using modern Java and advanced data structures.
Serve as a subject matter expert on how Elasticsearch implements vector similarity for the engineering team.
Manage community interactions by triaging and resolving issues and pull requests from global users.
Drive technical projects from inception to completion while making code more maintainable and readable.
Ensure all software contributions comply with security policies and secure software development frameworks.

What we're looking for

Professional experience with vector similarity and vector databases using algorithms like HNSW or IVF at scale.
Strong skills in core Java, including the standard library of data structures and concurrency constructs.
Ability to work autonomously to lead projects from technical design through completion.
Experience with various data storage technologies such as Elasticsearch, Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra.
Proven track record of using AI to accelerate development, debug systems, and optimize code.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for collaborating in a distributed team environment.
Ability to collaborate across functions and teams while transitioning between different projects and codebases.
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