Principal Software Engineer - Vector Search at Elastic

About Elastic and the Role

Elastic empowers organizations to access information instantly at scale, using both structured and unstructured data. The Elastic Search AI Platform is trusted by over half of the Fortune 500 companies, combining precise search capabilities with AI enhancements for superior outcomes. Joining Elastic as a Principal Software Engineer on the Elasticsearch Search team means contributing to a globally distributed group dedicated to enhancing the vector similarity search features within Elasticsearch, including new functionalities, improvements, and bug resolution.

Primary Responsibilities

• Drive initiatives to establish Elasticsearch as a market-leading vector database offering high-speed and accurate search relevance.
• Develop new search features, fix complex bugs, and simplify codebase for better clarity and maintainability, occasionally creating or adapting novel algorithms or data structures.
• Collaborate with an international team of engineers focused on the vector search component of Elasticsearch.
• Become a subject matter expert in Elasticsearch’s vector similarity implementations and provide guidance to peers on this subject.
• Engage with the global community by managing issues and pull requests, either by personal handling or coordinating with other experts.
• Write high-quality modern Java code, as Elasticsearch predominantly uses Java.

Qualifications and Experience

• Proven experience innovating or advancing vector similarity techniques on widely-used search platforms or through academic research.
• Practical expertise in vector similarity and vector database algorithms such as HNSW and IVF on scalable platforms.
• Strong command of core Java, including data structures, concurrency, and modern language features like lambdas.
• Ability to independently lead projects from design through delivery, including technical and collaborative leadership.
• Comfort working collaboratively in distributed teams with a focus on asynchronous communication, including providing and receiving constructive feedback.
• Familiarity with multiple data storage systems such as Elasticsearch, Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra, with understanding of their operational principles.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills fostering respectful and empathetic interactions.
• Experience leveraging AI to enhance development, debug complex systems, optimize code, and take ownership of final results.
• Capability to effectively collaborate across varying teams and roles while adapting to shifting priorities.

Additional Desirable Skills

• Prior experience building systems with Elasticsearch.
• Participation in open source projects with knowledge of various source control workflows and continuous integration methods.
• Hands-on experience with diverse data storage technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.

Company Culture and Benefits

Elastic fosters a diverse and inclusive culture valuing all backgrounds and life situations. The company offers competitive compensation based on your work and not prior salary history. Benefits include health coverage in many locations, flexible scheduling and remote working options (as applicable), a generous vacation policy, matched donations to charitable causes up to $2000 annually, volunteer time allocation, and supportive parental leave policies. Elastic emphasizes ownership of data security and privacy by adhering to strict standards and training.

Compliance and Equal Opportunity

Elastic is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of demographics and provides accessibility accommodations during recruiting. Employment is subject to U.S. export controls and licensing in certain sanctioned regions. Compensation is base salary only, with transparency maintained through market benchmarking and internal equity.

Compensation Range

The anticipated starting annual salary range is between €102,700 and €162,500 EUR, contingent on experience and skill level.