Responsibilities
- Drive projects within Elasticsearch to create a top-tier search engine, delivering exceptional speed and relevance in search results.
- Work full-time on Elasticsearch, developing new search features and resolving complex bugs while improving code clarity; occasionally invent or implement new algorithms or data structures, and work closely with operating systems and hardware.
- Collaborate with a globally distributed team of experienced engineers focused on advancing Elasticsearch's vector search capabilities.
- Serve as an expert on Elasticsearch search relevance, identifying and driving improvements based on your own questions and insights.
- Engage with community members worldwide on issues and pull requests, triaging and assigning them to other experts or handling them yourself.
- Write idiomatic modern Java, as Elasticsearch is 99.8% Java.
Requirements
- Professional experience with search or vector databases, using HNSW, IVF, or similar algorithms and libraries on large-scale search platforms.
- Strong skills in core Java, including familiarity with the standard library of data structures, concurrency constructs, and features like lambdas.
- Ability to work autonomously, taking projects from start to finish, including technical design and collaboration with other engineers to build necessary components.
- Comfortable with collaborative development, including giving and receiving feedback on code, approaches, and APIs; experience with internet-based collaboration is a plus, and asynchronous collaboration is even more valued.
- Experience with multiple data storage technologies such as Elasticsearch, Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra, with understanding of their workings and design rationale.
- Proven track record of using AI to accelerate development, debug complex systems, and optimize code, while maintaining ownership of final outcomes.
- Ability to collaborate across functions and teams, seamlessly transitioning between different projects, codebases, or teams based on business priorities.
- Capability to work autonomously and drive decisions and results in a distributed team through asynchronous, direct, and transparent communication.
Nice to Have
- Previous experience building with Elasticsearch.
- Experience working with open source projects and familiarity with various source control workflows and continuous integration.
- Experience with data storage technology.
- Experience designing, leading, and owning cross-functional initiatives.
Benefits
- Competitive pay based on your work here, not your previous salary.
- Health coverage for you and your family in many locations.
- Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles.
- Generous number of vacation days each year.
- Increase your impact with up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) matched for financial donations and service.
- Up to 40 hours each year for volunteer projects you love.
- Embracing parenthood with a minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave.
Compensation
Base salary only; no variable compensation component.
Work Arrangement
Remote (Worldwide)
Other
- Security & Privacy Responsibilities: Take ownership of protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational data and systems by following applicable privacy and security policies, standards, and procedures.
- Ensure that all individual contributions follow Elastic’s Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF).
- Proactively participate in mandatory role-based training to ensure personal technical execution consistently aligns with the highest standards of data protection, data privacy, and system resilience.
- Elastic is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds.
- Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation.
- We welcome individuals with disabilities and strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all individuals.
- To request an accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email candidate_accessibility@elastic.co. We will reply to your request within 24 business hours of submission.
- Elasticsearch develops and distributes technology and information that is subject to U.S. and other countries’ export controls and licensing requirements for individuals who are located in or are nationals of the following sanctioned countries and regions: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, or Russia, including the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia (The Crimea region of Ukraine, The Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), The Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), Kherson or Zaporizhzhia). If you are located in or are a national of one of the listed countries or regions, an export license may be required as a condition of your employment in this role.
- Please note that national origin and/or nationality do not affect eligibility for employment with Elastic.
- Compensation for this role is in the form of base salary. This role does not have a variable compensation component.
