> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/2171373-software-engineer-iv](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2171373-software-engineer-iv). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Software Engineer IV - **Company:** BINGHAMTOM UNIVERSITY - **Location:** United States (Remote available) - **Experience:** Experienced - **Salary:** $134,100.0 - $223,500.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), Airflow, Apache Lucene, Computer Programming, Shard (Database Architecture), DevOps, Distributed Systems, Routing, Scrum Methodology, Software Engineering, Apache Solr, Apache Spark, Caching, Indexer - **Published:** August 21, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.themuse.com/jobs/grainger/software-engineer-iv-816cc2?utm_source=uconnect ## About the Role * Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience * 5+ years experience as a Software Engineer; with experience in modern software engineering; designing; devloping, testing and deploying scalable software applications within a variety of technologies and environments. * 3+ years hands on SOLR/Lucene search relevance work (BM25/TF IDF), schema/analyzers, query parsers, and SolrCloud operations * 5+ years building and shipping hybrid lexical + vector search systems end to end (embeddings, ANN indexing, hybrid scoring, rollout, monitoring) * Experience with pipeline/orchestration tools for embeddings & index refresh (e.g., Airflow/Spark), and integration of behavioral signals (click/carts) into relevance features or LTR * Expert knowledge of programming skills * Demonstrated knowledge of distributed system design and integration patterns * Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and Dev Ops Practices * Experience with analyzing, interpreting and communicating complex problems and practices Knowledge, Skills and Abilities * Expert knowledge of programming skills * Demonstrated knowledge of distributed system design and integration patterns * Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and Dev Ops Practices * Experience with analyzing, interpreting and communicating complex problems and practices * Understanding of IR fundamentals (BM25/TF-IDF, tokenization, analyzers, normalization, synonyms) and when lexical vs. semantic approaches are most effective; ability to design hybrid ranking strategies and relevance guardrails at scale. * Proficiency in embeddings, ANN methods (e.g., HNSW), and hybrid search design, including tradeoffs between recall, latency, and ranking quality, as well as reranking and learning-to-rank approaches. * Experience with search platforms (e.g., Solr/Lucene), including distributed architecture (sharding, replication), indexing, query routing, caching, and relevance tuning; solid programming skills in Java and Python. * Expertise in relevance metrics (NDCG, MRR, Precision/Recall) and business KPIs; ability to design experiments, build dashboards, and make data-informed tradeoffs across precision, recall, and user impact. * Ability to communicate complex IR/ML concepts to diverse audiences, influence stakeholders with data, and operate effectively within modern engineering practices (Agile, CI/CD, code reviews, incident management). ## Description Join us as a Lead Software Engineer, Search Relevance, and help power high-impact search experiences at scale. You'll design and build systems that blend classical IR with modern semantic and vector techniques to deliver highly relevant, customer-focused results.Partnering with product and engineering teams, you'll translate business goals into measurable outcomes like improved relevance, conversion, and satisfaction-while leading technical direction, mentoring others, and driving data-informed decisions through experimentation.If you're passionate about search and building systems that directly shape the customer experience, this role is for you., * Lead engineer on a team responsible for the application and delivery of high-quality, maintainable software for highly complex applications * Influence team adoption of sensible defaults to enable continuous delivery activities * Contribute to continuous learning on your team culture by leading knowledge sharing sessions with latest technological features and engineering practices * Maintain software in production with demonstrated ability to triage and resolve issues * Mentor developers, conduct code reviews, and participate in pair programming * Partners directly with IT Management team to ensure successful design and delivery of technology based solutions * Design, build, and improve search systems using lexical (e.g., BM25/TF-IDF) and semantic/vector-based retrieval approaches. * Develop and optimize ranking strategies, including hybrid retrieval, reranking, and learning-to-rank techniques to improve relevance. * Build and maintain indexing pipelines, including document processing, schema design, and data freshness. * Evaluate search quality using offline metrics (e.g., NDCG, MRR, Precision/Recall) and online experiments (A/B testing). * Analyze search performance, identify relevance issues, and implement improvements such as query understanding, intent handling, and fallback strategies. * Tune precision/recall tradeoffs and implement query expansion techniques (e.g., synonyms, spell correction, query relaxation). * Contribute to production search systems, including logging, monitoring, scalability, and reliability. * Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define requirements, success metrics, and deliver continuous improvements. ## Related Videos - [From Messy Queries to Scalable Systems - How Data Engineering actually works](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100203-from-messy-queries-to-scalable-systems-how-data-engineering-actually-works) - [Creating a routing app with Google Maps API from scratch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/831-creating-a-routing-app-with-google-maps-api-from-scratch) - [From DevOps to Scaled DevOps: How We’re Rebuilding Continuous Delivery as a Platform](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100018-from-devops-to-scaled-devops-how-we-re-rebuilding-continuous-delivery-as-a-platform) - [OLAP for AI Applications and why you should care](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100212-olap-for-ai-applications-and-why-you-should-care) - [Reducing LLM Calls with Vector Search Patterns - Raphael De Lio (Redis)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1714-reducing-llm-calls-with-vector-search-patterns-raphael-de-lio-redis) - [A Technical Introduction to Bitcoin's 2nd Layer- The Lightning Network](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/15-a-technical-introduction-to-bitcoin-s-2nd-layer-the-lightning-network) ## Related Articles - [How We Built a Worry-Free System That Runs for 10+ Years – And What We’d Do Again](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/751-how-we-built-a-worry-free-system-that-runs-for-10-years-and-what-we-d-do-again) - [Résumé-Driven Development: How IT trends affect the job market for software developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/59-resume-driven-development-how-it-trends-affect-the-job-market-for-software-developers) - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london) - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated) - [Why Upskilling And Reskilling is Important For Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/428-why-upskilling-and-reskilling-is-important-for-developers)