Principal Database Performance Engineer - Core Engineering (C++)

ClickHouse is looking for a Principal Database Performance Engineer to join the team behind our high-performance analytics database service. In this role, you will drive performance and scalability improvements across the stack, taking on ambiguous, high-impact technical challenges most engineers never get to touch. Our performance team owns the core of query execution - filters, aggregation, joins, and the index structures that make them fast. We’re looking for a sharp, passionate engineer who wants to own database performance end-to-end on a petabyte-scale cloud database, from initial analysis and implementation, through production rollout.

What you will do:

• Identify impactful performance and scalability opportunities in customer or benchmark workloads
• Architect and implement optimized database algorithms and data structures across core relational operators, indexes, query processing, memory management and scheduling
• Drive the performance roadmap for latency, throughput, memory efficiency and hardware utilization improvements
• Participate in the development of a complex, high-performance database system, including meticulous testing and safe production rollout
• Represent the company externally through presentations, blog posts, and community contributions
• Mentor and support junior engineers on the team

• 5+ years of experience in database performance engineering, distributed systems
• Master or PhD in databases or a related field
• Strong fluency in C++ and a background in performance-critical software or systems programming
• A track record of driving complex performance improvements end-to-end
• Deep understanding of computer science fundamentals, data structures, and algorithms
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with a proactive, goal-driven mindset

• Time off - Flexible time off in the US, generous entitlement in other countries.
• A USD$500 Home office setup if you’re a remote employee.
• Global Gatherings - We believe in the power of in-person connection and offer opportunities to engage with colleagues at company-wide offsites.

• Flexible work environment - ClickHouse is a globally distributed company and remote-friendly. We currently operate in over 25 countries.