> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/3419363-senior-software-engineer-query-engine-database-internals-elasticsearch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/3419363-senior-software-engineer-query-engine-database-internals-elasticsearch). 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). --- # Senior Software Engineer - Query Engine, Database Internals - Elasticsearch - **Company:** Elastic - **Location:** Mountain View, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $133,100.0 - $210,600.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Code Review, Databases, Continuous Integration, Data Structures, Query Languages, Software Debugging, Elasticsearch, Github, Information Retrieval, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Software Engineering, Software Systems, Apache Solr, Data Storage Technologies, AWS Lambda, Slack, Cassandra, Data Analytics, Free and Open-Source Software, Codebase, Software Version Control - **Published:** September 3, 2026 - **Apply:** https://diversityjobs.com/main/sendform/8/8/28176/1/16194432?backUrl=%2Fcareer%2F16194432%2FSenior-Software-Engineer-Query-Engine-Database-Internals-Elasticsearch-California-Mountain-View ## About the Role * You have strong skills in core Java and are conversant in the standard library of data structures and concurrency constructs, as well as newer features like lambdas. * You have experience with software systems engineering. * You have a strong desire to optimize and make use of the most efficient data structures and algorithms. * You work with a high level of autonomy, and are able to take on projects and guide them from beginning to end. This covers both technical design and working with other engineers to develop needed components. * You're comfortable developing collaboratively. Giving and receiving feedback on code, approaches, and APIs is hard! Bonus points if you've collaborated over the internet because that's harder. Double bonus points for asynchronous collaboration over the internet. That's even harder, but we do it anyway because it's the best way we know how to build software. * You've used several data storage technologies like Elasticsearch, Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra and have some idea how they work and why they work that way. * You have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Like we said, collaborating on the internet is hard. We try to be respectful, empathetic, and trusting in all of our interactions. And we'd expect that from you too. * You have a proven track record of using AI to accelerate development, debug complex systems, and optimize code, while still owning the final outcomes. * You possess the ability to collaborate across functions and teams and seamlessly transition between different projects, codebases, or teams based on business priorities. * You work autonomously and can drive decisions and results in a distributed team by leveraging asynchronous, direct, and transparent communication., * You've worked in the search and information retrieval space. You're familiar with the data structures and algorithms associated with information retrieval. * You've worked on data storage technology or have experience building data analytics capabilities. * You have experience designing, leading and owning cross-functional initiatives. * You've worked with open source projects and are familiar with different styles of source control workflow and continuous integration. ## Description We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join the Elasticsearch - Analytical Engine team. This globally-distributed, completely remote team of senior engineers is responsible for building new analytics capabilities in Elasticsearch's latest aggregation framework based on a completely new compute engine, and accessed via our new piped query language called ES|QL. This is a senior software engineering role that covers the design and implementation of new features, enhancements to existing features, and resolving bugs. Our company is distributed by intention. We hire the best engineers we can find wherever they are, whoever they are. We collaborate across continents every day over email, GitHub, Zoom, and Slack. At our best, we write fast, scalable, and intuitive software. We believe that the best way to do that is to empower individual engineers, code review every change, decide big things by consensus, and strive for incremental improvements. What You Will Be Doing: * You'll be a full-time Elasticsearch contributor, building data-intensive new features and fixing intriguing bugs, all while making the code easier to understand. You are able to research what available data structures and algorithms work best to implement a new functionality or enhancement. Sometimes you'll need to implement a data structure or algorithm in the code base. And there will be times when you'll need to get close to the operating system and hardware. * You'll work with a globally distributed team of experienced engineers focused on the search and query (ES|QL) analytics capabilities of Elasticsearch. You'll get to work with the teams that build the UI to ensure a good user experience, and you'll get to work with the teams building solutions on top of these APIs * You'll be an expert in several areas of Elasticsearch, and everyone will turn to you when they have a question about them. You'll improve those areas based on your questions and your instincts. * You'll work with community members from all over the world on issues and pull requests, sometimes triaging them and handing them off to other experts, and sometimes handling them yourself. * You'll write idiomatic modern Java -- Elasticsearch is 99.8% Java! ## Related Videos - [Stack Overflow: Community and AI](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/600-stack-overflow-community-and-ai) - [Innovating Developer Tools with AI: Insights from GitHub Next](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1268-innovating-developer-tools-with-ai-insights-from-github-next) - [40 Minutes to Build a Serverless COVID-19 REST and GraphQL APIs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/208-40-minutes-to-build-a-serverless-covid-19-rest-and-graphql-apis) - [Add Location-based Searching to Site with ElasticSearch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/77-add-location-based-searching-to-site-with-elasticsearch) - [Leading Through Stagility: Human Capital Trends That Redefine Work](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1717-leading-through-stagility-human-capital-trends-that-redefine-work) - [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) ## Related Articles - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [How to Answer the Interview Question: “Why Do You Want to Be a Software Engineer?”](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/392-how-to-answer-the-interview-question-why-do-you-want-to-be-a-software-engineer) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers) - [Dev Digest 121 - AI goes offline](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/456-dev-digest-121-ai-goes-offline) - [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) - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated)