Elastic
Principal Software Engineer - Query Engine, Database Internals - Elasticsearch
$160K–$304K
United States +1 · Principal · Full-time · Posted Apr 7, 2026
- Location
- United States
Distributed, Global - Visa sponsorship
- For applicants located in or nationals of Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia, or the listed annexed Ukrainian territories, an export license may be required as a condition of employment.
About the job
Lead the technical vision and development of Elasticsearch’s ES|QL query capabilities and analytical compute engine.
What you'll do
- Define, lead, and contribute to data-intensive enhancements and the long-term ES|QL and compute-engine roadmap.
- Research analytics features, data structures, and algorithms; work with partners and product teams to shape capabilities.
- Provide technical direction, mentor engineers, and collaborate across teams on query interfaces, language syntax, and compute infrastructure.
What they ask for
- Experience leading technical projects in data and enterprise architecture, and building sophisticated technical infrastructure and sound software systems.
- Experience mentoring expert engineers and defining long-term technical vision and roadmaps across teams.
- Hands-on experience with search and analytics APIs; strong core Java skills, including data structures, concurrency, and algorithms.
- Experience with data storage technologies and proven use of AI to accelerate development, debug systems, or optimize code.
Nice to have
- Experience in Elasticsearch, search, or information retrieval.
- Open-source project experience and familiarity with source control workflows and continuous integration.
Pay
$159,800 — $252,800 USD (base salary); $191,900 — $303,500 USD (base salary)
Tools
ES|QL, Java, Elasticsearch, Splunk SPL, Datadog, Dynatrace, New Relic, Solr
AI focus
Use AI to accelerate development, debug complex systems, and optimize code while owning final outcomes.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative