TL;DR

Principal Software Engineer (Search Relevance): Develop and enhance Elasticsearch's vector and keyword search features, focusing on building a robust, high-performance search engine. Focus on designing new search algorithms, improving search relevance, and collaborating with a globally distributed engineering team.

Location: Remote, open to candidates in Canada, United States, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom

Salary: 154,000–243,600 CAD

Company

Elastic is a product company specializing in AI and software, providing a cloud-based search, security, and observability platform used by over 50% of the Fortune 500.

What you will do

  • Lead initiatives to develop industry-leading search engine features in Elasticsearch.
  • Design and implement new search algorithms and data structures, including vector search enhancements.
  • Collaborate with a globally distributed team of engineers to improve search relevance and performance.
  • Contribute to open source Elasticsearch codebase, including bug fixes and feature development.
  • Engage with the community on issues and pull requests, triaging and resolving them as needed.
  • Write idiomatic modern Java code for Elasticsearch development.

Requirements

  • Location: Must be based in or authorized to work in Canada, United States, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, or United Kingdom
  • Professional experience with search and vector databases, including HNSW, IVF, or similar algorithms.
  • Strong core Java skills and familiarity with data structures and concurrency.
  • Ability to work autonomously and lead projects from design to delivery.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for remote collaboration.
  • Experience with Elasticsearch or similar data storage technologies.

Nice to have

  • Previous contributions to Elasticsearch or other open source projects.
  • Experience leading cross-functional initiatives.
  • Familiarity with asynchronous collaboration in distributed teams.

Culture & Benefits

  • Competitive pay based on work performed, not previous salary.
  • Health coverage for employees and families in many locations.
  • Flexible schedules and locations for many roles.
  • Generous vacation days and parental leave.
  • Company matching for financial donations and volunteer time.
  • Inclusive and diverse work environment.