Software Engineer - Core Database

Location: Sunnyvale, United States
Team: Core Database
Position Level: Software Engineer

Role Overview

As a Software Engineer on the Core Database Engineering team, you will have an opportunity to work across the SQL layer, query execution, storage, replication, and transactional subsystems of YugabyteDB. You will collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to solve complex problems, ensuring YugabyteDB remains robust, reliable, and performance at scale.

This role is designed for engineers who are excited about databases, distributed systems, and systems programming, and want hands-on experience building a large-scale, production-grade distributed database.
Key Responsibilities

• Write high-quality C/C++ code (and contribute in other languages as needed) with comprehensive automated tests; participate actively in code reviews.
• Add unit tests, integration tests, and regression tests to ensure correctness and stability
• Improve database scalability and throughput as cluster sizes and transaction volumes grow.
• Contribute to the open source YugabyteDB project and help strengthen our distributed SQL capabilities across releases.
• Troubleshoot and resolve correctness, stability, and performance issues in complex distributed query planning and execution paths.
• Design, implement, and test features in YugabyteDB under the guidance of senior engineers
• Collaborate with engineers across query, storage, and platform teams

Required Qualifications

• 1-4 years in software engineering, with a strong foundation in compiled languages such as C/C++.
• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science (or related field), or equivalent practical experience.
• Understanding of systems engineering fundamentals, including operating systems, distributed systems, and databases.
• Strong fundamentals in data structures, algorithms, and operating systems
• Experience programming in C/C++, Java, or similar systems-level languages
• Basic understanding of concurrency, threading, or distributed systems concepts
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to operate effectively in a collaborative, distributed team environment

Preferred Skills

• Coursework or hands-on experience in distributed systems or storage systems
• Exposure to databases, SQL, or PostgreSQL (academic or professional)
• Familiarity with PostgreSQL internals or other relational database engines.
• Familiarity with concepts such as replication, transactions, or fault tolerance
• Contributions to open source database or systems projects.

We work in a hybrid model, with the team together in our Sunnyvale office 2-3 days per week.
Work Authorization

This position is based in the U.S. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States. Sponsorship may be considered only under specific circumstances aligned with current regulatory requirements.

We feel strongly about equal pay for equal work, and transparency in compensation is one way to help achieve that. The cash compensation for this role is market competitive, with a range of USD 150,000-USD 170,000, inclusive of variable/incentive for some roles. As well as equity (when applicable), and benefits including health plans, retirement plans, and unlimited paid time off (PTO). The pay range for this position is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. The actual pay will vary based on factors including experience, qualifications, and skill level.

#LI-HYBRID

Due to the Proclamation, "Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers", which went into effect on September 21, 2025, at this time we are no longer able to sponsor new H-1B visa petitions filed after September 21, 2025 for new hires. We are still able to consider candidates who require H-1B extensions, changes of employer, or other types of work authorization.