Bachelor's or Master's degree in relevant field with extensive experience in software engineering or related area.
Minimum 12 years of experience in building and scaling large distributed systems or 10 years with a Master's degree.
Proven expertise in search architectures and distributed systems design.
Experience in low-latency, high-availability services, performance optimization, and system reliability.
Proficiency in backend technologies (Java/Spring or similar) and modern cloud architectures.
Responsibilities
Define technical strategy for Search Runtime systems, including retrieval, ranking, and indexing.
Lead design efforts for scalable, low-latency, high-availability distributed systems.
Build and enhance AI-powered search capabilities, like semantic search and ML-driven ranking.
Integrate ML/AI models into production systems for improved relevance and conversion rates.
Drive operational excellence in observability, reliability, performance, and cost efficiency.
Lead cross-organizational initiatives, aligning engineering, product, and data science teams.
Mentor engineers to elevate design and coding standards and practices.
Identify system bottlenecks and lead optimization and innovation efforts.
Benefits
Opportunity to influence high-impact solutions for product discovery.
Involvement in shaping the long-term strategy for cutting-edge AI-powered systems.
Work in a collaborative environment with cross-functional teams.
Mentorship opportunities to grow engineering talent.
Access to Walmart's commitment to creating inclusive digital experiences and adherence to accessibility standards.
Full Job Description
Position Summary...
What you'll do... Position Summary
We are seeking a Distinguished Software Engineer to provide hands-on, domain-level technical leadership for Walmart's Search Runtime platform. This role owns the technical vision and architecture, driving the design of scalable, AI-powered search systems that serve billions of queries. You will shape long-term strategy, lead critical architectural decisions, and influence multiple teams to deliver high-impact solutions that improve product discovery and business outcomes. This role requires deep expertise in distributed systems, search technologies, and AI/ML-driven relevance, along with a proven ability to operate across organizational boundaries to deliver impact at scale.
What You'll Do
Define and drive the technical strategy and architecture for Search Runtime across retrieval, ranking, indexing, and serving systems.
Lead the design of scalable, low-latency, high-availability distributed systems.
Build and evolve AI-powered search capabilities including semantic search, vector retrieval, and ML-driven ranking.
Integrate ML/AI models into real-time production systems to improve relevance and conversion.
Drive operational excellence including observability, reliability, performance, and cost efficiency.
Lead large cross-org initiatives and align engineering, product, and data science teams.
Mentor and develop engineers across levels and raise the bar for design, code quality, and engineering practices.
Identify and resolve system bottlenecks; drive continuous optimization and innovation.
What You'll Bring
Bachelor's degree with 12+ years (or Master's with 10+ years) in software engineering, building and scaling large distributed systems.
Strong product and engineering mindset, linking system design decisions to customer experience and business outcomes.
Deep expertise in search architectures, including retrieval, indexing, ranking, and system trade-offs.
Experience designing and operating run-time orchestration systems for complex, distributed workflows and services.
Strong experience with low-latency, high-availability services, performance optimization, and reliability at scale.
Proficiency in backend technologies (Java/Spring or similar) and modern cloud-native architectures.
Proven ability to lead large, cross-team engineering initiatives and influence system design across organizations.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in e-commerce or marketplace platforms at scale.
Experience working with global or multi-region systems and teams.
Experience building 07 products or launching new product surfaces.
Background in fast-scaling consumer technology companies.
Minimum Qualifications...
Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.
Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 6 years' experience in software engineering or related area. Option 2: 8 years' experience in software engineering or related area.
Preferred Qualifications...
Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.
Master's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 4 years' experience in software engineering or related area, We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart's accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.
Primary Location...
1395 Crossman Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1114, United States of America
