Senior Search Engineer (m/f/nb)

Conrad Electronic SE; Hirschau, Wernberg-Köblitz; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

Child day-care at head office

Conrad Sports Club and wellness

Local, fresh cafeteria produce

Job summary

Conrad Electronic SE in Germany seeks a motivated Search Engineer to lead development and optimization of our high-traffic eCommerce search platform. You will blend deep technical expertise with a strategic mindset, mentoring engineers and driving improvements in relevance using Elasticsearch, ML models, and NLP.

Join a team focused on performance, scalability and user satisfaction, with hybrid work from the Hirschau office and strong collaboration across product and data science peers.

Qualifications

• Proficient in Java, Spring Boot and Python.
• Strong understanding of building search solutions using Elasticsearch or similar technologies.
• Experience applying ML techniques (XGBoost, sentence transformers, LLMs) to search quality.
• Experience with NLP techniques relevant to search (entity recognition, query understanding, semantic search).
• Experience with high-traffic eCommerce or SaaS platforms focusing on performance and scalability.
• Can-do attitude and collaborative mindset.

Responsibilities

• Architect and innovate search solutions leveraging Elasticsearch and ML technologies.
• Drive search excellence by improving ranking and relevance using data and user behavior.
• Technically lead and mentor a team of engineers, conducting code reviews and promoting best practices.
• Leverage ML to continuously improve search quality, personalization, and discovery.
• Measure and refine with robust metrics (NDCG, F1, CTR) for online/offline evaluation.
• Collaborate with product owners, data scientists, and engineering teams to translate requirements into solutions.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

Python

NLP

XGBoost

Sentence transformers

LLMs

Tools

Elasticsearch

Job description

Our recipe for success

We are a reliable partner who makes the sourcing of technical supplies as easy and efficient as it gets for customers. We do this with passion and innovativeness, day in day out. Our product range comprises millions of quality items, customer‑centric solutions and services, and face‑to‑face expert advice. We are fully committed to this mission. We see change as a catalyst for opportunities, and supply customers with everything they need to successfully complete their projects. As a family‑run business, operating in a sustainable way and building long‑term business relationships are paramount to us. We stand for quality and reliability. We're seeking for a motivated Search Engineer to spearhead the development and optimization of our high‑traffic eCommerce platform's search capabilities. In this pivotal role, you'll blend deep technical acumen with a strategic mindset, leading a talented team to enhance search relevance, performance, and user satisfaction. You'll be instrumental in pushing the boundaries of search technology, driving best practices, and mentoring engineers to achieve technical excellence.

Your contribution to success

• Architect & Innovate Search: Lead the design and implementation of next‑generation search solutions, leveraging Elasticsearch and cutting‑edge ML technologies to deliver highly relevant and intuitive search experiences.
• Drive Search Excellence: Optimize search engine ranking and relevance using a deep understanding of search algorithms, tracking data, and user behavior.
• Technically Lead & Mentor: Provide strong technical guidance and mentorship to a team of engineers, fostering growth, conducting insightful code reviews, and championing best practices in a collaborative environment.
• Leverage Machine Learning: Apply advanced ML techniques (e.g., XGBoost, sentence transformers, LLMs) to continuously improve search quality, personalization, and discovery.
• Measure & Refine: Establish and utilize robust metrics (NDCG, F1, CTR) for online and offline evaluation of search quality, driving iterative improvements based on data.
• Collaborate & Communicate: Partner closely with product owners, data scientists, and other engineering teams to translate business requirements into technical solutions, and clearly present complex ideas to diverse stakeholders.

Your success factors

• In-depth knowledge of Java, Spring Boot, and Python.
• Strong understanding of building search solutions using Elasticsearch (preferred) or similar technologies .
• Strong understanding of Search Engine Ranking and search optimization utilizing tracking data and analytics.
• Proficient in using ML technologies to improve search, including but not limited to XGBoost, sentence transformers, Large Language Models (LLMs), and vector embeddings.
• Experience with Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques relevant to search (e.g., entity recognition, query understanding, semantic search).
• Experience with working on high‑traffic eCommerce platforms or SaaS solutions, understanding the unique challenges of performance, scalability, and reliability in a production environment.
• Can‑Do mentality: You approach challenges with enthusiasm, resilience, and a commitment to finding solutions, viewing every obstacle as an opportunity for growth.

Your benefits

• We Are a Great Place to Work Our tolerant and empathic work environment enables you to help shape your company’s future, thereby giving you lots of room for personal development. Our unique company culture was officially recognised by the Great Place to Work institute.
• We Improve Your Work-Life Balance Flexitime and hybrid working arrangements as well as a special leave allowance enable you to organise your workday around your needs. And we care about your children. Our head office in Hirschau operates a child day‑care centre that looks after your little ones.
• We Communicate at a Peer Level We are a family‑run business. Means friendly interaction is paramount to us. And when it comes to being a trust‑based horizontal organisation, around here, we practise what we preach.
• We Promote Health Which is why we offer a variety of services and activities centred around health and fitness. Regular medical checkups are top of the agenda. Moreover, for all those who like to keep fit, there is Conrad Sports Club based at our Hirschau office that provides a range of activities, coaching sessions and even an in‑house tennis court. Being healthy isn’t just about exercising, it’s also about a balanced diet. This is why food served in our cafeterias at Hirschau and Wernberg uses local produce and is freshly prepared.

At Conrad Electronic, we actively promote diversity and equality for all employees. Our jobs are open to all qualified applicants, regardless of their gender, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion or ideology, disability, age or sexual identity.