Senior Software Engineer, Cloud Spanner Graph Platform

Socket.dev; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 174,000 - 252,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Google is seeking engineers to design and implement the next-generation Graph Query Engine on the Spanner Graph Platform. The role focuses on high-performance C++ for globally distributed, petabyte-scale datasets and involves collaborating with teams across enterprise and AI infrastructure.

You will bridge relational and graph paradigms, optimize query execution, and work with high-value customers to refine complex data architectures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience required.
• 5 years of software development experience in one or more languages.
• 3 years building large-scale infrastructure or distributed systems.
• Experience programming in C++.
• Experience with distributed databases, compilers, and database internals.
• Preferred: Master's/PhD, 5 years data structures & algorithms, accessible tech with strong unit economics, query compilers/optimizations (GQL/Cypher), and concurrency control concepts like Paxos.

Responsibilities

• Write and test product or system development code.
• Lead design reviews with peers and stakeholders to decide among technologies.
• Review code and provide feedback to ensure best practices.
• Contribute to documentation and educational content.
• Triage issues and debug across hardware, network, or service operations.

Skills

Software development

Data structures & algorithms

C++

Distributed databases

Compilers

Database internals

Large-scale infrastructure

Concurrency control

Paxos

Replication strategies

Accessible technologies

Query optimization

GQL/Cypher

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related field

Knowledge of data structures & algorithms

Job description

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
  
• 5 years of experience with software development in one or more programming languages.
• 3 years of experience with developing large-scale infrastructure, distributed systems or networks, or experience with compute technologies or storage.
• Experience programming in C++.
• Experience with distributed databases, compilers, and database internals.
  

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical field.
  
• 5 years of experience with data structures and algorithms.
• Experience developing accessible technologies that has high unit economics.
• Experience with query compilers, query optimization, and execution engines with knowledge of GQL or Cypher.
• Understanding of concurrency control, consensus algorithms (Paxos), and data replication strategies.

About the job:

Google's software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another.

Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search.

We're looking for engineers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day.

As a software engineer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google’s needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve.

We need our engineers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.

As a key member of the Spanner Graph Platform team, you will lead the design and implementation of our next-generation Graph Query Engine—a market-unique graph database offering built to power both mission-critical enterprise serving and advanced AI infrastructure, including knowledge graphs, context retrieval, and AI memory.

In this role, you will bridge the gap between relational and graph paradigms, engineering high-performance C++ solutions that operate on globally distributed, petabyte-scale datasets.

Beyond core systems development, you will act as a technical authority, navigating ambiguous requirements to deliver critical features and consulting with high-value customers to optimize their most complex data architectures.

Google Cloud accelerates every organization’s ability to digitally transform its business and industry.

We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google’s cutting-edge technology, and tools that help developers build more sustainably.

Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $174000 - $252000 (USD) + 15% bonus target + equity + benefits

Responsibilities:

• Write and test product or system development code.
  
• Participate in, or lead design reviews with peers and stakeholders to decide amongst available technologies.
  
• Review code developed by other developers and provide feedback to ensure best practices (e.g., style guidelines, checking code in, accuracy, testability, and efficiency).
  
• Contribute to existing documentation or educational content and adapt content based on product/program updates and user feedback.
  
• Triage product or system issues and debug/track/resolve by analyzing the sources of issues and the impact on hardware, network, or service operations and quality.