Software Engineer - Sharded Postgres (Neki)

PlanetScale; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

PlanetScale is seeking a Software Engineer to work on Neki, a sharded PostgreSQL project, to help build a robust database infrastructure. This role requires strong expertise in backend systems and distributed architectures.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years of experience, particularly with Go and database internals. You’ll work closely with a team of experts in a collaborative environment, contributing to innovative solutions that serve millions of queries per second.

PlanetScale values diversity and aims to build an inclusive environment for all applicants.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on backend systems, database engines, query planners.
• Strong proficiency in Go, experience in Python or C++.
• Experience with PostgreSQL, MySQL or other databases, and distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and build critical systems for PlanetScale's database platform.
• Collaborate with engineers to solve complex distributed systems challenges.
• Work with customers to understand their needs and develop solutions.

Skills

Backend systems

Distributed systems

Database engines

Go programming

Performance optimization

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Software Engineer - Sharded Postgres (Neki)

San Francisco Bay Area or Remote

PlanetScale is growing rapidly and reinventing the database space. The PlanetScale platform offers both PostgresQL and Vitess clusters. Vitess is an open-source database clustering system for horizontal scaling of MySQL, enables businesses to efficiently handle large-scale data workloads — without sacrificing developer experience. We're bringing the same scaling power to PostgreSQL with Neki, our sharded PostgreSQL product, and we're looking for Software Engineers to come help build it from scratch.

Our customers entrust us with what is often their most precious digital asset, their data, so the stakes couldn't be higher. We're looking for a Software Engineer to join our core engineering team and help us build the next generation of database infrastructure.

What's the job to be done?

• You will work on building the best solution for sharded Postgres, a project we're calling Neki: https://www.neki.dev/
• You will design and build critical systems that power PlanetScale's database platform, serving millions of queries per second for some of the world's largest applications.
• You will collaborate with a team of expert engineers to solve complex distributed systems challenges.
• You will work independently to solve engineering and business problems with little direction and high autonomy.
• You will work directly with customers to understand their needs and translate them into robust technical solutions.
• You are passionate about building high-quality, scalable systems and take pride in writing clean, maintainable code.
• You have strong experience with distributed systems, databases, and performance optimization.
• You are comfortable working with large codebases and can quickly understand and contribute to complex systems.
• You thrive in a collaborative environment and enjoy mentoring junior engineers.
• You have excellent problem-solving skills and can debug complex issues across multiple systems.
• You are self-motivated and can work independently with minimal guidance while making sound technical decisions.

What you will need

• 5+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on backend systems, database engines, query planners, etc.
• Strong proficiency in Go, with experience in other languages like Python or C++
• Experience with not just operating, but developing PostgreSQL, MySQL or other databases
• Experience building and operating distributed systems at scale

What else will help you be successful

• Experience with database internals, query optimization, or distributed consensus algorithms
• Contributions to open-source projects, especially in the database or infrastructure space
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Knowledge of monitoring, observability, and debugging tools
• Previous experience at a high-growth technology company

Why PlanetScale

We're redefining how high-growth companies manage data at scale—and we work with some of the most exciting brands in gaming, consumer tech, and B2B SaaS. As a Software Engineer, you'll be at the core of building the platform that powers world-class apps used by hundreds of millions of users worldwide. PlanetScale is a profitable company with a philosophy centered around building small teams of p99 individuals and is recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in America.

At PlanetScale we believe in supporting people to do their best work and thrive no matter the location. Our mission is to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive company. We strive to build an inclusive environment where all people feel that they are equally respected and valued, whether they are a candidate or an employee. We welcome applicants of any educational background, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, citizenship, socioeconomic status, disability, pregnancy status, and veteran status.

If you have a disability, please let us know if there's any way we can make the interview process better for you; we're happy to accommodate!

Total Compensation and Pay Transparency

An employee's total compensation consists of base salary + variable comp where appropriate + benefits + equity. A member of our Talent Acquisition team will be happy to answer any further questions when we engage with you to begin the interview process.

Base salary range: $120,000 - $290,000 USD