Staff Software Engineer

Celonis; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 212,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RSUs

Unlimited PTO

Hybrid work

Job summary

Celonis is seeking a Staff Software Engineer for the Backend team to build and optimize high-performance data processing systems. You will work on the core mining engine, implement new features, and improve the reliability and speed of existing components using C++17.

The role emphasizes designing scalable solutions for big data workloads, mentoring teammates, and contributing to a vibrant engineering culture in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science; Masters or Ph.D. preferred.
• 8+ years of hands-on software engineering experience.
• Significant background in database internals or building core components for large-scale data processing systems.
• Proficiency in programming with C++ (17).
• Analytical mind with strong data structures and algorithms understanding.

Responsibilities

• Identify and implement novel query optimization, transaction management, or distributed data processing algorithms in the Core Mining Engine.
• Analyze and understand performance and scalability bottlenecks and solve them.
• Design and implement high-performance systems to handle increasing request rates on the database.
• Write clean, testable code and provide feedback on peer designs.

Skills

C++17

Database internals

Big data processing

Analytical mindset

Curiosity

Education

BS in Computer Science

Masters or PhD preferred

Tools

ClickHouse

StarRocks

Job description

Celonis is the global leader in Process Intelligence and the pioneer of Process Mining technology. As one of the world’s fastest-growing enterprise SaaS companies, we are changemakers pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We invest heavily in advanced AI capabilities—specifically our Process Intelligence Graph—to turn data insights into immediate business action. We believe there is a massive opportunity to unlock global productivity and sustainability by placing intelligence at the core of every business process. Join our mission to make processes work for people, companies, and the planet.

The Team

Celonis USA is the fastest-growing division of one of the world’s fastest-growing companies.

Come join us on the ground floor on a team led by experienced ex-FAANG coworkers dedicated to developing state-of-the-art technology for Celonis products. The team creates foundational solutions such as a mining engine that enables our customers to interactively execute process mining over enterprise-sized data sets, as well as innovative object-centric modeling tools that empower users to perform process-oriented business analysis in a natural and powerful way. In order to handle the strong growth of our customer base and their demands, we are heavily investing in performance and scalability to ensure that our platform scales efficiently and dynamically in a multi-cloud environment.

Join us if you want to grow in your engineering knowledge, your career, and leave your mark on a rapidly growing company.

The Role

We are looking for senior backend developers who enjoy building systems with the capability to manage big data. Within our Query Engine and Core Mining teams, we are looking for a Staff Software Engineer, who develops and implements new features and algorithms for our core engine and increases the reliability and performance of existing components. With your general knowledge of working with modern C++, coupled with experience in developing high-performance large-scale data processing systems, you will create new, innovative algorithms and operators for our query engine.

The work you’ll do

• Identify and implement novel query optimization, transaction management, or distributed data processing algorithms in the Core Mining Engine
• Analyze and understand performance and scalability bottlenecks in the system and solve them
• Deal with issues from logical representations of the execution plan to efficient resource management, all the way down to highly parallel vectorized execution
• Design and implement critical high-performance systems to handle the ever-growing request rate on our database
• Evangelize best practices in database usage and end-to-end architecture
• Set an example for and mentor and grow your teammates
• Recognize and take action to improve the developer work environment
• Write clean, understandable, and testable code
• Provide feedback on the designs and code of peers
• Manage individual project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables
• Document development procedures, concepts and knowledge
• Build, launch, and maintain features in production
• Help define a fun and inclusive engineering culture

The Qualifications You Need

• BS in Computer science; Masters or Ph.D. preferred
• 8+ years of hands-on software engineering experience
• Significant background in database internals or building core components (query optimization, query execution, storage engines, transaction processing) for large-scale data processing systems (e.g., Starrocks, ClickHouse, etc)
• Experienced in programming with C++ (17)
• Have an analytical mind and a good understanding of complex data structures and algorithms in data management
• Have a curiosity about how things work and a desire to improve them

The base salary range below is for the role in the specified location, based on a Full Time Schedule.

Total compensation package will include base salary + bonus/commission + equity + benefits (health, dental, life, 401k, and paid time off). Please note that the base salary range is a guideline, and that the actual total compensation offer will be determined based on various factors, including, but not limited to, applicant's qualifications, skills, experiences, and location.

The base salary range below is for the role in California, based on a Full Time Schedule.

$212,000—$285,000 USD

What Celonis can offer you:

• Pioneer Innovation: Work with the global leader in Process Mining and the Process Intelligence Graph to shape the future of AI-driven business operations.
• Ownership from Day 1: Every full-time Celonaut is an owner, receiving Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and merit-based refresh grants.
• Unrivaled Family Support: Benefit from our inclusive parental leave policy—24 weeks of fully paid leave for primary carers and 12 weeks for supporting carers, available from your first day of employment.
• Work-Life Integration: Enjoy Unlimited PTO (in applicable regions) and generous PTO globally, as well as a flexible hybrid work model that balances remote focus with vibrant office collaboration.
• Continuous Growth: Elevate your skills through our 70-20-10 learning framework, mentorship programs, and access to a dedicated learning platform.
• Holistic Well-being: Prioritize your health with subsidized Wellhub memberships, mental health counseling, and dedicated Wellness Weeks that prioritize work/life balance.
• Drive Sustainability: Participate in annual Impact Days, where you receive paid time off to volunteer for community and environmental causes with your local office, or virtually.
• Global Inclusion & Belonging: Find community through our Inclusion Think Tank and participate in our annual Inclusion Days, ensuring every voice is heard and valued.
• Value-Driven Impact: Join a mission-led organization where our core values—Live for Customer Value, The Best Team Wins, We Own It, and Earth Is Our Future—drive every decision.

About Us:

Celonis makes processes work — for people, companies, and the planet. Powered by process mining and AI, the Celonis Process Intelligence Platform integrates process data and business context to create a living digital twin of business operations. We enable thousands of companies worldwide to understand how their business actually runs and, together with their partners, build intelligent solutions that transform and continuously improve the way they operate — unlocking billions in value. Celonis is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and New York City, USA, with more than 20 offices worldwide.

Get familiar with the Celonis Process Intelligence Platform by watching this video.

Celonis Inclusion Statement: At Celonis, we believe our people make us who we are and that “The Best Team Wins”. We know that the best teams are made up of people who bring different perspectives to the table. And when everyone feels included, able to speak up and knows their voice is heard - that's when creativity and innovation happen.

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