Staff Software Engineer, AI Search

Databricks Inc.; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 166,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

Databricks Inc. is looking for a Staff Engineer for Search in Mountain View, California. This role involves driving the architecture and evolution of their next-generation Search product, ensuring high-quality data retrieval and enabling AI-driven applications.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in large-scale distributed systems, deep expertise in Search technologies, and strong leadership skills to mentor engineers and shape technical direction.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in large-scale distributed systems.
• Expertise in Search technologies and relevance optimization.
• Strong foundation in algorithms and system design.

Responsibilities

• Drive architecture and evolution of the Search product.
• Identify challenges in indexing, storage, and execution.
• Lead engineering efforts from design to production.

Skills

Large-scale distributed systems

Search technologies (vector, keyword, hybrid)

Algorithms and data structures

Communication skills

Job description

Overview

At Databricks, we are passionate about enabling data teams to solve the world's toughest problems — from making the next mode of transportation a reality to accelerating the development of medical breakthroughs. We do this by building and running the world's best data and AI infrastructure platform so our customers can use deep data insights to improve their business.

Search plays a foundational role in this mission. Whether through keyword-based retrieval, semantic similarity via vector embeddings, or hybrid approaches that combine both, our Search technologies help customers find, discover, and understand information across massive, complex datasets. These capabilities power everything from Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), AI assistants, and recommendation systems to enterprise knowledge management, in-product search, and data exploration.

As a Staff Engineer for Search, you’ll play a critical role in building and scaling our next-generation Search product — spanning Vector Search, Keyword Search, and Search Quality. You’ll drive the design and evolution of a highly-performant, cost-efficient, and developer-friendly Search stack that enables customers to build AI applications with accuracy, speed, and scale. Beyond hands‑on contributions, you’ll help define the long‑term vision, mentor senior engineers, collaborate across teams, and lead strategic efforts that expand the technical and business impact of Search at Databricks.

Responsibilities

• Drive the architecture and evolution of the Search product, delivering scalable, low‑latency, and high‑quality retrieval across massive multimodal datasets.
• Identify and solve challenges in indexing, storage, query execution, and ranking — blending innovations in vector search, keyword search, and hybrid retrieval techniques.
• Partner with infrastructure, product, and research teams to shape APIs and developer experiences that make it easy to build production‑grade, AI‑powered and search‑driven applications.
• Lead end‑to‑end engineering efforts — from design to production rollout — ensuring high standards for performance, correctness, and reliability.
• Make direct, high‑impact contributions to core systems powering search, discovery, and recommendation experiences.
• Champion software engineering excellence and mentor other engineers through design reviews, technical discussions, and collaborative development.
• Contribute to long‑term planning and influence Databricks’ technical direction in search, AI infrastructure, and data systems.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience building and operating large‑scale distributed systems.
• Deep expertise in Search technologies (vector, keyword, hybrid) and related domains such as indexing, ranking, retrieval infrastructure, and relevance optimization.
• Familiarity with storage systems, recommendation engines, and database internals.
• Strong foundation in algorithms, data structures, and system design as applied to large‑scale retrieval and data systems.
• Proven ability to deliver technically complex, high‑impact initiatives that create customer or business value.
• Experience leading architecture for performance‑sensitive, large‑scale systems.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams in fast‑moving environments.
• Strategic and product‑oriented mindset with the ability to align technical execution with long‑term vision.
• Passion for mentoring, growing engineers, and fostering technical excellence.

Pay Range Transparency

Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents the expected salary range for non‑commissionable roles or on‑target earnings for commissionable roles.

Local Pay Range $166,000 — $225,000 USD

Benefits

At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region, please consult the company portal.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio‑economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.

Compliance

If access to export‑controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.