Staff Software Engineer, AI Search

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

Job summary

Databricks is seeking a Staff Engineer for Search in Mountain View, California. You will be responsible for driving the architecture and evolution of the next-generation Search product. Your role will involve leading engineering efforts, mentoring other engineers, and making influential contributions to the search infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in large-scale distributed systems and deep expertise in search technologies. The position offers a competitive pay range of $166,000—$225,000 USD.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience building and operating large-scale distributed systems.
• Deep expertise in Search technologies and related domains such as indexing and retrieval infrastructure.
• Proven ability to deliver technically complex initiatives.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Large-scale distributed systems

Search technologies (vector, keyword, hybrid)

Algorithms and data structures

Performance-sensitive architecture

Strong communication skills

Job description

RDQ427R351

Databricks is building a world class data and AI infrastructure platform to help customers solve complex problems. Search technologies play a foundational role by enabling data discovery across massive datasets.

As a Staff Engineer for Search, you will build and scale the next‑generation Search product (Vector, Keyword, and Search Quality). You’ll drive architecture, mentor senior engineers, collaborate across teams, and lead strategic initiatives that expand Search’s impact.

The Impact You Will Have

• 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.

What We Look For

• 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

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

Benefits

Databricks provides comprehensive benefits and perks. For specific details in your region, click the provided link.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Databricks is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. Hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Candidates are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, language, national origin, or other protected characteristics.

Compliance

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