Systems PhD - Software Engineer

Databricks; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Databricks is seeking a PhD-holder to work on database and distributed systems, focusing on query optimization and execution. The role involves managing data security, resource allocation, and storage efficiency. Successful candidates will be passionate about delivering customer impact and have experience in performance optimization. The local pay range for this position is $150,000 to $190,000 USD, and the role is located in Mountain View, California.

Qualifications

• A passion for database systems, storage systems, distributed systems, language design, and/or performance optimization.
• Motivated by delivering customer value and impact.

Responsibilities

• Query compilation & optimization
• Distributed query execution and scheduling
• Vectorized engine execution
• Data security
• Resource management
• Transaction coordination
• Efficient storage structures (encoding, indexes)
• Automatic physical data optimization

Education

PhD in databases or systems

Job description

P-1299

Databricks is radically simplifying the entire data lifecycle, from ingestion to generative AI and everything in-between. We’re doing it cross‑cloud with a unified platform, currently serving over 10k customers, processing exabytes of data/day on 15+ million VMs, and growing exponentially.

To make it happen we’re building multi‑cloud systems at every corner of the data ecosystem, from query engines, vector databases, training pipelines, and storage systems, down to the infrastructure that allows them to scale like auto‑sharders, caches, and load balancers, just to name a few. We also build and support the tooling, languages, and stacks that bring it together.

The space we work in and the problems we solve are massive, complex, and very deep. We’re looking for practitioners who are eager to work with the best in industry to push the boundaries of what’s possible for our customers. If you’re truth seeking, data driven, and love to operate from first principles (head fake: our core values), then Databricks is the place for you.

Responsibilities

• Query compilation & optimization
• Distributed query execution and scheduling
• Vectorized engine execution
• Data security
• Resource management
• Transaction coordination
• Efficient storage structures (encoding, indexes)
• Automatic physical data optimization

Qualifications

• PhD in databases or systems
• A passion for database systems, storage systems, distributed systems, language design, and/or performance optimization
• Motivated by delivering customer value and impact

Pay Range

Local Pay Range: $150,000 – $190,000 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 click here.

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.