Staff Software Engineer - Database Engine Internals
Databricks — Analytics · Artificial Intelligence (AI) · Data Integration
About the role
P-188
Our mission at Databricks is to radically simplify the whole data lifecycle from ingestion to ETL, BI, and all the way up to ML/AI with a unified platform. To achieve this goal, we believe the data warehouse architecture as we know it today will be replaced by a new architectural pattern, Lakehouse ( CIDR 2021 paper ), open platforms that unify data warehousing and advanced analytics. The new architecture will help address several major challenges, including data staleness, reliability, total cost of ownership, data lock-in, and limited use-case support.
A critical part of realizing this vision is the next generation (decoupled) query engine and structured storage system that can outperform specialized data warehouses in relational query performance, yet retain the expressiveness and of general purpose systems such as Apache Spark™ to support diverse workloads ranging from ETL to data science.
As part of this team, you will be working in one or more of the following areas to design and implement these next gen systems that leapfrog state-of-the-art:
Query compilation and optimization
Distributed query execution and scheduling
Vectorized execution engine
Data security
Resource management
Transaction coordination
Efficient storage structures (encodings, indexes)
Automatic physical data optimization
What we look for:
A passion for database systems, storage systems, distributed systems, language design, or performance optimization
Experience working towards a multi-year vision with incremental deliverables
Motivated by delivering customer value and impact
8+ years of experience working in a related system (preferred)
Optional: PhD in databases or distributed systems
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. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Based on the factors above, Databricks anticipates utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package for this position may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and the benefits listed above. For more information regarding which range your location is in visit our page here .
Local Pay Range
$192,000 $260,000 USD
About Databricks
Databricks is the data and AI company. More than 10,000 organizations worldwide — including Comcast, Condé Nast, Grammarly, and over 50% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to unify and democratize data, analytics and AI. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe and was founded by the original creators of Lakehouse, Apache Spark™, Delta Lake and MLflow. To learn more, follow Databricks on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . 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.
What the index says about this role
- First seen by JobLarper — Aug 2, 2026, 6 days ago. Older postings collect hundreds of applicants — a tailored résumé matters more the longer a role has been live.
- No pay range in our index for this listing. Across 1,684 indexed Software Engineer roles in US that do publish one, the middle half sits between $185k and $285k, median $225k — JobLarper's read of the market, not a figure from Databricks.
- What Software Engineer roles ask for — across 10,228 indexed openings: REST/APIs (47%), Backend (42%), Cloud (38%), Python (38%), Go (25%). This posting names Backend, ML.
- Databricks is hiring actively — 500 open roles indexed.
Derived from the 26,996 roles JobLarper indexes daily from official company boards — not from the job description above.
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