Principal Software Engineer - Vector Search - Elasticsearch

Elastic
Poland
Full timePLN 369,400 - 584,300 annuallyFunction: Software EngineeringSkills: ["Communication","Collaboration","Autonomy","Code review","Problem-solving"]

Build and enhance Elasticsearch’s vector similarity search and Lucene-driven search experience. Lead initiatives to deliver a high-performance vector database offering, designing and implementing new features, improving HNSW/IVF-style vector search, and resolving complex bugs. Work with a globally distributed team and community contributors, writing idiomatic modern Java and owning projects end-to-end to improve speed, relevance, and code clarity.

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FursaFursa
Elastic
Elastic
2 days ago

Principal Software Engineer - Vector Search - Elasticsearch

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Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI
Last checked: 5 hours agoStatus: Live
Reposted: similar role first listed 2 months ago

Job Summary

Build and enhance Elasticsearch’s vector similarity search and Lucene-driven search experience. Lead initiatives to deliver a high-performance vector database offering, designing and implementing new features, improving HNSW/IVF-style vector search, and resolving complex bugs. Work with a globally distributed team and community contributors, writing idiomatic modern Java and owning projects end-to-end to improve speed, relevance, and code clarity.
Location: Poland
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Software Engineering
Seniority: Mid level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Lead initiatives in Elasticsearch to deliver an industry-leading vector database offering with speed and relevance for search.
  • •Design and implement new vector search features and enhancements, and fix complex bugs while improving code clarity and understandability.
  • •Collaborate with a globally distributed team of engineers focused on Elasticsearch’s vector search capabilities.
  • •Serve as an expert on Elasticsearch’s vector similarity implementation and improve the area based on questions, instincts, and feedback.
  • •Engage with the global community via issues and pull requests, sometimes triaging and sometimes handling changes directly.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: PLN 369,400 - 584,300 annually
Perks:Health InsurancePaid Leave

Key Requirements

  • •Have implemented novel techniques in vector similarity on a large-scale search platform or advanced academic research in vector similarity information retrieval.
  • •Have professional experience with vector similarity and vector databases, including algorithms such as HNSW, IVF, or related libraries on search platforms at scale.
  • •Strong core Java skills, including standard library data structures and concurrency constructs (e.g., lambdas).
  • •Demonstrate high autonomy by taking projects from design through implementation, collaborating with engineers to develop needed components.
  • •Understand how data storage technologies work (e.g., Elasticsearch, Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra) and apply that knowledge effectively.
Experience:SearchVector similarityVector databasesAIOpen source
Skills:CommunicationCollaborationAutonomyCode reviewProblem-solving
Languages:English
Tech Stack:JavaElasticsearchLuceneVector similarityVector databasesHNSWIVFData structuresConcurrencyLambdasSolrPostgreSQLMongoDBCassandraGitHubZoomSlackAsynchronous communicationContinuous integration

Company Brief

Elastic
Builds the Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Kibana, Beats, Logstash) and provides search, observability, and security solutions that enable organizations to search, analyze, and protect data in real time across applications, infrastructure, and enterprises.
Industry: Data Infrastructure
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Revenue: USD 1B+
Growth: Public Company
Valuation: Public Company (Market Cap in USD)
Funding: IPO / Publicly Listed
Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Founded: 2012
WebsiteLinkedIn