Principal Software Engineer - Search Algorithms - Elasticsearch

Elastic
Norway
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeNOK 949,500 - 1,502,000 annuallyFunction: Software EngineeringSkills: ["Communication","Collaboration","Autonomy","Problem-solving"]

Join a globally distributed team working on Elasticsearch’s search and vector similarity capabilities. You’ll lead initiatives to enhance vector search functionality, design and implement new algorithms or data structures when needed, and resolve complex bugs. The role requires deep expertise in core Java and vector similarity/vector databases, plus collaboration with engineers and open source community members through pull requests and async review to improve search relevance at scale.

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FursaFursa
Elastic
Elastic
2 days ago

Principal Software Engineer - Search Algorithms - Elasticsearch

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Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI
Last checked: 5 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Join a globally distributed team working on Elasticsearch’s search and vector similarity capabilities. You’ll lead initiatives to enhance vector search functionality, design and implement new algorithms or data structures when needed, and resolve complex bugs. The role requires deep expertise in core Java and vector similarity/vector databases, plus collaboration with engineers and open source community members through pull requests and async review to improve search relevance at scale.
Location: Norway
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Software Engineering
Seniority: Mid level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Lead initiatives within Elasticsearch to deliver an industry-leading vector database offering focused on speed and relevance.
  • •Build new vector search features, enhance existing functionality, and fix complex bugs to improve code quality and understandability.
  • •Collaborate with a globally distributed team of experienced engineers on Elasticsearch vector search capabilities.
  • •Serve as an expert in how Elasticsearch implements vector similarity for search relevance, answering questions and improving the area.
  • •Engage with community members via issues and pull requests, triaging or handling changes and integration details as needed.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: NOK 949,500 - 1,502,000 annually
Perks:Health InsurancePaid LeaveParental Leave

Key Requirements

  • •Professional experience with vector similarity and vector databases used at scale, including algorithms/libraries such as HNSW or IVF.
  • •Strong core Java skills, including data structures, concurrency constructs, and use of modern language features like lambdas.
  • •Ability to take ownership of projects end to end, covering technical design and collaboration with other engineers.
  • •Experience working with data storage technologies such as Elasticsearch, Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra.
  • •Excellent verbal and written communication skills for collaborative, distributed/asynchronous development.
Experience:Vector databasesSearchAIOpen sourceDistributed systems
Skills:CommunicationCollaborationAutonomyProblem-solving
Languages:English
Tech Stack:JavaElasticsearchLuceneVector similarityVector databasesHNSWIVFSolrPostgreSQLMongoDBCassandraGitHubZoomSlackData structuresConcurrencyLambdasContinuous 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