← All roles

Principal Software Engineer - Vector Search - Elasticsearch

Elastic· Platform - Elasticsearch
Apply on company site
SwitzerlandFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Principal software engineering role focused on enhancing vector similarity search within Elasticsearch, including design and implementation of new vector search features, enhancements to existing functionality, and bug resolution. Globally distributed team collaborating across continents with emphasis on fast, scalable, and intuitive software and asynchronous collaboration.

Responsibilities

  • Lead initiatives within Elasticsearch to produce an industry-leading vector database offering, supplying unparalleled speed and relevance in search.
  • Contribute to Elasticsearch full time, building new search features and fixing bugs, inventing new algorithms or data structures when needed, and possibly optimizing near OS/hardware interactions.
  • Be an expert on how Elasticsearch implements vector similarity to support search relevance and drive improvements.
  • Work with community members globally on issues and pull requests, triaging or handling them as needed.
  • Write idiomatic modern Java (Elasticsearch is 99.8% Java).

Qualifications

  • Implemented novel techniques in vector similarity on a large-scale search platform or contributed to academic research in vector similarity information retrieval.
  • Professional experience with vector similarity and vector databases, and experience with algorithms like HNSW, IVF, or other relevant methods on search platforms at scale.
  • Strong core Java skills, familiarity with standard data structures, concurrency, and features like lambdas.
  • Ability to work autonomously from design to delivery and collaborate across engineers.
  • Experience collaborating over the internet asynchronously is a plus.
  • Experience with data storage technologies such as Elasticsearch, Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication, respectful and empathetic collaboration.
  • Proven track record of using AI to accelerate development, debugging complex systems, and optimizing code while owning outcomes.
  • Ability to collaborate across functions and transition between projects or teams as priorities change.
  • Autonomous and capable of driving decisions in a distributed team via asynchronous, direct, and transparent communication.

Skills

Required:Vector similarity / vector databasesJavaAlgorithms / data structuresCollaboration / communication

Benefits

  • Competitive pay
  • Health coverage for you and your family in many locations
  • Flexible locations and schedules for many roles
  • Generous vacation days
  • Company donation matching up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent)
  • Up to 40 hours per year for volunteer projects
  • Minimum of 16 weeks parental leave
Last updated Sep 3, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
Elastic logo

About Elastic

The open source platform that powers search, observability, security, and more ...

Power insights and outcomes with The Elastic Search AI Platform. See into your data and find answers that matter with enterprise solutions designed to help you accelerate time to insight.

searchobservabilitysecurityAIenterprise solutionsvector database
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at Elastic