Senior Software Engineer Sunnyvale, CA

Yugabyte is the company behind YugabyteDB
, the AI‑ready, multi‑modal, distributed PostgreSQL database for cloud‑native apps. Trusted by industry leaders including Shopify, Paramount+, GM, Kroger, Fiserv, and NPCI, YugabyteDB has been deployed in over 100 countries and powers more than 5 million clusters worldwide.

Together, our hard‑working team of experts and our industry‑leading technology are uniquely positioned to meet the demands of modern workloads: geo‑distributed, ultra‑resilient, and built to scale without limits.

Our Yugabeings (distributed, like our database) span 12+ countries and multiple time zones, sharing expertise from diverse backgrounds and industries.

Location: Sunnyvale, United States
Team: Core Database
Position Level: Senior Software Engineer

As a Senior Software Engineer working on YugabyteDB’s core database engine
, you will play a critical role in designing, building, and scaling the foundational components of a globally distributed SQL database — spanning query processing, storage, replication, and transactions.

You will work on some of the most challenging problems in distributed systems, including query planning and execution, consistency, durability, fault tolerance, performance, and scalability. Collaborating closely with cross‑functional teams across query, platform, and cloud, you will help ensure YugabyteDB remains robust, reliable, and high‑performing at scale.

This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy deep systems work and want to shape the core architecture of a high‑performance, fault‑tolerant distributed database.

• Design, develop, test, and deliver core database features across query processing, storage, replication, and transactions in YugabyteDB.
• Write high‑quality C/C++ code (and other languages as needed) with strong automated test coverage; actively participate in design discussions and code reviews.
• Troubleshoot and resolve correctness, stability, and performance issues across:
  • Distributed query planning and execution
  • Storage and transactional subsystems
• Improve database scalability and throughput as cluster sizes, data volumes, and transaction rates grow.
• Identify and implement performance optimizations across the stack, including:
  • Query plan optimization, batching, and parallelism
  • Storage engine and replication efficiency
  • End‑to‑end latency and throughput improvements
• Build and enhance core operational capabilities
• Contribute to the open‑source YugabyteDB project
  , helping strengthen its distributed SQL capabilities and reliability.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams (query, storage, platform, cloud) to deliver cohesive, high‑quality features.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices in distributed systems, database internals, and performance engineering
  .

• 5–8 years of software engineering experience
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science (or related field), or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong programming skills in C/C++ (or similar systems language)
• Solid understanding of:
  • Data structures and algorithms
  • Distributed systems basics
• Experience in at least one of:
  • Distributed systems (replication, consensus, transactions)
  • Strong problem‑solving and debugging skills

• Hands‑on experience building or working with distributed systems
  , including distributed storage, transactional engines, or consensus protocols.
• Strong understanding of database internals
  , with familiarity in areas such as:
  • PostgreSQL or other relational database engines
  • Contributions to open‑source systems or database projects are a strong plus.

This position is based in the U.S. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States. Sponsorship may be considered only under specific circumstances aligned with current regulatory requirements.

We feel strongly about equal pay for equal work, and transparency in compensation is one way to help achieve that. The cash compensation for this role is market competitive, with a range of USD 170,000-USD 200,000, inclusive of variable/incentive for some roles. As well as equity (when applicable), and benefits…