Principal Software Engineer – Vector Search

About the role

Elastic is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join the Elasticsearch Search team and lead the development of vector similarity search capabilities. You will work on a globally distributed team, contributing to both core Elasticsearch and the broader open‑source community.

Key responsibilities

• Lead initiatives to build an industry‑leading vector database offering within Elasticsearch.
• Design, implement and improve vector similarity search features, algorithms and data structures.
• Collaborate with a globally distributed team to deliver new search capabilities and fix complex bugs.
• Engage with the open‑source community, triage pull requests and provide expertise on vector search.

Required profile

• Proven experience implementing novel vector similarity techniques or advancing academic research in this area.
• Deep knowledge of vector databases and algorithms such as HNSW or IVF at scale.
• Strong expertise in core Java, including concurrency, lambdas and standard data structures.
• Ability to work autonomously, drive projects from design to delivery and collaborate effectively across time zones.

Required skills

• Java
• HNSW, IVF algorithms
• Elasticsearch
• Solr
• PostgreSQL
• MongoDB
• Cassandra

What we offer

• Competitive base salary ranging from 949 500 kr to 1 502 000 kr per year.
• Health coverage for you and your family in many locations.
• Flexible work schedule and remote‑first environment.
• Generous vacation allowance and parental leave of at least 16 weeks.
• Company‑matched charitable donations up to $2 000 (or local equivalent).
• Up to 40 paid volunteer hours per year.