Staff Software Engineer - Cloudera Context Search Team
Cloudera · Texas, United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $207,000 / year
- Texas, United States
Job highlights
- Lead search infrastructure for Cloudera Data Platform.
- Architect large-scale OpenSearch clusters.
- Integrate OpenSearch with CDP components.
- Optimize performance and cloud-native operations.
- Mentor engineers and contribute to OpenSearch.
About the role
Staff Software Engineer - Cloudera Context Search Team
At Cloudera, we empower people to transform complex data into clear and actionable insights. With as much data under management as the hyperscalers, we're the preferred data partner for the top companies in almost every industry. Powered by the relentless innovation of the open source community, Cloudera advances digital transformation for the world’s largest enterprises.
The Data Platform Pillar is the bedrock of Cloudera’s technology, where we design and build the core components that let our customers store, manage, and process data with unmatched scalability, security, and performance.
About the Role:
As a Staff Engineer on the Cloudera Context Search Team, you will be a key technical leader and architect for the search heartbeat of the Cloudera Data Platform (CDP). You will drive the technical vision and strategic evolution of high-performance, scalable, and secure search infrastructure that powers data discovery, observability, and analytics for the world’s largest enterprises.
As a Staff Engineer, you will:
- Architectural Leadership: Drive the multi-quarter technical roadmap and design large-scale OpenSearch clusters capable of handling petabytes of data with low-latency indexing and query performance.
- Platform Integration: Deeply integrate OpenSearch with CDP components (e.g., Apache Iceberg, SDX, and Ozone) to provide a unified search experience across the data lakehouse.
- Performance Optimization: Lead efforts to optimize JVM settings, shard allocation strategies, and query DSL to ensure maximum throughput and stability.
- Cloud Native Operations: Oversee the development of Kubernetes Operators and Helm charts for automated deployment, scaling, and self-healing of search services.
- Engineering Excellence: Define and champion best practices for security (RBAC, TLS), observability, and enterprise-grade reliability.
- Mentorship & Influence: Mentor senior and junior engineers on complex technical designs and foster a culture of continuous improvement across the organization.
- Community Contribution: Act as a primary liaison and influencer within the upstream OpenSearch community, aligning their roadmap with product strategy.
We are excited about you if you have:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent, and 6+ years of experience; OR Master’s degree and 4-6 years of experience; OR PhD and 2-4 years of experience
- 6+ years of experience working with OpenSearch or Elasticsearch in production environments at scale.
- Distributed Systems: Deep understanding of consensus algorithms, CAP theorem, replication, and sharding.
- Programming: Mastery of Java (for core development) and proficiency in Go or Python for automation and tooling.
- Infrastructure: Extensive experience with Kubernetes (K8s) and container orchestration.
- Cloud Platforms: Hands-on experience deploying search workloads on AWS (EKS/AOSS), Azure (AKS), or Google Cloud (GKE).
You might also have:
- Experience with Lucene internals (segment merging, bitsets, and codecs).
- Knowledge of Vector Database capabilities within OpenSearch for Generative AI (RAG) use cases.
- History of contributing to open-source projects (Apache Software Foundation or OpenSearch Project).
Why this role matters:
You will tackle complex distributed systems challenges, crafting the foundational software for the control and data planes that powers CDP and keeps it running at massive scale. Working at the forefront of hybrid and multi-cloud technology, you will empower data scientists, engineers, and analysts with the tools and infrastructure they need for advanced analytics and modeling.
Collaboration is key, you will work alongside brilliant minds across product, data science, and engineering to drive innovation, standardize best practices, and shape the future of enterprise AI and data platforms. This is your chance to build the future of data and see your work make a global impact.
Key skills/competency
- Staff Software Engineer
- OpenSearch
- Elasticsearch
- Distributed Systems
- Java
- Kubernetes
- Cloud Platforms
- Platform Integration
- Performance Optimization
- Mentorship
Skills & topics
- Staff Software Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Search Engineer
- OpenSearch
- Elasticsearch
- Distributed Systems
- Java
- Kubernetes
- Cloud Platforms
- Platform Integration
- Performance Optimization
- Mentorship
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with OpenSearch, Elasticsearch, distributed systems, Java, Go, Python, and Kubernetes, aligning with Staff Software Engineer responsibilities.
- Showcase leadership: Emphasize your architectural leadership, mentorship, and community contribution experience in your application.
- Demonstrate technical depth: Prepare to discuss your experience with large-scale OpenSearch clusters, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and cloud-native operations.
- Prepare for behavioral questions: Be ready to share examples of how you've driven technical roadmaps, mentored teams, and fostered engineering excellence.
- Understand Cloudera's mission: Research Cloudera's role in transforming complex data and their commitment to open-source innovation.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the expected base salary range for a Staff Software Engineer at Cloudera in California and Washington?
- The expected base salary range for this Staff Software Engineer role in California and Washington is $184,000 - $230,000 annually. This range can vary based on your specific job-related skills, experience, and exact location.
- What are the key technical skills required for the Staff Software Engineer - Cloudera Context Search Team role?
- Key technical skills include 6+ years of experience with OpenSearch or Elasticsearch at scale, deep understanding of distributed systems (consensus algorithms, CAP theorem, replication, sharding), mastery of Java, proficiency in Go or Python, and extensive experience with Kubernetes and cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
- Does Cloudera offer immigration sponsorship for this Staff Software Engineer position?
- No, this role is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.
- What opportunities are there for growth and development in this role?
- This role offers significant opportunities for growth through complex distributed systems challenges, working at the forefront of hybrid and multi-cloud technology, and collaborating with brilliant minds. Cloudera also provides access to continued career development programs.
- How does Cloudera support work-life balance for its employees?
- Cloudera supports work-life balance through a generous PTO policy, Unplugged Days, a flexible WFH policy, mental and physical wellness programs, and paid volunteer time.
- What is the significance of the Staff Software Engineer role within Cloudera's Data Platform?
- This role is crucial as it involves driving the technical vision and strategic evolution of high-performance, scalable, and secure search infrastructure that powers data discovery, observability, and analytics for Cloudera's largest enterprise clients.
- What is the expected educational background for this Staff Software Engineer position?
- The role typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent with 6+ years of experience, or a Master’s degree with 4-6 years of experience, or a PhD with 2-4 years of experience.
- Will I be expected to contribute to the OpenSearch community in this role?
- Yes, you will act as a primary liaison and influencer within the upstream OpenSearch community, aligning their roadmap with product strategy, which indicates a significant contribution expectation.