Staff Engineer, Query Optimization
About the role
Join the MongoDB Server Query Optimization team and help us build a world‑class distributed open‑source query optimizer. Our team is responsible for the MongoDB Query Language and the lifecycle of each query — through parsing, optimization and plan selection. We have a presence across the US and Europe (New York, Dublin, Seattle, Palo Alto, Chicago) and support office‑based and remote work, aligning projects with convenient work hours for each time zone. You’ll tackle interesting problems that directly impact users for transactional, time‑series and analytical workloads, and contribute to the systematic rewrite of major components of our optimization and execution systems.
Responsibilities
- Innovate in the area of flexible‑schema databases and help build a world‑class query optimization system.
- Research state‑of‑the‑art query systems to inform our design.
- Leverage deep knowledge of the product’s strengths and weaknesses and industry trends to provide technical vision and direction.
- Set initiative‑level strategy, architect plans, and lead the team toward successful execution.
- Advise and partner with management on roadmap decisions, processes, and architectural designs.
- Identify, design, implement, test, and support new features related to query performance and robustness, query language enhancements, diagnostics, and integration with other products and tools.
- Work with other engineers to coordinate seamless changes in a feature‑rich, large code base.
- Collaborate with other teams including client drivers, cloud services, enterprise tools, support, consulting, education, and marketing to coordinate changes or contribute to their projects.
- Influence and grow team members through active mentoring, coaching, and leading by example.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in data management systems, distributed systems, or large‑scale backend engineering.
- Experience building production‑level code with a large user base, robust design structure, and rigorous code quality.
- Degree in Computer Science or a similar field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Experience with large code bases written in C++ or another systems programming language.
- Ability to trace down defects, estimate work complexity, and design evolution and integration strategies as we rewrite different components of the system.
Qualifications
- A strong foundation in core database internals is essential.
- Direct experience in query optimization is a massive bonus, but not a prerequisite.
- We are also excited to meet candidates with strong backgrounds in compilers, language transpilers, or distributed storage systems.
Skills
- Strong competencies in data structures, algorithms, and software design/architecture.
- Experience working with large code bases.
- Proficiency in C++ or another systems programming language.
- Background in compilers, language transpilers, or distributed storage systems.
- Knowledge of query optimization principles (bonus).
- Ability to design evolution and integration strategies for complex systems.
- Mentoring and coaching skills to influence and grow team members.
Benefits
- Equity.
- Participation in the employee stock purchase program.
- Flexible paid time off.
- 20 weeks fully‑paid gender‑neutral parental leave.
- Fertility and adoption assistance.
- 401(k) plan.
- Mental health counseling.
- Access to transgender‑inclusive health insurance coverage.
- Health benefits offerings.
Pay
MongoDB’s base salary range for this role in the U.S. is: $151,000—$297,000 USD.
Schedule
We support office‑based and remote work and align projects with convenient work hours for each time zone. This role can be based out of our US offices or remotely in the North America region.