Principal Software Engineer - Search Infra - Elasticsearch

ABOUT THE ROLE Elastic is a global leader in search, observability, and security, and our Search Infra team is at the heart of that innovation. As a Principal Software Engineer on the Elasticsearch platform, you will shape the next generation of search capabilities that power millions of real‑time queries for Fortune 500 customers and open‑source users alike. You will work with a distributed, high‑velocity team that values code quality, rapid iteration, and deep technical ownership, driving the evolution of indexing, retrieval, and relevance at scale. WHAT YOU'LL DO You will define and lead the architectural direction for core search and indexing components, translating research breakthroughs into production‑ready features. You will collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, and platform teams to understand user needs and translate them into a long‑term technical roadmap. You will mentor senior engineers, fostering a culture of rigorous code review, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement. You will own the end‑to‑end delivery of high‑performance search features, from design through testing, deployment, and monitoring. You will act as the go‑to expert on Elasticsearch internals, guiding cross‑team initiatives and resolving complex performance or scalability challenges. WHAT YOU'LL NEED You bring proven experience leading large‑scale search or distributed systems projects, with a deep understanding of Lucene, Elasticsearch, or Solr internals. You have a strong command of Java, advanced data structures, and concurrency patterns, and you are passionate about algorithmic optimization. You have a track record of defining long‑term technical vision and aligning it with business goals across multiple teams. You are comfortable working autonomously, driving projects from concept to production while maintaining clear communication with stakeholders. You possess excellent verbal and written communication skills and a collaborative mindset that thrives in a globally distributed environment. WHY REMOTE Elastic’s distributed culture is intentional, enabling top talent to contribute from anywhere while maintaining synchronous collaboration through email, GitHub, Zoom, and Slack. Our asynchronous workflow empowers you to work in a flexible schedule that balances personal commitments with high‑impact delivery. You will have the autonomy to choose when and where you work, supported by a culture that values results over hours. BENEFITS Elastic offers comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents; a generous paid time off policy that includes paid holidays, vacation, and personal days; a remote work stipend to support home‑office setup; a learning and development budget for courses, conferences, and certifications; a competitive base salary aligned with market rates; and a robust retirement savings plan with company match.