Strategic Overview
Systems PhD - Software Engineer at Databricks is a dev opportunity centered on the specialist responsibilities and outcomes described in the employer's listing.
The published role emphasizes work such as A passion for database systems, storage systems, distributed systems, language design, and/or performance optimization.
The role is listed for Bellevue, Washington / Seattle, Washington with the working arrangement published with the role, giving candidates the practical context needed to assess fit before applying.
Key information at a glance
About This Role
P-1299
Databricks is radically simplifying the entire data lifecycle, from ingestion to generative AI and everything in-between. We’re doing it cross-cloud with a unified platform, currently serving over 10k customers, processing exabytes of data/day on 15+ million VMs, and growing exponentially .
To make it happen we’re building multi-cloud systems at every corner of the data ecosystem, from query engines, vector databases, training pipelines, and storage systems, down to the infrastructure that allows them to scale like auto-sharders, caches, and load balancers, just to name a few. We also build and support the tooling, languages, and stacks that bring it together. Basically, we do it all.
Key Responsibilities & Objectives
- A passion for database systems, storage systems, distributed systems, language design, and/or performance optimization
Required Qualifications & Candidate Blueprint
- PhD in databases or systems
Salary & Benefits
Published compensation: $140,000 – $180,000 USD
Salary Benchmark
This role’s published compensation is compared with current employer-disclosed salary ranges for the same role in the same currency.
Benchmark uses active employer job postings in our database and excludes this listing. It is not a third-party salary estimate, and currencies are not converted.
Full Job Description
The following is the complete job description supplied by the source. We sanitize unsafe markup and remove external links, but do not shorten or rewrite the employer's source content.
P-1299
Databricks is radically simplifying the entire data lifecycle, from ingestion to generative AI and everything in-between. We’re doing it cross-cloud with a unified platform, currently serving over 10k customers, processing exabytes of data/day on 15+ million VMs, and growing exponentially.
To make it happen we’re building multi-cloud systems at every corner of the data ecosystem, from query engines, vector databases, training pipelines, and storage systems, down to the infrastructure that allows them to scale like auto-sharders, caches, and load balancers, just to name a few. We also build and support the tooling, languages, and stacks that bring it together. Basically, we do it all.
The space we work in and the problems we solve are massive, complex, and very deep (our published work on Lakehouse, Delta lake, and Photon are a testament to that). We’re looking for practitioners who are eager to work with the best in industry to push the boundaries of what’s possible for our customers. If you’re truth seeking, data driven, and love to operate from first principles (head fake: our core values), then Databricks is the place for you.
As a part of the Database Engine team, there are opportunities to design and implement in many areas that leapfrog existing state-of-the-art systems:
- Query compilation & optimization
- Distributed query execution and scheduling
- Vectorized engine execution
- Data security
- Resource Management
- Transaction coordination
- Efficient storage structures (encoding, indexes)
- Automatic physical data optimization
What we look for:
- PhD in databases or systems
- A passion for database systems, storage systems, distributed systems, language design, and/or performance optimization
- Motivated by delivering customer value and impact
Pay Range Transparency
Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents the expected salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings for commissionable roles. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Based on the factors above, Databricks anticipates utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package for this position may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and the benefits listed above. For more information regarding which range your location is in visit our page here.
About Databricks
Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram.
Benefits
At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.
Compliance
If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.
Editor’s Market Perspective (Our Custom Analysis)
Why This Position Matters
This dev opening is a useful opportunity for candidates whose experience matches the role-specific capabilities named in the listing. Its strongest career signal is the scope of the work itself — particularly A passion for database systems, storage systems, distributed systems, language design, and/or performance optimization — rather than a generic title alone.
Resume & Application Strategy
For the application, mirror the employer's language where it truthfully matches your background: foreground the role-specific capabilities named in the listing, quantify outcomes from comparable work, and place the most relevant experience near the top of the resume. If the listing specifies tools, platforms, leadership scope, or domain experience, use those exact terms in context instead of presenting an unrelated keyword list.
We organize source-provided information into this independent job-seeker overview. Compensation is shown only when the source provides it; the official listing remains the authority for current requirements and application instructions.