Senior / Principal Software Engineer or Architect

Database Engine, Search & Document Systems

Build the Next Generation of Database Infrastructure

We're looking for exceptional systems engineers to help shape the next generation of document, search, and AI-enabled capabilities inside Oracle Database.

This role is for engineers who enjoy solving hard systems problems across database internals, query processing, indexing, storage engines, search infrastructure, language design, and performance engineering.

Strong candidates often come from backgrounds in database engines, search and information retrieval, storage engines, compilers, distributed systems, or other systems software.

We're hiring across multiple technical areas, so you don't need experience in every domain. What matters most is a track record of building production systems, strong engineering fundamentals, and the ability to solve complex technical challenges at enterprise scale.

Note: This is not an LLM training or prompt engineering role. Our AI work focuses on the data layer—document processing, indexing, hybrid retrieval, query infrastructure, and the systems that power intelligent applications.

What You'll Work On

Depending on your background and interests, you'll contribute to one or more of the following areas.

SQL/JSON & Document Engine Internals

Design and implement core database functionality for JSON and document workloads, including query processing, indexing, optimization, execution, and storage.

You'll profile, benchmark, and optimize performance across the stack—from storage formats through query execution and optimizer behavior.

Relevant experience

• Database internals
• Query engines
• Storage engines
• Indexing
• Query optimization
• Document data models

Full-Text Search & Hybrid Retrieval

Build search capabilities integrated directly into Oracle Database, including inverted indexes, analyzers, ranking, relevance, and query integration.

You'll also help develop hybrid retrieval that combines lexical and vector search to support modern AI-powered applications.

Relevant experience

• Lucene
• Elasticsearch
• OpenSearch
• Information retrieval
• Ranking
• Search infrastructure
• Vector search

Document APIs & Database Compatibility

Help evolve Oracle's MongoDB-compatible API and improve the experience of migrating production document workloads to Oracle Database.

You'll identify compatibility gaps, prioritize improvements, collaborate with engineering teams, and occasionally work directly with customers to understand real-world workloads.

Relevant experience

• MongoDB
• Document databases
• Database APIs
• Enterprise migrations
• Query language compatibility

AI-Enabled Document Infrastructure

Build production infrastructure for document processing, semantic retrieval, indexing, pipelines, APIs, and query surfaces that enable AI-driven applications.

The focus is on scalable, reliable systems—not AI models.

Relevant experience

• Document processing
• Semantic or vector search
• Retrieval infrastructure
• Data platforms
• AI application infrastructure

Query Languages & Multi-Model Systems

Design query-language capabilities and execution infrastructure spanning relational, JSON, document, search, and vector data models.

Relevant experience

• Compilers
• Language design
• Query planners
• Runtime systems
• SQL or NoSQL query languages
• Multi-model databases

What We're Looking For

We're hiring Senior Engineers, Principal Engineers, and Architects with a proven record of building production systems software.

You don't need Oracle Database experience or expertise in every area above. We're looking for engineers with strong systems fundamentals, sound technical judgment, and a passion for solving difficult engineering problems.

Why Join This Team?

Build Core Database Technology

This is core database engineering—not a prototype or sidecar service.

You'll work directly on query execution, indexing, storage, search, APIs, and other performance-critical components that ship in one of the world's most widely deployed enterprise database platforms.

Broad Technical Scope

Our roadmap spans SQL/JSON, document databases, MongoDB compatibility, full-text search, hybrid retrieval, AI-enabled document processing, and next-generation query capabilities.

Whether your expertise is deep or broad, you'll have opportunities to make a significant technical impact.

AI Meets the Data Layer

Modern AI applications require more than models—they depend on fast, reliable data infrastructure.

This team builds the storage, retrieval, indexing, query processing, and operational foundations that make intelligent applications possible.

Experienced Peers & Technical Ownership

You'll work alongside experienced database engineers while owning meaningful technical problems from design through production.

We value engineers who combine architectural thinking with hands-on implementation and enjoy mentoring others while influencing technical direction.

You Might Be a Great Fit If...

You enjoy studying query plans, designing index structures, debugging performance bottlenecks, improving APIs, or understanding production workloads.

You like building infrastructure that other engineers depend on.

You can move comfortably between architecture and implementation and care about building elegant systems that perform reliably in production.

Research Experience Is Welcome

Research experience in databases, systems, compilers, search, programming languages, or distributed systems is valuable. Publications at conferences such as VLDB, SIGMOD, ICDE, SOSP, OSDI, NSDI, or PLDI are a plus.

However, this is not a credential-gated role.

We're equally interested in engineers who have built outstanding production systems, translated research ideas into products, or developed deep expertise through industry experience.

Ultimately, what matters is your ability to solve hard systems problems and deliver production-quality software.

Only Oracle brings together the data, infrastructure, applications, and expertise to power everything from industry innovations to life-saving care. And with AI embedded across our products and services, we help customers turn that promise into a better future for all. Discover your potential at a company leading the way in AI and cloud solutions that impact billions of lives.

True innovation starts when everyone is empowered to contribute. That’s why we’re committed to growing a workforce that promotes opportunities for all with competitive benefits that support our people with flexible medical, life insurance, and retirement options. We also encourage employees to give back to their communities through our volunteer programs.

We’re committed to including people with disabilities at all stages of the employment process. If you require accessibility assistance or accommodation for a disability at any point, let us know by emailing [email protected] or by calling 1-888-404-2494 in the United States.

Oracle is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Oracle will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.

Responsibilities

Core Strengths

Systems Engineering

Design, build, and ship production systems with a focus on correctness, performance, scalability, and maintainability.

Database & Data Systems

Experience with database engines, storage engines, search infrastructure, query processors, or distributed data systems is highly valued.

Experience with Oracle Database, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Lucene, or comparable technologies is beneficial but not required.

Computer Science Fundamentals

Strong knowledge of algorithms, data structures, concurrency, storage systems, transactions, indexing, query processing, or distributed systems.

We value deep fundamentals over any specific technology stack.

Programming & Performance

Write high-quality production software. Our primary implementation languages are C and Java, although engineering ability matters more than language experience.

You'll profile, benchmark, analyze tradeoffs, and optimize systems for latency, throughput, scalability, and efficiency.

Technical Leadership

Take ambiguous problems from concept to production by designing solutions, building consensus, driving implementation, and mentoring other engineers.

Strong communication and engineering judgment are essential.

Career Level - IC3