Back to jobs
New

Software Engineer, Backend (KV) - New York, NY

New York, NY
 

Category-defining tech. Career-defining work.

Lots of tech companies disrupt. But, many fail when they try to scale. We're different. CockroachDB makes it easier for companies to build and scale apps. This is how and why we're helping some of the most innovative companies on the planet. We tackle problems head-on and focus on solutions that create lasting impact. 

Because when our customers win, we all win. 

 

The Role

We are looking for a backend software engineer excited about growing an open-source, cloud-native distributed SQL database to join our KV team. This team is responsible for the distributed foundations of CRDB, including Resource Management (data sharding, placement , rebalancing and Admission Control), the Transaction Layer (e.g., transactional APIs, distributed transactions and concurrency control) and the Replication layer (e.g., Raft, distributed lease management and configuration changes). Together, these subsystems form the underpinnings of CRDB and the guarantees it provides to clients, namely Fault Tolerance,  Availability, Consistency, Transactional Semantics as well as its Performance and Scalability. We collaborate closely with product and other engineering teams, such as the Storage, and SQL teams. Join us to be a part of cutting-edge work that provides foundational database functionality and enables a seamless experience for CockroachDB users.

You Will

  • Contribute to the growth of CockroachDB by bringing your expertise and commitment to excellence to help build a database that makes data easy for everyone.
  • Develop in Go, but if you don't know it, you'll learn while you're here.
  • Improve the performance of CockroachDB.
  • Work closely with other engineers and product managers across our cloud and database teams. 
  • Help foster a collaborative culture and exchange knowledge with a highly experienced technical organization.
  • Ensure that CockroachDB remains scalable, survivable, and consistent as we continue to grow as a company.

The Expectations

In the first month, you will join your engineering team and start to learn about our production systems, software development workflow, and the architecture of CockroachDB and our cloud offerings. We believe that it's essential for you to take this time to become familiar with our technology, company, and our culture.

After three months, you'll be a fully-fledged member of the KV team and feel comfortable contributing to CockroachDB. You will begin determining the parts of our product that most interest you and work with your manager to focus your efforts on projects that align with your interests and our goals.

We want our users to have a phenomenal experience using our product. You play a crucial role in making CockroachDB a joy to use, and as our team grows, you will have the opportunity to shape the direction of development for CockroachDB and CockroachDB Cloud. We also offer technical training and experienced mentorship to help you learn and advance your career into whatever you wish it to be.

You Have

  • Passion for working on complex technical products and exposure to topics like distributed systems, consensus, data replication, concurrency control, file systems, or SQL processing. 
  • Comfort using programming languages like Go, C/C++, Java, and Python.
  • An understanding of system design.
  • Experience building collaborative relationships with your colleagues. You enjoy being part of the code review process and partnering with your teammates on challenging problems.
  • 5+ years of relevant experience is ideal.
  • A BS in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
  • Bonus: experience building and running large-scale distributed systems in production.
  • Bonus: experience with high availability designs and distributed storage/database architectures.
  • Bonus: MS/PhD or research experience in a relevant domain.

The Team

Reporting to Nick Travers - Sr. Manager, Engineering

Nick joined Cockroach Labs in 2021, and looks after the Database Platform group, consisting of the Storage and Key Value (KV) teams. Storage is responsible for Pebble, our RocksDB-inspired Log Structured Merge (LSM) Tree implementation. KV turns multiple Pebble stores into a multi-node distributed KV store, encompassing replication, transactions and resource management. Nick lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son, but hails from Perth, Australia. An avid Arsenal Football Club supporter, he also dabbles in cookery.

Isaac Wong - EVP of Engineering

Isaac is responsible for the health of the engineering organization at Cockroach Labs. He partners closely with teams to ensure we have a balanced culture that promotes quality and innovation in pursuit of our goals. Before joining Cockroach Labs Isaac was in life sciences for 16 years with Medidata Solutions where he had a front row seat on the exciting ride from a 30 person startup to more than 2000 people worldwide. But the lure of distributed, resilient, and consistent SQL databases, along with the amazing technology and culture at Cockroach Labs proved too much. When not working he likes to draw, play the piano, and search NYC for cannoli's with his wife and kids.

 

Cockroach Labs is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer building a diverse and inclusive workforce. If you need additional accommodations to feel comfortable during your interview process, please email us at accessibility@cockroachlabs.com.

Cockroach Labs has a hybrid work model, with Roachers that are local to one of our offices coming in on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays and working flexibly the rest of the week. While we’ve learned valuable lessons working remotely, nothing can replace the connection, creativity, and fun that occurs when Roachers get together and we are committed to fostering a workplace that encourages collaboration and allows us all to do our best work.

 

Benefits

  • Stock Options
  • Medical Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Life and Disability Insurance
  • Professional Development Funds
  • Flexible Time Off
  • Paid Holidays
  • Paid Sick Days
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Retirement Benefits
  • Mental Wellbeing Benefits
  • And more!

The annual anticipated base salary range for U.S. candidates for this role is listed in USD below. Salary is one component of the Cockroach Labs’ Total Rewards package, which also includes, for each employee: stock options, medical insurance, vision insurance, dental insurance, life and disability insurance, funds towards professional development resources, flexible paid time off, 11 paid holidays a year, 10 paid sick days a year, paid parental leave, a 401(k) plan, and wellbeing benefits.  

We set standard ranges for all U.S.-based roles based on function, level, and geographic location, benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. Actual salaries may vary and fall outside of this range depending on factors such as a candidate’s qualifications, geographic location, skills, experience, and competencies. In addition, we are often open to a wide variety of profiles, and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced (or more senior) than this job description as posted. 

Salaries for candidates outside the U.S. will vary based on local compensation structures. 

This position will remain posted until filled. Applicants should apply via our Careers Page.

Annual Anticipated Base Salary Range (U.S)

$133,000 - $176,150 USD

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Cockroach Labs? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Cockroach Labs’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.