Cockroach Labs
Technology
MemberofTechnicalStaff(specializedindexing)
Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for Mid+ candidates.
“Member of Technical Staff (specialized indexing) at Cockroach Labs. Skills: Indexing systems, Distributed systems, AI-native applications, Hybrid search. Design specialized indexing features. Build specialized indexing features”
What You'll Achieve.
Make measurable improvements to performance; Make measurable improvements to reliability; Advance hybrid search capabilities; Shape roadmap for indexing features; Shape roadmap for search features
Industry & Context.
Deep systems problems
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
6+ years building large-scale systems, Backend or systems programming background, Experience working on indexing systems, Experience working on query execution systems, Solid understanding of data structures, Solid understanding of algorithms, Solid understanding of distributed systems, Focus on building reliable software, Focus on building maintainable software, Focus on building high-performance software, Collaborative mindset, Ability to work effectively with global team
Nice to Have
Go, C/C++, or Rust experience, Vector search experience, Text search experience, Spatial search experience, Curiosity about AI-driven workloads, Curiosity about hybrid workloads
What You'll Do.
Design specialized indexing features
Build specialized indexing features
Maintain specialized indexing features
Improve vector indexing performance
Improve vector indexing reliability
Partner with database teams
Integrate new indexing mechanisms
Develop hybrid search capabilities
Participate in design discussions
Participate in code reviews
Participate in release planning
Take ownership of work
Design through implementation
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
SQL organization; Database teams; Distributed global team
Process & Methodology
Release planning
Full Job Description
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 The SQL Queries team is responsible for the core of CockroachDB’s query execution and optimization layer. This group designs and delivers features that make our distributed SQL engine fast, reliable, and flexible for a wide range of workloads. AI is transforming how we search, learn, and build, and databases are evolving to keep up. We’re forming a new Specialized Indexing subteam within SQL Queries to expand CockroachDB’s indexing capabilities beyond traditional relational workloads. This team will design and implement high-performance indexing systems such as vector, full-text, and geospatial indexes to support the next generation of AI-native and search-driven applications. As part of this team, you’ll work on deep systems problems, collaborate across the SQL organization, and build production-quality features that make CockroachDB a unified platform for both structured and unstructured data. You Will Design, build, and maintain specialized indexing features for CockroachDB, including vector, full-text, and geospatial indexing. Improve the performance and reliability of existing vector indexing systems, including backfill, query planning, and import workflows. Partner with other database teams to integrate new indexing mechanisms into the query engine. Develop hybrid search capabilities that combine vector similarity and text-based search for modern AI and search workloads. Participate in design discussions, code reviews, and release planning within the SQL organization. Take full ownership of your work, from design through implementation, testing, and
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