Systems PhD - Software Engineer
Databricks
Bellevue, WA · Posted March 26, 2026
Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks
See every open role at Databricks
More in Washington job market · Engineering jobs
More roles at Databricks
- Technical Enablement Specialist - Field Engineering Onboarding
- Technical Business Development Manager, Startup & VC Ecosystem · San Francisco, CA
- Staff Software Engineer - Security Infrastructure · Bellevue, WA
- Staff Technical Program Manager- Platform Features · Mountain View, CA
- Strategic Enterprise Account Executive, Healthcare
- Strategic Core Account Executive · Los Angeles, CA
Similar jobs
- C# Software Engineer · Caci International · Everett, WA
- Senior Software Development Engineer, Money Platform · Remitly Global · Seattle, WA
- Principal Software Engineer, High Value Send · Remitly Global · Seattle, WA
- EA - Senior Software Engineer · Bonterra Resources
- Staff Software Engineer - Backend · Veritone
- Software Engineer · Comscore · Portland, OR
Where Bellevue, WA ranks
Where Bellevue, WA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Pacific Northwest25% · of 12
- #1Best cities for AI-skill jobs in the Pacific Northwest28% · of 17
- #1Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Pacific Northwest66% · of 17
- #2Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Pacific Northwest117 jobs · of 8
- #2Best cities for mid-career professionals in the West Coast66% · of 71
- #3Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Pacific Northwest421 openings · of 14
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
Among software developers, AI is already used for some of the tasks. Measured exposure for software developers: 29% (some).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Skills this job asks for
Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.
About the job
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.
Local Pay Range
$140,000—$180,000 USD
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.