Sr Software Engineer Storage, Search, & Data Platforms

About the Role

As a Senior Software Engineer in the Storage, Search, and Data (SSD) group, you will be at the heart of Uber’s transition to a Cloud-Native Data Platform. We are moving away from traditional data processing toward a unified, elastic fabric that powers everything from exabyte-scale analytics to the "Agentic" AI that drives Uber’s future.

In this role, you will take ownership of business-critical systems—whether that’s scaling our Distributed MySQL footprint, optimizing Hudi-based Data Lakes, or building the storage layer. You are a "Full-Stack Infrastructure" engineer: someone who can write high-performance code, design resilient distributed systems, and ensure operational excellence for Tier-0 services that handle millions of concurrent trips.

What You Will Do

• Own & Execute: Lead the design and implementation of major features for Uber’s storage and data platforms (e.g., Docstore, Pinot, or OpenSearch).
• Cloud-Native Modernization: Build and optimize services that leverage GCP and OCI Object Storage, focusing on high-throughput metadata management and S3-compatible API support.
• Storage Optimization: Drive efficiency across our HDFS and Blobstore layers, using table formats like Apache Hudi or Iceberg to improve data freshness and reduce cost.
• AI/ML Integration: Work with AI teams to design high-performance data pipelines, ensuring our storage layers can handle the intense IO demands of GPU-based model training.
• Operational Leadership: Ensure 99.99% availability for your services. You will lead root-cause analyses (RCAs), improve observability, and mentor L3/L4 engineers on best practices for distributed systems.

---- Basic Qualifications ----

• 6+ Years of Engineering Experience: Proven track record of building and maintaining large-scale distributed systems.

• Deep Storage Knowledge: Practical, hands-on experience with:

  • Relational & NoSQL: Distributed MySQL, Cassandra, or Redis.
  • Batch & Object: HDFS, S3/GCS, and Metadata services.
  • Distributed Systems: If you’ve worked on systems like Google Spanner or TiDB, you’ll be a great fit for our Transactional Storage (Docstore) team.

• Coding Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Java, Go, or C++, with a strong focus on concurrency, memory management, and performance tuning.

• Query Engines: Experience with large-scale analytical engines like Presto, Hive, or Trino.

---- Preferred Qualifications ----

• Lakehouse Innovation: Experience with Apache Hudi, Iceberg, or Delta Lake for optimizing "Big Data" storage.
• Cloud Infrastructure: Deep familiarity with OCI or GCP and strategies for resource efficiency (the "E40" initiative).
• AI/ML Awareness: Understanding how data storage interacts with ML frameworks like Ray or PyTorch.
• Open Source Contribution: Active participation in community projects like Apache Pinot, Kafka, or Flink.
• Academic-Grade Engineering: Ability to apply research-level concepts (partnering with CMU, Berkeley, or MIT) to solve real-world distributed consensus or indexing challenges.

For San Francisco, CA-based roles: The base salary range for this role is USD$202,000 per year - USD$224,000 per year.

For Seattle, WA-based roles: The base salary range for this role is USD$202,000 per year - USD$224,000 per year.

For Sunnyvale, CA-based roles: The base salary range for this role is USD$202,000 per year - USD$224,000 per year.

For all US locations, you will be eligible to participate in Uber's bonus program, and may be offered an equity award & other types of comp. All full-time employees are eligible to participate in a 401(k) plan. You will also be eligible for various benefits. More details can be found at the following link https://jobs.uber.com/en/benefits.

Uber's mission is to reimagine the way the world moves for the better. Here, bold ideas create real-world impact, challenges drive growth, and speed fuels progress. What moves us, moves the world - let's move it forward, together.

Uber is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing this form.

Offices continue to be central to collaboration and Uber's cultural identity. Unless formally approved to work fully remotely, Uber expects employees to spend at least half of their work time in their assigned office. For certain roles, such as those based at green-light hubs, employees are expected to be in-office for 100% of their time. Please speak with your recruiter to better understand in-office expectations for this role.