Staff Software Engineer (Data Internals)

Team:

ServiceNow Project RaptorDB, based on Postgres, the worlds most advanced open source database, acts as a foundational data layer that allows ServiceNow customers to process massive volumes of transactional data on the Now Platform in real time to meet the demands of AI powered applications and business critical workflows. It adds analytical capabilities to meet advanced reporting and data mining needs. This team is building the very core of RaptorDB and even the smallest optimization can have a dramatic impact on our customers and our bottom line.

We are looking for an experienced developer with C/C++ knowledge who wants to contribute heavily to building the very core of our ServiceNow database. You will work directly with other engineers on the Data Platform team solving challenging problems in scaling and querying large data sets efficiently both vertically and horizontally. Our work is based on Postgres with significant in-house enhancements and unique features. This is your opportunity to contribute to cutting edge database software used at massive scale.

What you get to do in this role:

• You ll collaborate with 3 teams of 20+ dedicated

  database-internals engineers.

• Be part of

  building the next-gen database platform

  using and contributing to the latest open-source technologies
• Analyze storage/memory/compute

  performance

  and

  scalability

  bottlenecks in the system and build targeted software solutions

• Develop complex and creative solutions

  with quality modern C/C++ code and a highly automated build and test infrastructure
• I

  mprove reliability and observability

  by designing and building self-diagnostic and self-healing system capabilities
• Learn

  state-of-the-art development practices

  for performance, reliability and error prevention
• Partner with core and

  cross-functional teams

  to create the

  next-generation database engine

  powering ServiceNow

To be successful in this role you have:

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in C/C++ development

  , with a deep understanding of

  data structures, algorithms

  , and

  system-level programming

  .

• Proven expertise in database internals

  , including query processing, execution engines, and storage management.

• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities

  , with a focus on

  performance optimization

  and

  system scalability

  .

• Excellent communication skills

  capable of articulating complex technical concepts through design documents and high-level architectural discussions.
• Experience working with

  OS kernels, memory managers, multi-threaded systems, or distributed architectures

  .
• Demonstrated ability to

  design and implement new features and performance optimizations

  for

  large-scale distributed database systems

  .

• Familiarity with AI integration

  leveraging AI-powered tools or insights to enhance workflows, automate processes, and improve technical decision-making.
• Skilled in

  managing complex, cross-functional tasks

  , independently driving deliverables while providing guidance to

  junior team members

  .
• Solid understanding and practical experience with

  Agile development methodologies

  , thriving in

  large, fast-paced, and ambitious teams

  .
• Strong foundation in

  computer systems and general architecture

  , including

  threads, networking, and kernel-level concepts

  .
• Proven ability to

  prioritize and balance multiple competing objectives

  while maintaining technical quality and delivery timelines.

Good to have:

• Any experience developing the internals of relational, analytical, or graph databases
• Experience working with relational databases, especially MariaDB and/or Postgres
• Experience working with analytical or graph databases
• Experience in using Al productivity tools such as Cursor, Windsurf, etc. is a plus or nice to have.