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Practising for the listing Principal Software Developer - Storage Engine - Elasticsearch. Its requirements are filled in below. When you have an answer you like, paste it with your CV in Career Mirror to see which of the job's skills it shows.

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Principal Software Developer - Storage Engine - Elasticsearch
Elastic, the Search AI Company, enables everyone to find the answers they need in real time, using all their data, at scale — unleashing the potential of businesses and people. The Elastic Search AI Platform, used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500, brings together the precision of search and the intelligence of AI to enable everyone to accelerate the results that matter. By taking advantage of all structured and unstructured data — securing and protecting private information more effectively — Elastic’s complete, cloud-based solutions for search, security, and observability help organizations deliver on the promise of AI.

What is The Role

We're looking for a Principal Software Developer to join the Elasticsearch - Storage Engine team. This globally distributed, fully remote team of experienced engineers develops core storage and query technologies for observability workloads, including improving storage efficiency, advancing ES|QL query processing and performance, and optimizing data layouts for object storage.

This role is responsible for driving the technical vision, architecture, and design of Elasticsearch's core storage and query engine. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of designing high-performance, scalable database or search engine technologies, along with the ability to drive technical initiatives across organizations.

Our company is distributed by intention. We hire the best developers we can find wherever they are, whoever they are. We collaborate across continents every day over email, GitHub, Zoom, and Slack. At our best, we write fast, scalable, and intuitive software. We believe that the best way to do that is to empower individual engineers, code review every change, decide big things by consensus, and strive for incremental improvements.

What You Will Be Doing

• Lead the architectural evolution of core storage engine components, continuously identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks in indexing layouts, serialization formats, and resource utilization.

• Lead cross organizational initiatives to drive and build industry-leading observability solutions.

• Work with a globally distributed team of experienced engineers focused on the logs and metrics capabilities of Elasticsearch.

• Drive continuous operational and system improvements by introducing best practices for clean coding standards, demystifying complex system behaviors, untangling complexity to bring architectural clarity across the platform.

• Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) across key areas of Elasticsearch, acting as a trusted technical advisor and mentor to the wider engineering organization.

• Work with a global community to triage, resolve, and review issues and pull requests, collaborating with domain experts as needed.

• Write idiomatic modern Java -- Elasticsearch is 99.8% Java!

What You Bring

• You possess the ability to collaborate across functions and teams and seamlessly transition between different projects, codebases, or teams based on business priorities

• You work autonomously and can drive decisions and results in a distributed team by leveraging asynchronous, direct, and transparent communication.

• You have a proven track record of using AI to accelerate development, debug complex systems, and optimize code, while still owning the final outcomes.

• You bring a prompt-engineering mindset to know how to leverage AI agents effectively, using sound engineering judgment to validate results and recognize its limitations.

• You have implemented novel techniques to efficiently index, store, and query time-series or logs data.

• You have experience with one or more data storage technologies like Elasticsearch, Solr, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Prometheus and have some idea how they work and why they work that way.

• You have strong core Java skills, a deep understanding of its concurrency primitives, with a proven ability to design and optimize efficient data structures and algorithms.

• You excel in a collaborative environment, actively participate in technical discussions, and work effectively across distributed teams. Because it's the best way we know how to build software.

• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills and collaborate with respect, empathy, and professionalism in a distributed team.

Bonus Points

• You've built things with Elasticsearch before.

• You've worked with open source projects and are familiar with different styles of source control workflow and continuous integration.

• You’ve worked on data storage technology.

• You have experience designing, leading, and owning cross-functional initiatives.

• You have past working experience with database, search engine, OS, or cloud service development.

Compensation for this role is in the form of base salary. This role does not have a variable compensation component. The typical starting salary range for new hires in this role is listed below.

These ranges represent the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the ranges may be modified in the future.

An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Elastic believes that employees should have the opportunity to share in the value that we create together for our shareholders. Therefore, in addition to cash compensation, this role is currently eligible to participate in Elastic's stock program. Our total rewards package also includes a company-matched Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) with dollar-for-dollar matching up to 6% of eligible earnings, along with a range of other benefits offered with a holistic emphasis on employee well-being.

The typical starting salary range for this role is:
$154,000 — $243,600 CAD

Additional Information - We Take Care of Our People

As a distributed company, diversity drives our identity. Whether you’re looking to launch a new career or grow an existing one, Elastic is the type of company where you can balance great work with great life. Your age is only a number. It doesn’t matter if you’re just out of college or your children are; we need you for what you can do.

We strive to have parity of benefits across regions and while regulations differ from place to place, we believe taking care of our people is the right thing to do.

• Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary

• Health coverage for you and your family in many locations

• Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles

• Generous number of vacation days each year

• Increase your impact - We match up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) for financial donations and service

• Up to 40 hours each year to use toward volunteer projects you love

• Embracing parenthood with minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave

Different people approach problems differently. We need that. Elastic is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation.

We welcome individuals with disabilities and strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all individuals. To request an accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email candidate_accessibility@elastic.co . We will reply to your request within 24 business hours of submission.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws, view posters linked below: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Poster; Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision Poster; Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster and Know Your Rights (Poster)

Elasticsearch develops and distributes technology and information that is subject to U.S. and other countries’ export controls and licensing requirements for individuals who are located in or are nationals of the following sanctioned countries and regions: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, or Russia, including the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia (The Crimea region of Ukraine, The Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), The Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), Kherson or Zaporizhzhia). If you are located in or are a national of one of the listed countries or regions, an export license may be required as a condition of your employment in this role. Please note that national origin and/or nationality do not affect eligibility for employment with Elastic.

Please see here for our Privacy Statement.

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Requirements found

Writing Sql Excel Scheduling (nice) Recruiting (nice)

What this posting asks for

Level: Lead / staff — The title says "Principal".

Main responsibilities

Lead the architectural evolution of core storage engine components, continuously identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks in indexing layouts, seria…
Lead cross organizational initiatives to drive and build industry-leading observability solutions.
Work with a globally distributed team of experienced engineers focused on the logs and metrics capabilities of Elasticsearch.
Drive continuous operational and system improvements by introducing best practices for clean coding standards, demystifying complex system behaviors, untangl…
Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) across key areas of Elasticsearch, acting as a trusted technical advisor and mentor to the wider engineering organizat…
Work with a global community to triage, resolve, and review issues and pull requests, collaborating with domain experts as needed.
Write idiomatic modern Java -- Elasticsearch is 99.8% Java!

Competencies an interviewer will look for

Technical skill Core
In the posting: “We're looking for a Principal Software Developer to join the Elasticsearch - Storage Engine team.” · “This role is responsible for driving the technical vision, architecture, and design of Elasticsearch's core storage and query engine.” · “At our best, we write fast, scalable, and intuitive software.”
Show it by: Names the tools, languages or systems used and how; Explains a technical choice and its trade-off.
Teamwork and collaboration Core
In the posting: “We collaborate across continents every day over email, GitHub, Zoom, and Slack.” · “Work with a global community to triage, resolve, and review issues and pull requests, collaborating with domain experts as needed.” · “You possess the ability to collaborate across functions and teams and seamlessly transition between different projects, codebases, or teams based on business…”
Show it by: Says what they did inside a team, not only what 'we' did; Shows how a disagreement was handled.
Planning and organisation Core
In the posting: “By taking advantage of all structured and unstructured data — securing and protecting private information more effectively — Elastic’s complete, cloud-based …” · “The ideal candidate has a proven track record of designing high-performance, scalable database or search engine technologies, along with the ability to drive…” · “Lead cross organizational initiatives to drive and build industry-leading observability solutions.”
Show it by: Shows how priorities were set when everything was urgent; Mentions deadlines met and how.
Data and analysis Core
In the posting: “Elastic, the Search AI Company, enables everyone to find the answers they need in real time, using all their data, at scale — unleashing the potential of bus…” · “By taking advantage of all structured and unstructured data — securing and protecting private information more effectively — Elastic’s complete, cloud-based …” · “This globally distributed, fully remote team of experienced engineers develops core storage and query technologies for observability workloads, including imp…”
Show it by: Uses a number to describe the situation or the result; Explains what the data showed and what was done with it.
Problem solving Core
In the posting: “Lead the architectural evolution of core storage engine components, continuously identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks in indexing layouts, seria…” · “Work with a global community to triage, resolve, and review issues and pull requests, collaborating with domain experts as needed.”
Show it by: Describes a real problem, the options considered and the one chosen; Shows how the cause was found, not just the fix.
Communication Core
In the posting: “You work autonomously and can drive decisions and results in a distributed team by leveraging asynchronous, direct, and transparent communication.” · “You have excellent verbal and written communication skills and collaborate with respect, empathy, and professionalism in a distributed team.”
Show it by: Adapts the message to the listener; Gives an example of explaining something clearly in writing or speech.
Attention to detail and quality Core
In the posting: “The Elastic Search AI Platform, used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500, brings together the precision of search and the intelligence of AI to enable everyo…” · “Drive continuous operational and system improvements by introducing best practices for clean coding standards, demystifying complex system behaviors, untangl…”
Show it by: Gives an example of an error caught before it caused harm; Names the check or standard they used.
Ownership and accountability Supporting
In the posting: “You work autonomously and can drive decisions and results in a distributed team by leveraging asynchronous, direct, and transparent communication.”
Show it by: Takes a task from start to finish without being chased; Owns a mistake and what was changed after it.
Leadership and mentoring Supporting
In the posting: “Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) across key areas of Elasticsearch, acting as a trusted technical advisor and mentor to the wider engineering organizat…”
Show it by: Describes setting direction or a standard others followed; Names someone they coached and what changed for them.
Adaptability and learning Supporting
In the posting: “Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles”
Show it by: Describes learning something new quickly and using it; Shows a change of plan and how they adjusted.

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Practice questions

Tell me about yourself. Dedicated step-by-step practice.
If an interviewer asks something improper How to respond to questions about age, family, origin or health.
Built from this posting (8):
Walk me through a piece of work where you used your strongest technical skill. What exactly did you do? From this posting
Describe a time you worked with another team to deliver something. What was your part? From this posting
You have three urgent tasks due today and time to finish only two. How do you decide? From this posting
Tell me about a time you used data or numbers to make a decision. From this posting
How have you used writing in your work? Walk me through one real example. From this posting
Tell me about a problem you solved using sql. From this posting
Tell me about a time you helped someone on your team get better at their work. From this posting
Tell me about a task you took from start to finish without anyone asking you to. From this posting
This posting reads as Software engineering: its questions come first.
Tell me about the hardest bug you have tracked down. How did you find the cause? Software engineering
Describe a technical design decision you made and the trade-off behind it. Software engineering
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate in a code review. Software engineering
Production is down and you are the first engineer to notice. What do you do in the first 30 minutes? Software engineering
How do you decide what to test before you ship a change? Software engineering
Walk me through a feature you built from start to finish. What tools and languages did you use? Software engineering
Tell me about a time you helped a less experienced engineer get unstuck. Software engineering
Your estimate for a feature turns out to be badly wrong halfway through. What do you do? Software engineering
Two managers ask you to book the same room at the same time. What do you do?
How have you used spreadsheets in your work?
Walk me through how you would check whether a report's numbers are right.
Describe a time you handled an upset customer or colleague.
Tell me about a time you had several deadlines at once. How did you decide what to do first?
Give an example of a mistake you caught before it caused a problem.
Tell me about a time you taught someone how to do something.
Describe a time you took the lead without being asked.
Tell me about a time you had to explain something complicated in simple terms.
Describe a process you improved.
Do you have any questions for us?
Why do you want to work here?
Why is there a gap in your employment? Difficult question
Why did you leave your last job? Difficult question
Why are you changing careers? Difficult question
What is your greatest weakness? Difficult question
What are your salary expectations? Difficult question
You seem overqualified for this role. Why do you want it? Difficult question
Improper-question practice: How old are you? / Do you have children? / Where are you from originally?
A customer is angry about a delay you did not cause. What do you do?
How do you keep track of many open customer requests?
Tell me about a time you could not give a customer what they wanted.
You find that the inventory count does not match the system. What do you do?
Tell me about a time a shipment or delivery went wrong.
How do you make sure safety rules are followed on a busy shift?
Tell me about a time you had to enter or check a lot of data accurately.
Tell me about a sale or agreement you are proud of.
A prospect says your price is too high. How do you respond?
How do you keep your pipeline organised?
Tell me about a technical problem you solved on your own.
You find a bug right before a release. What do you do?