Software Engineer Team Lead

About ScyllaDB:

ScyllaDB is the leading next-generation NoSQL database, built for teams that need extreme throughput and predictable low latency at massive scale. Our engineers work across 15+ countries, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards of software engineering and performance optimization. Every microsecond counts here, and so does every engineer.

The Role:

We’re looking for a hands-on Software Development Team Leader to lead a small, exceptionally talented team at the heart of the ScyllaDB server. This is not a “manager who used to code” role. You’ll spend about half your time writing and reviewing code, and the other half helping your team do the best work of their careers.

What Your Team Owns:

Your group is responsible for the ScyllaDB server core, the layers that decide how data is stored, moved, protected, and recovered:

• The I/O stack and caches that keep latency low under heavy load
• Data placement with tablets, ScyllaDB’s approach to elastic, dynamic data distribution
• Compaction, repair, and compression, which keep data correct, consistent, and efficient over time
• Encryption, backup, restore, and object storage management, so customers can trust ScyllaDB with their most critical data

You’ll work closely with other core development teams, the cloud team, and our field teams, so you’ll see firsthand how your work affects some of the world’s most demanding production deployments.

What You’ll Do

• Lead, coach, and grow a distributed team of 4–6 talented engineers
• Stay deeply hands-on, spending roughly 50% of your time designing, coding, and reviewing performance-sensitive software
• Develop in the open, as part of a collaborative open-source community
• Champion the use of AI tools to make the team faster and more effective
• Communicate clearly and publicly through mailing lists, commit messages, design discussions, and bug reports
• Partner with field, cloud, and core teams to turn real-world customer needs into robust engineering solutions

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience developing kernel or server-side systems
• Strong, modern C++ skills (C++20)
• A highly analytical mindset and a love of solving hard problems
• A track record of raising the bar, both in your own code and in the people around you
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, especially in a distributed environment

Nice to Have

• Experience with database internals
• Hands-on experience with cloud object storage such as AWS S3 or Google Cloud Storage
• Open-source development experience
• A degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience