# Staff Software Engineer

**Company:** [Databricks](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/databricks)
**Location:** Seattle, WA
**Role:** ML Engineering
**Salary:** $182k – $247k/yr
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** Spark, Distributed Systems, Database Internals, State Management, Big Data, Performance Optimization, Language Design, Storage Systems
**Posted:** 2026-07-31

> Staff engineer driving technical vision and architecture for Spark Structured Streaming. Build core capabilities like advanced state management and operators; improve latency, throughput, and cost. Requires 8+ years in big-data, Spark, or database systems plus passion for distributed systems.

## Job Description

## What you'll do

- Set and drive the technical vision for Spark Structured Streaming across OSS and the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform
- Design and build core engine capabilities — state management, new operators, and architectural improvements to latency and throughput
- Raise the bar for engineering quality and operability, building software that is not just high quality but easy to run in production
- Make company-wide impact by driving stream processing adoption across the Databricks product portfolio
- Guide long-term architecture and technical-debt decisions, balancing them against the product roadmap
- Mentor and technically lead engineers on the team, and partner with the Engineering Manager to attract and grow top-tier talent

## What we look for

- BS (or higher) in Computer Science or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- 8+ years building related systems — big-data ecosystems, Apache Spark, or database internals
- A passion for database systems, storage systems, distributed systems, language design, or performance optimization
- Comfortable working toward a multi-year vision with incremental deliverables
- A track record of delivering features while maintaining a high bar for operational excellence and engineering quality
- Comfortable working cross-functionally with product management and directly with customers, with the ability to deeply understand the product and customer personas

## Similar jobs

- [Staff Applied Scientist, Personalization](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/f3f16be4-af38-4045-b3a6-cb954a5272da) - OnePay - Remote - $180k – $250k/yr
- [Staff AI Enablement Engineer](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/f66b54fc-c0f6-41bc-aa3e-dd03ad31f295) - Talkiatry - Remote - $190k – $230k/yr
- [Senior/Staff Engineer, Machine Learning - Online Mapping](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/2dbc058c-d88d-4b51-8d5e-acacb5130b4c) - Nuro - Mountain View, CA - $194k – $291k/yr
- [Senior/Staff Software Engineer, ML Inference Platform](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/1b014e68-d8bc-4d84-b03a-d94b7a57c90f) - Nuro - Mountain View, CA - $194k – $352k/yr
- [Staff Engineer, Perception Software](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/f7fd4093-6de3-4fa2-a6af-4195c25747f0) - Shield AI - San Diego, CA - $200k – $300k/yr

**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/06b45abd-2ef0-4753-be96-bcffc2617ff7
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/06b45abd-2ef0-4753-be96-bcffc2617ff7