Senior Database Engineer

SurrealDB is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for our core database team. Based in London or US East Coast, you'll work on the hardest problems in database design - query optimization, storage engines, and execution performance - shipping improvements that directly impact production workloads. You'll be essential to making SurrealDB faster, smarter, and more capable.

What you will do

• Design and implement query planner improvements, index selection algorithms, and storage engine optimizations.
• Profile production workloads, identify bottlenecks, and ship performance fixes that make measurable differences.
• Build new database features - indexing strategies, execution engine refinements, query optimization techniques.
• Collaborate with engineering and product to prioritize features users actually need.
• Make pragmatic architectural decisions when theory meets reality.
• Review code, engage with the open-source community, and mentor engineers.
• Jump into ancillary systems (cloud infrastructure, SDKs) when needed to unblock progress.

What you will do

• Deep expertise in database internals—query optimization, indexing, storage engines, or transaction processing
• Experience shipping production database systems or meaningful time in database research
• Fluent in Rust, comfortable with systems languages, pragmatic about using the right tool for the job.
• Strong understanding of performance tradeoffs and when to optimize vs. ship
• Track record of shipping code people depend on, balancing correctness, performance, and maintainability
• Excited by hard problems: smarter query planners, faster hot paths, index structures that work for real workloads
• Comfortable making technical decisions with incomplete information in a fast-paced environment
• Equally at home reading papers and profiling production systems.
• Database experience is valuable but not required - if you're a strong systems engineer who gets excited about optimization problems and wants to go deep on database internals, we would love to hear from you.

We understand that each candidate brings a unique set of skills and experiences, and we encourage applicants to apply even if you do not meet all the qualifications listed in the job description.

Our London team have a hybrid working approach. We enjoy working and collaborating together, and require people to be in our Oxford Street office three days a week on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

About SurrealDB

Join SurrealDB to be at the forefront of database innovation, where your work impacts the future of data management in a collaborative, growth-oriented and rewarding environment.

Backed by leading VCs, Surreal is the fastest-growing database company of all time and one of the fastest-growing source-available/open-source software products. We are a startup with an ambitious mission to build the ultimate multi-model database for tomorrow's applications. We're seeking to hire the best: people who care deeply about the work they do and care about the people with whom they create and promote the product.

We've established a multicultural team from around the globe, welcoming members from all backgrounds and age groups, spanning from 18 to 72 years! As we continue to grow, our commitment to building a diverse team remains a top priority. We foster a culture where everyone is encouraged to share their passions outside work with one another and within our community meet ups. Our team includes opera singers, actors, poets, and sports enthusiasts!