Skip to main contentA logo with &quat;the muse&quat; in dark blue text.

Lead Principal Engineer

AT Atlassian
Atlassian

Lead Principal Engineer

San Francisco, CA / Remote

Working at Atlassian

Atlassians can choose where they work whether in an office, from home, or a combination of the two. That way, Atlassians have more control over supporting their family, personal goals, and other priorities. We can hire people in any country where we have a legal entity. Interviews and onboarding are conducted virtually, a part of being a distributed-first company.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Principal Engineer to join our Core Data Services team within the Core Engineering Organization. This pivotal role will focus on a groundbreaking initiative centered around OpenSearch, specifically supporting the new Rovo product. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in search infrastructure, with a strong focus on storage, relevance, ranking, and compute.

Want more jobs like this?

Get jobs delivered to your inbox every week.

Select a location
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy.


  • Lead the design, development, and implementation of advanced search infrastructure solutions for the Rovo product, leveraging OpenSearch technologies.
  • Architect and optimize storage solutions to support search capabilities at scale, ensuring high performance and cost-efficiency.
  • Drive initiatives to enhance search relevance and ranking algorithms, improving the overall user experience.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, data scientists, and software engineers, to align technical solutions with business needs.
  • Provide expert guidance and mentorship to engineering teams, fostering a culture of innovation and technical excellence.
  • Ensure the reliability, scalability, and security of our search infrastructure, implementing best practices in system design and operations.
  • Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies related to search and data infrastructure, integrating relevant advancements into our systems.
  • Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for all architectural designs, processes, and systems.


  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
  • Extensive experience (10+ years) in engineering roles with a focus on search infrastructure and technology.
  • Proven expertise in OpenSearch or similar search technologies, with a strong understanding of search paradigms and information retrieval.
  • Deep knowledge in storage systems, relevance tuning, ranking mechanisms, and compute storage.
  • Demonstrated experience in designing and managing large-scale, high-performance search infrastructures.
  • Strong programming skills in languages such as Java, Python, or similar.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
  • Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience in cost optimization for large-scale infrastructure systems.
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or Azure, particularly in relation to search and data services.
  • Previous experience in leading or mentoring engineering teams in a senior or principal capacity.
  • Understanding of data security and privacy best practices, especially in the context of search and storage systems.

Compensation

At Atlassian, we strive to design equitable, explainable, and competitive compensation programs. To support this goal, the baseline of our range is higher than that of the typical market range, but in turn we expect to hire most candidates near this baseline. Base pay within the range is ultimately determined by a candidate's skills, expertise, or experience. In the United States, we have three geographic pay zones. For this role, our current base pay ranges for new hires in each zone are:

Zone A: $234,100 - $312,100

Zone B: $210,700 - $280,900

Zone C: $194,300 - $259,100

This role may also be eligible for benefits, bonuses, commissions, and equity.

Please visit go.atlassian.com/payzones for more information on which locations are included in each of our geographic pay zones. However, please confirm the zone for your specific location with your recruiter.

Our perks & benefits

Atlassian offers a variety of perks and benefits to support you, your family and to help you engage with your local community. Our offerings include health coverage, paid volunteer days, wellness resources, and so much more. Visit go.atlassian.com/perksandbenefitsto learn more.

About Atlassian

At Atlassian, we're motivated by a common goal: to unleash the potential of every team. Our software products help teams all over the planet and our solutions are designed for all types of work. Team collaboration through our tools makes what may be impossible alone, possible together.

We believe that the unique contributions of all Atlassians create our success. To ensure that our products and culture continue to incorporate everyone's perspectives and experience, we never discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

To provide you the best experience, we can support with accommodations or adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Simply inform our Recruitment team during your conversation with them.

To learn more about our culture and hiring process, visit go.atlassian.com/crh.

Client-provided location(s): San Francisco, CA, USA
Job ID: Atlassian-15905
Employment Type: Full Time

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • Health Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Short-Term Disability
    • Long-Term Disability
    • FSA
    • HSA With Employer Contribution
    • Fitness Subsidies
    • Mental Health Benefits
    • On-Site Gym
    • HSA
  • Parental Benefits

    • Adoption Leave
    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
    • Fertility Benefits
    • Adoption Assistance Program
    • Family Support Resources
  • Work Flexibility

    • Flexible Work Hours
    • Remote Work Opportunities
    • Hybrid Work Opportunities
    • Work-From-Home Stipend
  • Office Life and Perks

    • Holiday Events
    • Casual Dress
    • Pet-friendly Office
    • Happy Hours
    • Snacks
    • Some Meals Provided
    • On-Site Cafeteria
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Paid Vacation
    • Unlimited Paid Time Off
    • Paid Holidays
    • Personal/Sick Days
    • Volunteer Time Off
    • Sabbatical
    • Leave of Absence
  • Financial and Retirement

    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • Company Equity
    • Performance Bonus
    • Relocation Assistance
    • Financial Counseling
  • Professional Development

    • Access to Online Courses
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership Training Program
    • Tuition Reimbursement
    • Learning and Development Stipend
    • Promote From Within
  • Diversity and Inclusion

    • Founder led
    • Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program

Company Videos

Hear directly from employees about what it is like to work at Atlassian.