Senior Staff Software Engineer

ServiceNow•Kirkland, WA

21h

About The Position

The MetricBase team maintains and develops ServiceNow's proprietary time series platform. We empower ServiceNow internal application developers to build real-time applications for IoT, analytics, and cloud monitoring services. Our technology is purpose-built to handle the massive volumes of time-stamped data produced by sensors, applications, and computer infrastructure. We're looking for a Senior Staff Software Engineer with deep expertise in database systems development to help us evolve our time series platform. You will lead the technical direction of Time-series specific components of PostgreSQL-based storage engine while maintaining our legacy Java-based time series database. This role requires hands-on experience with database internals, performance optimization at scale, and the ability to mentor a growing team of engineers. What you get to do in this role: Lead the development of our custom time-series specific functionality for PostgreSQL-based storage engine Architect and implement high-performance APIs in Java that translate time series operations to optimized JDBC queries and leverage our custom Postgres extensions Drive performance, reliability, and scalability improvements across our database infrastructure, with a focus on handling billions of time-stamped data points Maintain our legacy Java-based time series database , focusing on critical bug fixes and security patches as we transition to the new platform Execute the migration strategy from our legacy system to the new Postgres-based architecture, ensuring zero downtime and data integrity Design and optimize PostgreSQL schemas, indexes, and query patterns specifically for time series workloads with high ingestion rates and complex analytical queries Partner with engineering leaders to establish best practices for database development, code reviews, performance testing, and operational excellence Mentor 4-5 junior to mid-level engineers , providing technical guidance on database internals, performance optimization, and software engineering principles Collaborate with product owners to understand requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions that balance performance, maintainability, and extensibility Contribute to observability and monitoring of database systems, implementing instrumentation for performance analysis and proactive issue detection Build software that is extensible and customizable , allowing customers to adapt functionality to their specific time series use cases

Requirements

Experience in leveraging critical thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI’s potential impact on the function or industry.
12 years of experience in software engineering, with a track record of delivering high-quality products.
12 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 8 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 5 years experience; or equivalent experience.
Expert-level knowledge of database internals , including storage engines, query optimization, indexing strategies, transaction management, and concurrency control
Strong proficiency in C++ for systems programming , specifically for developing PostgreSQL extensions, custom storage engines, and performance-critical database components
Advanced Java development skills for building high-performance APIs and application-layer components that interact with database systems
Deep understanding of PostgreSQL architecture , including the ability to work with its extension framework, query planner, and storage subsystems
Proven experience optimizing databases for time series workloads , including strategies for data compression, retention management, downsampling, and efficient time-range queries
Advanced knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and performance/scale considerations as they apply to database systems handling billions of records
Experience with distributed systems principles , including replication, sharding, consistency models, and fault tolerance strategies
Capability to manage complex technical projects with material risk across teams and processes; can serve as a technical lead driving architectural decisions
Strong mentorship and leadership abilities , with a track record of elevating team capability through code reviews, design discussions, and knowledge sharing
10+ years of software engineering experience with demonstrated expertise in database systems development or similar infrastructure software
Strong experience with C++ and Java (or similar OO languages) with the ability to design, develop, and optimize complex systems
Hands-on experience with database internals development , such as storage engines, query processors, or database extensions
Experience with PostgreSQL (or similar RDBMS) including performance tuning, schema design, and understanding of internal architecture
Proficiency in continuous integration and continuous deployment practices , using tools like Jenkins or similar
Working knowledge of distributed computing principles and experience designing systems for scalability and fault tolerance
Experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI's potential impact on the function or industry.

Nice To Haves

Experience with columnar storage formats and compression algorithms for analytical workloads
Familiarity with time series database concepts such as retention policies, continuous aggregation, and time-based partitioning
Experience with data migration projects , including strategy, tooling, and validation
Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
Experience with monitoring and observability tools for database systems
Understanding of real-time data processing and streaming architectures
Experience with performance profiling and optimization tools for both C++ and Java applications
Experience in using AI Productivity tools such as Windsurf, Cursor, etc. is a plus or nice to have.

Responsibilities

Lead the development of our custom time-series specific functionality for PostgreSQL-based storage engine
Architect and implement high-performance APIs in Java that translate time series operations to optimized JDBC queries and leverage our custom Postgres extensions
Drive performance, reliability, and scalability improvements across our database infrastructure, with a focus on handling billions of time-stamped data points
Maintain our legacy Java-based time series database , focusing on critical bug fixes and security patches as we transition to the new platform
Execute the migration strategy from our legacy system to the new Postgres-based architecture, ensuring zero downtime and data integrity
Design and optimize PostgreSQL schemas, indexes, and query patterns specifically for time series workloads with high ingestion rates and complex analytical queries
Partner with engineering leaders to establish best practices for database development, code reviews, performance testing, and operational excellence
Mentor 4-5 junior to mid-level engineers , providing technical guidance on database internals, performance optimization, and software engineering principles
Collaborate with product owners to understand requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions that balance performance, maintainability, and extensibility
Contribute to observability and monitoring of database systems, implementing instrumentation for performance analysis and proactive issue detection
Build software that is extensible and customizable , allowing customers to adapt functionality to their specific time series use cases