Software Engineer - Backend

MotherDuck•Seattle, WA

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

MotherDuck is building a cloud-hosted version of DuckDB, aiming to make data warehousing fun and accessible for developers and data practitioners. They are creating a system that unifies local development with cloud operations, bridging the gap between software and data engineering workflows. The engineering team is composed of experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds who are passionate, collaborative, and customer-focused. The company is seeking Backend Engineers to scale DuckDB's capabilities into the cloud, focusing on building distributed systems for query execution, storage, access control, and core platform features. This role is ideal for individuals who enjoy systems-level thinking, prioritize reliability and performance, and want to contribute to software that directly enhances the experience of analysts and data engineers.

Requirements

Hands-on experience with distributed systems, preferably using Go, C++, or similar languages
A strong understanding of performance, latency, and fault tolerance in real-world production environments
Familiarity with API design, observability practices, and production debugging
A product-focused mindset and a willingness to dive into unfamiliar areas when needed
Ability to communicate technical ideas clearly and collaborate across teams

Responsibilities

Design and implement scalable backend services using Go and C++
Build and evolve critical systems related to metadata, authentication, access control, query lifecycle, and file visibility
Optimize for performance, reliability, and maintainability through careful design and operational rigor
Collaborate with other engineers on architectural decisions and technical direction
Investigate and resolve production issues and participate in a customer support or production oncall rotation
Work closely with product and frontend teams to ensure backend systems enable complete and cohesive user experiences