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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and optimise database systems, tackling complex challenges in query performance and storage.
- Company: Join SurrealDB, a cutting-edge tech company revolutionising database engineering.
- Benefits: Hybrid working model, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on mentorship and continuous learning.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on database technology and work with innovative minds.
- Qualifications: Expertise in database internals and proficiency in Rust or similar systems languages.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
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.
We’re specifically hiring for core database engineering. This role is for engineers who have built or modified database internals (e.g. storage engine, query execution, indexing, replication/consensus, transactions). If your experience is primarily operating databases (running, tuning, administering, or building applications on top of them), you may be a better fit for our Platform Engineering role.
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.
About you
- 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.
Senior Database Engineer in London employer: SurrealDB
Contact Detail:
SurrealDB Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Database Engineer in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, especially those at SurrealDB. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve worked on any database projects or have cool optimisations to share, create a portfolio or GitHub repo. It’s a great way to demonstrate your expertise beyond just a CV.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on database internals and optimisation techniques. We recommend practicing coding problems related to query planning and indexing strategies to impress the interviewers.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Database Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your experience with database internals, query optimization, and any relevant projects. We want to see how your skills align with the role, so don’t be shy about showcasing your achievements!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to tell us why you’re the perfect fit for the Senior Database Engineer role. Share your passion for database design and any specific experiences that relate to the challenges we face at SurrealDB.
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills: In your application, highlight instances where you've tackled tough problems in database design or performance. We love seeing how you approach challenges and what solutions you've implemented!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at SurrealDB
✨Know Your Database Internals
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of database internals, especially query optimization and storage engines. Be ready to discuss specific examples from your past work where you've tackled similar challenges.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to talk about how you've approached hard problems in the past. Think of instances where you identified bottlenecks or made architectural decisions that improved performance. Concrete examples will help demonstrate your expertise.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Rust
Since fluency in Rust is a key requirement, ensure you're comfortable discussing your experience with it. If you’ve worked with systems languages before, be prepared to explain how you’ve used them to solve complex issues.
✨Engage with the Open-Source Community
If you have contributed to open-source projects, be ready to share your experiences. Discussing your involvement can show your passion for collaboration and continuous learning, which is essential for this role.