Principal Engineer, OpenSearch

We are seeking a Principal Engineer to build the next generation of Open Search's Search Engine based on Lucene. You will architect and build the next generation Search engine with focus on nextgen Lucene capabilities in core search and vector search. This role requires modernizing the Search engine to enable performant query processing for high scale semantic search workloads and liaising with Lucene innovations for search processing and search relevance.

Open Search is a community‑driven, Apache 2.0‑licensed open source search and analytics suite based on Apache Lucene. Since launching in July 2021, we have released multiple major and minor versions with innovations in core search capabilities. Our next phase focuses on transforming the query engine architecture to meet the evolving needs of customers running search and analytics workloads.

You will lead technical strategy and execution for Open Search's core query engine, working directly with the open source community and AWS customers. Your responsibilities include:

Technical Leadership: Define the technical vision and roadmap for the next generation query engine. Make architectural decisions that balance performance, cost efficiency, and extensibility across multiple data formats and execution engines.

Hands‑On Development: Write code and design systems that process queries across federated data sources. Build messaging and streaming protocols optimized for high‑throughput data transfer. Contribute to the Apache Lucene‑based search infrastructure.

Community Engagement: Collaborate with the Open Search open source community to gather requirements, review contributions, and ensure we build solutions that address real customer problems. Engage with AWS customers to understand their search and analytics workloads.

Team Development: Mentor engineers on distributed systems design, query optimization, and open source development practices. Elevate the technical capabilities of the team through code reviews, design reviews, and knowledge sharing.

Cross‑Team

Collaboration:

Partner with teams across AWS to integrate Open Search query capabilities into broader data and analytics solutions. Work with product teams to translate customer needs into technical requirements.

Here at AWS, we embrace our differences. We are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion. We have ten employee‑led affinity groups, reaching 40,000 employees in over 190 chapters globally. We have innovative benefit offerings, and host annual and ongoing learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and Amaze Con (gender diversity) conferences. Amazon’s culture of inclusion is reinforced within our 14 Leadership Principles, which remind team members to seek diverse perspectives, learn and be curious, and earn trust.

Our team puts a high value on work‑life balance. It isn’t about how many hours you spend at home or at work; it’s about the flow you establish that brings energy to both parts of your life. We believe striking the right balance between your personal and professional life is critical to life‑long happiness and fulfillment. We offer flexibility in working hours and encourage you to find your own balance between your work and personal lives.

• 10+ years of relevant engineering experience
• Experience in partnering with product and program management teams
• Experience developing and executing a software roadmap
• Deep hands‑on technical expertise in software design and development
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proficiency in Java, C++, RUST, or similar systems programming languages

• Master’s in Computer Science or related field
• Experience as a contributor to open source software
• Experience with query engines and complex distributed systems
• Experience working on the search stack with Elasticsearch, Lucene or Solr
• Proven experience building query engines that support SQL, No
  
  SQL, or domain‑specific query languages
• Deep understanding of data structures, algorithms, and optimization techniques for query execution
• Knowledge of…