Software Engineer - Infrastructure at PlanetScale

<p>PlanetScale is growing rapidly and reinventing the database space. The PlanetScale platform offers both Postgres and Vitess clusters. Vitess, an open-source database clustering system for horizontal scaling of MySQL, enables businesses to efficiently handle large-scale data workloads — without sacrificing developer experience.</p> <p>Our customers entrust us with what is often their most precious digital asset, their data, so the stakes couldn't be higher. We're looking for a Software Engineer to join our core engineering team and help us build the next generation of database infrastructure.</p> <h3 id="whats-the-job-to-be-done">What's the job to be done?</h3> <ul> <li>You will design and build critical systems that power PlanetScale's database platform, serving millions of queries per second for some of the world's largest applications.</li> <li>You will collaborate with a team of expert engineers to solve complex distributed systems challenges.</li> <li>You will work independently to solve engineering and business problems with little direction and high autonomy.</li> <li>You will work directly with customers to understand their needs and translate them into robust technical solutions.</li> </ul> <h3 id="these-attributes-best-describe-you">These attributes best describe you…</h3> <ul> <li>You are passionate about building high-quality, scalable systems and take pride in writing clean, maintainable code.</li> <li>You have strong experience with distributed systems, databases, and performance optimization.</li> <li>You are comfortable working with large codebases and can quickly understand and contribute to complex systems.</li> <li>You thrive in a collaborative environment and enjoy mentoring junior engineers.</li> <li>You have excellent problem-solving skills and can debug complex issues across multiple systems.</li> <li>You are self-motivated and can work independently with minimal guidance while making sound technical decisions.</li> </ul> <h3 id="what-you-will-need">What you will need</h3> <ul> <li>5+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on backend systems</li> <li>Strong proficiency in Go, with experience in other languages like Python, Java, or C++</li> <li>Experience with MySQL or other relational databases</li> <li>Working knowledge of Kubernetes and containerized applications</li> <li>Experience building and operating distributed systems at scale</li> </ul> <h3 id="what-else-will-help-you-be-successful">What else will help you be successful</h3> <ul> <li>Experience with database internals, query optimization, or distributed consensus algorithms</li> <li>Contributions to open-source projects, especially in the database or infrastructure space</li> <li>Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)</li> <li>Knowledge of monitoring, observability, and debugging tools</li> <li>Previous experience at a high-growth technology company</li> </ul> <h3 id="why-planetscale">Why PlanetScale</h3> <p>We're redefining how high-growth companies manage data at scale—and we work with some of the most exciting brands in gaming, consumer tech, and B2B SaaS. As a Software Engineer, you'll be at the core of building the platform that powers world-class apps used by hundreds of millions of users worldwide. PlanetScale is a profitable company with a philosophy centered around building small teams of p99 individuals and is recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in America.</p> <p>At PlanetScale we believe in supporting people to do their best work and thrive no matter the location. Our mission is to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive company. We strive to build an inclusive environment where all people feel that they are equally respected and valued, whether they are a candidate or an employee. We welcome applicants of any educational background, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, citizenship, socioeconomic status, disability, pregnancy status, and veteran status.</p> <p>If you have a disability, please let us know if there's any way we can make the interview process better for you; we're happy to accommodate!</p> <h3 id="total-compensation-and-pay-transparency">Total Compensation and Pay Transparency</h3> <p>An employee's total compensation consists of base salary + variable comp where appropriate + benefits + equity. A member of our Talent Acquisition team will be happy to answer any further questions when we engage with you to begin the interview process.</p> <p><strong>Base salary range: $120,000 - $290,000 USD</strong></p>