Software Engineer (Cassandra)

Job description

Job Summary NetApp is pioneering StorageGRID object storage—AWS cloud-compatible software that helps power the exponential growth of AI data lakes. As a Software Engineer, Cassandra at the MTS 4 level, you will focus primarily on Java-based Cassandra development for the distributed database layer that underpins StorageGRID metadata services, scale-out reliability, upgradeability, and enterprise customer workloads. This role is ideal for an experienced hands-on engineer who enjoys working deep in distributed systems, database internals, open-source technologies, product integration, performance, and reliability engineering within a mission-critical object storage product. Role Overview As a Software Engineer, Cassandra on the StorageGRID team, you will operate as a strong independent contributor focused primarily on Java Cassandra development. You will design and implement Cassandra-related features, improve product integration, and strengthen scale, upgrade, and operational behavior for enterprise deployments. At the Software Engineer, the role requires strong technical depth, end-to-end ownership, sound design judgment, and the ability to influence peers through high-quality code, thoughtful reviews, and clear technical communication. Job Responsibilities StorageGRID Cassandra Development & Feature Ownership - Design and implement Java-based Cassandra features and improvements with end-to-end ownership - Translate product, scale, upgrade, supportability, and customer requirements into clear Cassandra technical designs - Make sound trade-offs across availability, data protection, consistency, performance, maintainability, and operational simplicity in large-scale distributed database systems Cassandra Internals & StorageGRID Integration - Develop high-quality, efficient, and maintainable code in Java and related database/system technologies - Troubleshoot complex StorageGRID issues involving Cassandra storage, compaction, repair, replication, consistency, node lifecycle, and cluster behavior - Build deep expertise in how Cassandra supports StorageGRID metadata, availability, and customer operations Architecture Contribution & Technical Leadership - Participate in Cassandra and StorageGRID design reviews and propose improvements to database architecture, product integration, and operational behavior - Influence component-level design in areas such as metadata services, observability, repair, upgradeability, node lifecycle, and cluster operations Open-Source & Community-Aware Development - Apply practical knowledge of open-source development models, code review practices, issue tracking, and community-driven engineering workflows - Work with upstream-style development expectations, including clear design rationale, high-quality patches, maintainable tests, and constructive technical discussion - Balance product needs with broader distributed database ecosystem considerations while following company contribution, legal, and compliance processes Product Engineering & Customer-Focused Execution - Deliver Cassandra changes that meet StorageGRID product requirements and release-quality standards - Contribute to code reviews, issue triage, root-cause analysis, and test strategy for Cassandra-related StorageGRID work - Scalability, Performance & Reliability - Optimize Cassandra for StorageGRID scale, throughput, resiliency, node expansion, and failure recovery - Lead performance analysis, benchmarking, capacity planning, and system tuning across StorageGRID Cassandra deployments - Improve diagnostics, fault tolerance, upgrade safety, and operational debuggability for Cassandra within StorageGRID Execution & Delivery - Drive medium-to-large Cassandra initiatives from design through implementation, validation, and release readiness - Identify risks, dependencies, and technical trade-offs early, and communicate clearly with stakeholders - Collaboration & Cross-Functional Work - Collaborate closely with the existing senior Cassandra developer, StorageGRID engineering, QA, product management, supportability, support, and field teams - Provide backup support for Cassandra orchestration, troubleshooting, testing, supportability, and release readiness workflows as needed Job Requirements - 8–12 years of experience in backend, systems, database, storage, or distributed systems engineering - Strong programming skills in Java, with experience in Python, Go, C/C++, or similar languages a plus - Hands-on experience with Apache Cassandra or comparable distributed database / NoSQL systems, preferably at the internals or platform integration level - Practical knowledge of open-source development practices, including code reviews, design discussions, patch quality, testing expectations, and community collaboration - Solid understanding of replication, consistency, partitioning, failure handling, node lifecycle, and cluster coordination - Experience designing and debugging complex software systems in Linux-based, scale-out, or storage-oriented environments - Ability to independently drive feature development, technical investigations, root-cause analysis, and problem resolution - Strong communication skills with the ability to write clear designs, explain trade-offs, and collaborate across distributed teams - Preferred Qualifications - Deep experience with Cassandra internals such as storage engine, compaction, repair, indexing, schema evolution, upgrades, or release management - Experience integrating Cassandra or similar distributed databases into enterprise storage, object storage, cloud, or scale-out infrastructure products - Experience with performance optimization, benchmarking, observability, and large-scale production troubleshooting - Experience contributing to or working with open-source database, storage, or distributed systems projects - Familiarity with StorageGRID, object storage concepts, S3, Kubernetes, containerized services, CI/CD pipelines, and modern development workflows - Exposure to AI-assis