Lead Software Engineer, Search (Semantic Platform)
BigCommerce2 months ago
Base Salary
$163k - $244k/yr
Responsibilities
- Architect and implement semantic and hybrid search capabilities using OpenSearch, combining BM25 keyword matching with vector retrieval.
- Evaluate and optimize search relevance, ranking models, k-NN search, and neural search configurations.
- Maintain, scale, and evolve MySQL, Kafka/RabbitMQ, and backend indexing pipelines to support dense-vector ingestion and resilient synchronization.
- Own the Search team’s technical roadmap, establish engineering best practices, and mentor senior and mid-level engineers.
- Ensure ultra-low latency and high availability under heavy concurrent traffic and participate in the on-call rotation.
Requirements
- 7+ years of professional software development experience with technical leadership or staff-level experience.
- Deep hands-on experience building, scaling, and fine-tuning OpenSearch or Elasticsearch clusters at scale.
- Experience implementing semantic and hybrid search with text embeddings, vector databases, and hybrid-search scoring models.
- High proficiency in a strongly typed language such as GoLang, Scala, or Java, plus experience with PHP.
- Strong experience with relational databases, schema design, and distributed messaging tools such as Kafka or RabbitMQ.
- Experience with the OpenSearch Neural Search plugin, k-NN search, or Learning to Rank is preferred.
- Experience migrating large-scale Elasticsearch infrastructure to OpenSearch semantic search implementations is preferred.
- Experience creating automated search-quality measurement frameworks such as NDCG and MRR is preferred.
- Familiarity with Docker and Kubernetes in a cloud environment is preferred.
- Must be based in or willing to relocate to Austin, Texas, and comfortable working in a hybrid environment.
Benefits
- Austin-area employees follow a hybrid work model with three days per week in the office.
- The role may be eligible for variable compensation, equity, and benefits in accordance with local policies.
- The employer provides an inclusive and accessible hiring experience and supports accommodations during recruitment.
Tech Stack
Categories
About BigCommerce
BigCommerce, powered by Commerce (Nasdaq: CMRC), is the flexible enterprise ecommerce platform built for growth without compromise. Our open architecture makes it easy for brands and B2B sellers to scale, adapt, and connect to the tools that solve their unique business challenges — without being locked into rigid systems. Learn more at bigcommerce.com If you are interested in exploring career opportunities with us, we invite you to follow the Commerce LinkedIn Jobs page for the latest updates on open positions. #BigCommerce #PoweredByCommerce