Principal Software Engineer - MySQL

Percona is seeking a Principal Software Engineer with deep expertise in MySQL internals — ideally in one or more of the following: the optimizer, InnoDB, or Group Replication. This is a senior individual contributor role for an engineer who thrives on solving hard problems, is motivated by technical ownership, and is passionate about open-source innovation.

We are looking for someone who has a strong track record of developing new features, can deliver under tight deadlines, and is open to learning new technologies, including emerging areas like AI/ML integrations with databases.

You will work on the Percona Server for MySQL, Percona XtraBackup, Percona XtraDB Cluster and Oracle MySQL. This is a remote role, allowing you to work from your home office while collaborating with a globally distributed team using modern online tools. You’ll be part of a fast-paced, high-quality engineering environment focused on delivering value to Percona and its worldwide user base. Occasional travel—typically once per year—may be expected for team meetups or company events. A stable, high-speed internet connection is required.

We offer flexible working hours, and provide the necessary equipment, including a laptop and internet access support.

What You Will Do:

• Architect and develop cutting-edge features and improvements

• Lead key initiatives from concept to delivery with attention to quality, scalability, and performance.

• Diagnose and resolve critical bugs in Percona Server for MySQL, Percona XtraBackup, Percona XtraDB Cluster and upstream MySQL products.

• Collaborate with other seasoned engineers to push the boundaries of open-source database innovation.

• Perform periodic source code merges from other open source repositories.

• Stay ahead of the curve on AI, distributed systems, and cloud-native technologies — and help integrate these into Percona’s future roadmap.

• Mentor other engineers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence.

• Represent Percona in the open-source community by speaking, blogging, and contributing upstream.
  

What Have You Done:

• 10+ years of hands-on C/C++ development experience, with at least 5 years working on database internals.

• Deep understanding of MySQL internals, with specialization in at least one of:

  • Query Optimizer

  • InnoDB Storage Engine

  • Group Replication

• Demonstrated history of shipping complex new features (not just bug fixes or backports).

• Experience delivering projects under tight deadlines while maintaining code quality.

• Solid grasp of DBMS internal algorithms such as those used in query optimiser, B-tree indexing, multiversion concurrency control, ARIES crash recovery, and others

• Experience with high concurrency threading models, atomics, and locking primitives

• Knowledge of various programming and scripting languages such as BASH, Perl, and Python

• Proficiency with tools like gdb and strace

• Proficiency with git, github, and source code management methodologies

• Experience with client/server or distributed network communication systems

• Passion for clean code, performance tuning, and algorithmic efficiency.

• Interest or experience in applying AI/ML concepts to databases or dev workflows (bonus).

• Familiarity with Linux internals, distributed systems, and threading/concurrency challenges.
  

What Will Make You Stand Out:

• Experience contributing to upstream MySQL or MariaDB.

• Passion for finding and fixing tough issues on multi-threaded cluster solutions

• Previous experience in contributing to the MySQL codebase

• Knowledge of high-performance algorithms on modern multicore hardware

• Established history of driving performance enhancements

• Experience with Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery tools such as Jenkins, CircleCI, and Travis

• Experience/familiarity with various Linux distribution packaging systems

• Experience with virtualization and containment tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, etc

• Experience in Linux systems administration, including suitable expertise with file systems, hardware, and networking

• Success working in a distributed environment where