As industries race to embrace AI, traditional database solutions fall short of rising demands for versatility, performance, and affordability. Couchbase is leading the way with Capella, the developer data platform for critical applications in our AI world. By uniting transactional, analytical, mobile, and AI workloads into a seamless, fully managed solution, Couchbase empowers developers and enterprises to build and scale applications with unmatched flexibility, performance, and cost-efficiency—from cloud to edge. Trusted by over 30% of the Fortune 100, Couchbase is unlocking innovation, accelerating AI transformation, and redefining customer experiences. Come join our mission.
Principal Software Engineer – Capella
Join our innovative software engineering team at Couchbase, where you'll be responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing core backend services of Capella, our advanced DBaaS platform, on AWS, GCP, and Azure. This is a senior hands-on development role where you will take ownership of the development architecture and technical direction of our platform, focusing on building scalable, high-performance systems. You’ll work with cloud-native technologies to solve complex challenges around real-time analytics, AI workloads, and high-volume data management, while ensuring our platform is robust, reliable, and capable of meeting our customers' most demanding needs.
You will collaborate closely with development teams, product management, and operations to ensure that Capella remains at the forefront of cloud platform solutions. This role requires a strong background in software development with a deep understanding of distributed systems and modern development tools, with a particular emphasis on cloud-native architecture to ensure scalability and performance.
Key Responsibilities
- Software Architecture & Development: Lead the design and development of scalable, high-performance distributed systems using cloud-native technologies like Golang, Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure). This role requires a deep focus on software architecture and development.
- Hands-On Development: This role involves hands-on development, ensuring that architectural decisions are implemented directly in production code.
- Collaboration & Code Quality: Work closely with development teams to write, review, and optimize code for scalability, reliability, and performance. Ensure adherence to best practices and high-quality standards in software development.
- Technical Leadership: Guide architectural decisions and software design, ensuring the platform can scale to meet future customer demands.
- CI/CD & Development Efficiency: Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines to ensure efficient development workflows and rapid delivery of new features.
- Mentorship & Team Development: Mentor developers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence. Lead by example in writing clean, maintainable, and efficient code.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of hands-on software development experience with Golang or similar languages.
- 10+ years of experience designing, developing, and deploying high-performance, distributed systems and APIs in cloud environments.
- Deep expertise with at least two major cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), including a strong understanding of cloud services, orchestration, networking, security, and cloud-native development tools.
- Proficiency with containerization using Docker, Kubernetes, and modern cloud-native technologies.
- Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform.
- Proven ability to provide technical leadership and executing technical roadmaps while actively contributing to development, architecture, and innovation.
The anticipated starting base pay range for this role is listed below. Base salary is not the only component of our competitive total rewards package - you may also be eligible for bonus, commissions, equity, and other benefits as described below. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location.
Base Pay Range
$200,000—$235,000 USD
Why Couchbase?
Modern customer experiences need a flexible cloud database platform that can power applications spanning from cloud to edge and everything in between. Couchbase’s mission is to simplify how developers and architects develop, deploy and consume modern applications wherever they are. We have reimagined the database with our fast, flexible and affordable cloud database platform Capella, allowing organizations to quickly build applications that deliver premium experiences to their customers– all with best-in-class price performance. More than 30% of the Fortune 100 trust Couchbase to power their modern applications and build innovative new ones. See our recent awards to learn why Couchbase is a great place to work.We are honored to be a part of the Best Places to Work Award for the Bay Area and the UK. Couchbase offers a total rewards approach to benefits that recognizes the value you create here, so that you in turn may best serve yourself and your family. Some benefits include:
- Generous Time Off Program - Flexibility to care for you and your family
- Wellness Benefits - A variety of world class medical plans to choose from, along with dental, vision, life insurance, and employee assistance programs*
- Financial Planning - RSU equity program*, ESPP program*, Retirement program* and Business Travel Insurance
- Career Growth - Be valued, Create value approach
- Fun Perks - An ergonomic and comfortable in-office / WFH setup. Food & Snacks for in-office employees.
- And much more!
*Note: some programs are not applicable to all countries. Please discuss with a Couchbase recruiter to learn more.
Learn more about Couchbase:
News and Press Releases
Couchbase Capella
Couchbase Blog
Investors
Disclaimer:
Couchbase is committed to being an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Join an impact initiative group and experience the amazing feeling of Couchbase can-do culture.
By using this website and submitting your information, you acknowledge our Candidate Privacy Notice and understand your personal information may be processed in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Notice following guidelines in your country of application.
Top Skills
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
