Senior/Staff Software Engineer, Database Team

About Pinecone

Pinecone is the trusted AI knowledge company. Its trusted AI knowledge platform—including its Database, Nexus, and Marketplace products—power accurate, fast, and cost-effective AI applications for more than 10,000 customers and 1M developers worldwide. Pinecone's mission is to make AI knowledgeable. For more information, visit pinecone.io http://pinecone.io.

About the Team and Role:

Join a team that builds robust, real-time distributed systems for a cutting-edge database. We care about performance, reliability, scalability, and most of all learning and having fun together. Whether you’re a seasoned coder or just getting started, if you’re passionate about technology and eager to learn, you’ll fit right in.

Who we are:

• We show up to work, ready to collaborate and build technologies that make a difference, with people who genuinely care.
• We chase improvements such as tail latencies, bytes throughput, cache hit rate, and operational cost efficiency.
• We believe learning is ongoing and that even the most complex problems can have simple solutions.

What You’ll Do:

• Collaborate with teammates to design and build database features that power AI applications.
• Learn how to tune performance and support reliability in distributed systems (don’t worry, we’ll guide you).
• Help Pinecone run smoothly on popular cloud providers.
• Take ownership of your work and grow your skills every day.
• Have fun.

Who You Are:

• 5+ years of work experience - programming in Rust, Go, C++, or a comparable language.
• You’re genuinely curious about distributed systems and eager to dive deep into technical challenges.
• You approach problems with creativity and persistence, and you’re comfortable asking thoughtful questions or seeking feedback.
• You’re excited to learn, value constructive feedback, and appreciate mentorship.

Bonus Points:

• You have hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) or have demonstrated an ability to pick up new tools quickly.
• You’re comfortable thinking in async or multi-threaded environments, or can show you’re ready to learn.
• You’ve explored performance tools or have a track record of optimizing code for speed, reliability, or efficiency.

Perks & Benefits:

• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision, and mental health resources)
• 401(k) plan
• Equity award
• Flexible time off
• Paid parental leave
• Annual company retreat
• WFH equipment stipend