Principal Software Engineer, Managed Databases

Full Job Description

Dive in and do the best work of your career at DigitalOcean. Journey alongside a strong community of top talent who are relentless in their drive to build the simplest scalable cloud. If you have a growth mindset, naturally like to think big and bold, and are energized by the fast-paced environment of a true industry disruptor, you’ll find your place here. We value winning together—while learning, having fun, and making a profound difference for the dreamers and builders in the world.

As a Principal Engineer, you will serve as the top-tier technical authority for our DBaaS platform, taking complete technical execution ownership to modernize our managed database services into an AI-native ecosystem. In this role, you will directly drive systems engineering to solve complex distributed computing and scale challenges, drastically enhance DBaaS service performance, elevate platform resiliency, and scale database infrastructure to meet the massive demands of real-time AI inference and data-heavy cloud workloads.

What You’ll Do

• Architect and execute solutions for large-scale DBaaS distributed computing challenges, improving control plane throughput, platform scalability, and multi-region infrastructure.

• Set and execute the multi-year technical roadmap for DBaaS infrastructure, preparing systems for high-concurrency AI workloads, continuous data streaming, and AI inference pipelines.

• Take accountability for low-level DBaaS performance, resource utilization, and fault tolerance to maintain high service availability under heavy operational loads.

• Expand DBaaS control plane and underlying infrastructure to scale managed database services for compute-heavy AI inference and customer demand.

• Enhance existing core lifecycle capabilities—scaling automated failovers, continuous backups, point-in-time recovery (PITR), and maintenance workflows to handle higher data volumes and stricter SLAs.

• Author architectural technical blueprints, define execution standards, lead design reviews, and mentor staff and senior engineers.

What You’ll Bring

• 15+ years of experience architecting, building, and operating large-scale platform infrastructure and distributed computing systems.

• Proven track record of diagnosing and solving complex, high-concurrency engineering problems in production cloud environments.

• Working knowledge of relational database engine internals—specifically PostgreSQL and/or MySQL—to optimize query performance, replication, and scale (preferred).

• Practical experience scaling distributed services to meet the compute, memory, and networking demands of AI inference and data-intensive workloads.

• Expertise in system profiling, identifying IO/CPU/network bottlenecks, and implementing changes that improve database service performance.

• Deep experience driving system resiliency, scaling platform availability, and optimizing recovery mechanisms for distributed environments.

• Demonstrated ability to take technical ownership, convert business requirements into clear architecture blueprints, and mentor engineering talent.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Own and execute the technical strategy for database infrastructure used by developers and businesses worldwide.

• Build managed database services that bring AI inference and data processing capabilities to customers globally.

• Access dedicated learning stipends, conference budgets, and structured pathways for principal-level technical progression.

• Receive competitive compensation—including performance bonuses, equity options, and ESPP participation—alongside local healthcare coverage and flexible time off.

*This job is located in Hyderabad, India

JR: 2026-8293

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Why You’ll Like Working for DigitalOcean

• We innovate with purpose. You’ll be a part of a cutting-edge technology company with an upward trajectory, who are proud to simplify cloud and AI so builders can spend more time creating software that changes the world. As a member of the team, you will be a Shark who thinks big, bold, and scrappy, like an owner with a bias for action and a powerful sense of responsibility for customers, products, employees, and decisions.

• We prioritize career development. At DO, you’ll do the best work of your career. You will work with some of the smartest and most interesting people in the industry. We are a high-performance organization that will always challenge you to think big. Our organizational development team will provide you with resources to ensure you keep growing. We provide employees with reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education. All employees have access to LinkedIn Learning's 10,000+ courses to support their continued growth and development.

• We care about your well-being. Regardless of your location, we will provide you with a competitive array of benefits to support you from our Employee Assistance Program to Local Employee Meetups to flexible time off policy, to name a few. While the philosophy around our benefits is the same worldwide, specific benefits may vary based on local regulations and preferences.

• We reward our employees. The salary range for this position is based on market data, relevant years of experience, and skills. You may qualify for a bonus in addition to base salary; bonus amounts are determined based on company and individual performance. We also provide equity compensation to eligible employees, including equity grants upon hire and the option to participate in our Employee Stock Purchase Program.

• DigitalOcean is an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.

Application Limit: You may apply to a maximum of 3 positions within any 180-day period. This policy promotes better role-candidate matching and encourages thoughtful applications where your qualifications align most strongly.

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