Principal Software Engineer - AI Platform Development (Azure PostgreSQL)
Microsoft
Compensation
About the role
Are you passionate about advancing database systems to support the next generation of AI-powered applications? Do you thrive on building deep infrastructure like vector indexing, semantic search, and graph-aware query engines inside a trusted open-source database? Join us as we extend PostgreSQL to natively support AI workloads, combining strong systems engineering with meaningful developer impact.
Responsibilities
- Design and lead the development of core AI capabilities in PostgreSQL including vector indexing, approximate nearest neighbor search, semantic query operators, and graph-native features
- Architect in-database support for embedding pipelines and model integration to enable retrieval, reasoning, and inference
- Lead system-level design efforts that span the PostgreSQL engine, extension frameworks, storage abstractions, and control plane surfaces
- Collaborate with product managers, applied AI researchers, and platform teams to define use cases and translate them into scalable and intuitive capabilities
- Contribute to production-grade implementation of complex systems, ensuring performance, reliability, and operability
- Set technical direction and engineering quality standards through code and design reviews, prototyping, and mentorship
- Act as a technical connector across teams, driving alignment on design, extensibility patterns, and developer experience
- Stay current on trends in vector databases, graph systems, and AI workloads, applying academic and open-source innovation to real-world engineering
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or related technical field AND significant experience in systems-level engineering, including work on database engines, distributed systems, or high-scale infrastructure
- Proficiency in one or more systems programming languages such as C, C++, or Rust
- Experience with PostgreSQL or similar engines at the extension, indexing, or query execution level
- Proven track record of leading design and implementation of complex systems and delivering them to production
- Experience implementing vector indexes, ANN search algorithms, or semantic retrieval mechanisms
- Background in graph data modeling or graph query execution
- Familiarity with embedding generation, model hosting, or integration of LLMs into data pipelines
- Prior contributions to open-source databases or AI systems
- Demonstrated technical leadership, mentorship, and a collaborative, cross-functional mindset
- Commitment to continuous learning, innovation, and building an inclusive, high-performing engineering culture
Benefits
- Shape how developers build AI-powered applications by evolving one of the world’s most trusted open-source databases to support vector search, semantic indexing, graph queries, and model integration.
- Work on technically challenging problems at the forefront of databases, distributed systems, and AI infrastructure.
- Expand your technical leadership, influence platform direction, and build a visible track record of meaningful contributions in a critical area of cloud and AI development.
- Join a team that values deep systems thinking, open collaboration, and inclusive engineering. We care about learning, craftsmanship, and building durable technology that matters.
About the Company
We are a fast-moving, collaborative team focused on extending PostgreSQL to support AI workloads natively. Our work includes vector indexing, semantic query processing, graph data models, and model-aware execution capabilities, all built directly on top of the PostgreSQL engine.
Job Details
Salary Range
Salary not disclosed
Location
Multiple Locations, Türkiye, Türkiye
Employment Type
Full-Time
Original Posting
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