Kadence is building a next-generation search platform that powers AI-driven products at enterprise scale. The Staff Software Engineer will design and build scalable, cloud-native search systems and implement AI/ML-driven search capabilities while collaborating cross-functionally to deliver impactful platform features.
Responsibilities:
- Design and build scalable, cloud-native search systems (ingestion, indexing, query APIs)
- Develop streaming data pipelines (Kafka or similar) for document processing and indexing
- Implement AI/ML-driven search capabilities, including retrieval and ranking systems
- Build and operate microservices using modern cloud infrastructure (AWS, containers, IaC)
- Ensure reliability through testing, observability, and strong operational practices
- Contribute to major platform evolution initiatives (e.g., search engine migrations, performance optimization)
- Collaborate cross-functionally to deliver impactful platform features
Requirements:
- 5+ years building production backend or data infrastructure systems
- Strong Python skills and solid distributed systems fundamentals
- Experience with AWS and modern DevOps practices
- Hands-on experience with streaming systems (Kafka or similar)
- Familiarity with search technologies (Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Vespa, Solr, etc.)
- Strong ownership mindset — you build it, you run it
- Exposure to AI/ML-powered systems (embeddings, RAG, ranking) is a plus
- Experience with large-scale search or data platforms
- Knowledge of advanced retrieval systems or agent-based workflows
- Track record of technical leadership or mentoring