Software Engineer (Cassandra) Job Details | NetApp, Inc.

NetApp is pioneering StorageGRID object storage—AWS cloud-compatible software that helps power the exponential growth of AI data lakes. As a Software Engineer, Cassandra, you will focus primarily on Java-based Cassandra development for the distributed database layer that underpins StorageGRID metadata services and enterprise customer workloads.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement Java-based Cassandra features and improvements with end-to-end ownership
• Translate product, scale, upgrade, supportability, and customer requirements into clear Cassandra technical designs
• Make sound trade-offs across availability, data protection, consistency, performance, maintainability, and operational simplicity in large-scale distributed database systems
• Develop high-quality, efficient, and maintainable code in Java and related database/system technologies
• Troubleshoot complex StorageGRID issues involving Cassandra storage, compaction, repair, replication, consistency, node lifecycle, and cluster behavior
• Build deep expertise in how Cassandra supports StorageGRID metadata, availability, and customer operations
• Participate in Cassandra and StorageGRID design reviews and propose improvements to database architecture, product integration, and operational behavior
• Influence component-level design in areas such as metadata services, observability, repair, upgradeability, node lifecycle, and cluster operations
• Apply practical knowledge of open-source development models, code review practices, issue tracking, and community-driven engineering workflows
• Work with upstream-style development expectations, including clear design rationale, high-quality patches, maintainable tests, and constructive technical discussion
• Balance product needs with broader distributed database ecosystem considerations while following company contribution, legal, and compliance processes
• Deliver Cassandra changes that meet StorageGRID product requirements and release-quality standards
• Contribute to code reviews, issue triage, root-cause analysis, and test strategy for Cassandra-related StorageGRID work
• Optimize Cassandra for StorageGRID scale, throughput, resiliency, node expansion, and failure recovery
• Lead performance analysis, benchmarking, capacity planning, and system tuning across StorageGRID Cassandra deployments
• Improve diagnostics, fault tolerance, upgrade safety, and operational debuggability for Cassandra within StorageGRID
• Drive medium-to-large Cassandra initiatives from design through implementation, validation, and release readiness
• Identify risks, dependencies, and technical trade-offs early, and communicate clearly with stakeholders
• Collaborate closely with the existing senior Cassandra developer, StorageGRID engineering, QA, product management, supportability, support, and field teams
• Provide backup support for Cassandra orchestration, troubleshooting, testing, supportability, and release readiness workflows as needed

Requirements:

• 8–12 years of experience in backend, systems, database, storage, or distributed systems engineering
• Strong programming skills in Java, with experience in Python, Go, C/C++, or similar languages a plus
• Hands-on experience with Apache Cassandra or comparable distributed database / NoSQL systems, preferably at the internals or platform integration level
• Practical knowledge of open-source development practices, including code reviews, design discussions, patch quality, testing expectations, and community collaboration
• Solid understanding of replication, consistency, partitioning, failure handling, node lifecycle, and cluster coordination
• Experience designing and debugging complex software systems in Linux-based, scale-out, or storage-oriented environments
• Ability to independently drive feature development, technical investigations, root-cause analysis, and problem resolution
• Strong communication skills with the ability to write clear designs, explain trade-offs, and collaborate across distributed teams
• Deep experience with Cassandra internals such as storage engine, compaction, repair, indexing, schema evolution, upgrades, or release management
• Experience integrating Cassandra or similar distributed databases into enterprise storage, object storage, cloud, or scale-out infrastructure products
• Experience with performance optimization, benchmarking, observability, and large-scale production troubleshooting
• Experience contributing to or working with open-source database, storage, or distributed systems projects
• Familiarity with StorageGRID, object storage concepts, S3, Kubernetes, containerized services, CI/CD pipelines, and modern development workflows
• Exposure to AI-assisted development tools and workflows for code generation, review, debugging, testing, or documentation