Staff Field Engineer

Summary

Join Cockroach Labs as a Field Software Engineer and contribute to the development of CockroachDB while advising customers. You will design and build features, integrations, and tools, troubleshoot database issues, and collaborate with product and engineering teams. This role requires hands-on software engineering experience, expertise in distributed systems, and strong communication skills. You will gather customer insights, provide technical guidance, and create documentation. The position offers a hybrid work model and a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, ideally with distributed systems or complex infrastructure projects
• Exposure to customer-facing or field engineering roles, providing technical guidance and support to clients
• Proficiency in at least one programming language; Go is preferred, but not required
• Strong understanding of containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, version control (Git), and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible, etc.)
• Experience working with at least one major public cloud provider (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
• Proven ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues in production environments
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, capable of tailoring information to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Comfortable partnering with cross-functional teams—such as Solutions Engineers and Enterprise Architects—to gather requirements and drive customer success
• Willingness to adapt to changing priorities and customer needs in a fast-paced, innovative environment

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain new features, integrations, and tooling to enhance CockroachDB, drawing on customer feedback and real-world use cases
• Develop and refine tools, scripts, and automation frameworks that streamline CockroachDB deployments, configurations, and scaling across on-prem, cloud, or hybrid environments—working closely with DevOps teams to integrate solutions into existing pipelines
• Investigate and resolve complex issues related to distributed systems, database performance, networking, and application integrations, ensuring production-grade reliability
• Gather and synthesize customer insights, working closely with Solutions Engineers and Enterprise Architects to provide actionable feedback to R&D, helping shape product enhancements and guide strategic roadmap decisions
• Act as a technical advisor for customers—leading architectural design sessions and providing best practices—while forging strong, long-term partnerships
• Create and maintain clear, actionable documentation for deployments, runbooks, and troubleshooting processes, and share insights with both internal teams and external users

Benefits

• Stock Options
• Medical Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Professional Development Funds
• Flexible Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Sick Days
• Paid Parental Leave
• Retirement Benefits
• Mental Wellbeing Benefits