Staff Software Engineer

It all started in sunny San Diego, California in 2004 when a visionary engineer, Fred Luddy, saw the potential to transform how we work. Fast forward to today — ServiceNow stands as a global market leader, bringing innovative AI-enhanced technology to over 8,100 customers, including 85% of the Fortune 500. Our intelligent cloud-based platform seamlessly connects people, systems, and processes to empower organizations to find smarter, faster, and better ways to work. But this is just the beginning of our journey. Join us as we pursue our purpose to make the world work better for everyone.

Team: 

ServiceNow Project RaptorDB, based on Postgres, the world's most advanced open‑source database, acts as a foundational data layer that allows ServiceNow customers to process massive volumes of transactional data on the Now Platform in real time to meet the demands of AI‑powered applications and business critical workflows. It adds analytical capabilities to meet advanced reporting and data mining needs. This team is building the very core of RaptorDB and even the smallest optimization can have a dramatic impact on our customers and our bottom line. 

We are looking for an experienced developer with C/C++ knowledge who wants to contribute heavily to building the very core of our ServiceNow database. You will work directly with other engineers on the Data Platform team solving challenging problems in scaling and querying large data sets efficiently both vertically and horizontally. Our work is based on Postgres with significant in-house enhancements and unique features. This is your opportunity to contribute to cutting edge database software used at massive scale. 

What you get to do in this role:   

• You'll collaborate with 3 teams of 20+ dedicated database-internals engineers. 
• Be part of building the next-gen database platform using and contributing to the latest open-source technologies 
• Analyze storage/memory/compute performance and scalability bottlenecks in the system and build targeted software solutions 
• Develop complex and creative solutions with quality modern C/C++ code and a highly automated build and test infrastructure 
• Improve reliability and observability by designing and building self-diagnostic and self-healing system capabilities 
• Learn state-of-the-art development practices for performance, reliability and error prevention 
• Partner with core and cross-functional teams to create the next-generation database engine powering ServiceNow 

To be successful in this role you have: 

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in C/C++ development, with a deep understanding of data structures, algorithms, and system-level programming.
• Proven expertise in database internals, including query processing, execution engines, and storage management.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities, with a focus on performance optimization and system scalability.
• Excellent communication skills — capable of articulating complex technical concepts through design documents and high-level architectural discussions.
• Experience working with OS kernels, memory managers, multi-threaded systems, or distributed architectures.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement new features and performance optimizations for large-scale distributed database systems.
• Familiarity with AI integration — leveraging AI-powered tools or insights to enhance workflows, automate processes, and improve technical decision-making.
• Skilled in managing complex, cross-functional tasks, independently driving deliverables while providing guidance to junior team members.
• Solid understanding and practical experience with Agile development methodologies, thriving in large, fast-paced, and ambitious teams.
• Strong foundation in computer systems and general architecture, including threads, networking, and kernel-level concepts.
• Proven ability to prioritize and balance multiple competing objectives while maintaining technical quality and delivery timelines.

Good to have: 

• Any experience developing the internals of relational, analytical, or graph databases 
• Experience working with relational databases, especially MariaDB and/or Postgres 
• Experience working with analytical or graph databases 
• Experience in using Al productivity tools such as Cursor, Windsurf, etc. is a plus or nice to have.

Work Personas

We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.

Equal Opportunity Employer

ServiceNow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or nationality, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. In addition, all qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with legal requirements. 

Accommodations

We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are unable to use this online application and need an alternative method to apply, please contact [email protected] for assistance. 

Export Control Regulations

For positions requiring access to controlled technology subject to export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ServiceNow may be required to obtain export control approval from government authorities for certain individuals. All employment is contingent upon ServiceNow obtaining any export license or other approval that may be required by relevant export control authorities. 

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