Staff Software Engineer – Strategic Projects
Location: Chennai, India
Why Exasol? Why Now?
At Exasol, we believe that speed is the key to turning data into impact. Our in-memory, massively parallel processing (MPP) database is one of the fastest in the world, built from the ground up for analytics at scale. We help financial institutions, retailers, governments, and defense organizations make better decisions faster, by turning complex data into actionable insights in seconds, not hours.
This is a pivotal moment for Exasol. As we double down on our growth in Germany and across Europe, we are building a commercial team that thrives on curiosity, grit, and action. And it starts with you, our next Business Development Representative.
Overview
We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer (Strategic Projects) to work on high-impact, cross-functional initiatives spanning Exasol’s core database engine, data ingestion and integrations, platform capabilities, and future-focused innovation areas. This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy working on complex, performance-sensitive systems and can navigate ambiguous problem spaces when required, including technical research and rapid prototyping, while also delivering production-grade software. You will collaborate closely with engineers, architects, and product stakeholders across teams to shape and execute strategic initiatives. As part of this role, you will have the opportunity to be an early member of a growing strategic engineering group in Chennai, helping build deep product and platform expertise locally while influencing Exasol’s global technical direction.
Responsibilities
Lead and contribute to strategic engineering initiatives across core database functionality, data ingestion, connectors, integrations, and platform components
Perform technical research, evaluation, and prototyping to explore new ideas, architectures, and technologies, and assess their feasibility, performance, and impact
Design and implement robust, scalable, and maintainable software, taking exploratory work through to production readiness
Collaborate closely with cross-functional engineering teams to align on architecture, manage product development dependencies, and drive cross-team execution
Take ownership of complex problem areas and translate high-level goals into clear technical designs and deliverables
Contribute to initiatives that may span on-prem, cloud, or hybrid environments, considering performance, scalability, and operational constraints
Stay updated with the latest advancements in database technologies and development methodologies, and actively contribute to building a strong product and platform competency knowledge base within the Chennai development center
✅ Required Qualifications
8+ years of experience as a software engineer working on complex, backend, or system-level software
Strong proficiency in C++ or Python, with solid expertise in multithreading, data structures, performance optimization techniques, and algorithmic optimization; experience with Rust or other modern systems programming languages is a plus
Hands-on experience building and maintaining high-performance, scalable systems, preferably in data-intensive or platform-oriented environments
Good understanding of software architecture, system design, and engineering trade-offs
Prior exposure to database internals, such as SQL compilers, query optimizers, execution engines, or storage subsystems, is highly desirable
Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and an understanding of how large-scale systems behave in cloud or hybrid environments is a plus
Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and work on problems that span multiple components and technical domains
Preferred Qualifications
Strong understanding of Linux fundamentals, including POSIX concepts (processes, memory, sockets, IPC), and experience debugging or optimizing system-level behavior in performance-sensitive environments
Proven ability to design, debug, and optimize concurrent and performance critical systems
Solid problem-solving skills with a structured and analytical approach
Ability to balance engineering rigor with pragmatism, especially when working on strategic or exploratory initiatives
Degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
Fluency in English, with strong written and verbal communication skills
A Day in the Life of a Staff Software Engineer – Strategic Projects at Exasol
You arrive at the office in Chennai, coffee in hand, and begin the day ideating on a new strategic initiative or refining a loosely defined challenge into a clear technical direction. You dive into research, build a quick spike or proof-of-concept, and validate whether the architectural approach can meet Exasol’s performance and platform standards.
By late morning, you’re collaborating with cross-functional teams—discussing dependencies, debating trade-offs, and refining the solution to ensure it integrates seamlessly into Exasol’s core platform. You capture decisions, align on next steps, and provide concise updates in weekly or monthly forums to keep stakeholders informed and momentum high.
In the afternoon, you shift into execution mode—transforming exploratory work into production-grade systems. You write comprehensive tests, harden edge cases, document architectural decisions, and review peer designs. Along the way, you challenge assumptions, mentor engineers navigating complex subsystems, and contribute to thought leadership through technical blogs or showcase solutions built on Exasol.
What’s in it for You
Competitive compensation
A structured onboarding program and hands-on mentorship
Career paths
The chance to grow inside a fast-scaling, high-performance team
Ready to Launch Your Career with Exasol?
If you’re hungry to learn, unafraid to fail, and energized by the idea of helping the world’s leading organizations unlock the power of their data — we want to hear from you.
Apply now and be part of Exasol’s next chapter.
About Exasol
Take the next step in your career journey.
Exasol is a proud equal opportunities employer. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive working environment and therefore base all our employment selection decisions, within all aspects of our business, on experience, skill, and integrity. We strongly encourage applicants from all walks to life to apply for our positions, irrespective of age, sex, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, etc.
