Principal Software Engineer at Couchbaseinc

Couchbase, the operational data platform for AI, empowers businesses to succeed by bringing data to life in new ways. Major market-leading companies rely on Couchbase for mission critical operational, analytical, mobile and AI workloads. Built to replace legacy infrastructure and fragmented data services, Couchbase empowers enterprises with a unified platform architected for performance, flexibility and global scale. With Couchbase, organizations bring their data to life, launching game‑changing customer experiences, exploring the limitless potential of AI, and seamlessly extending applications from the cloud to the edge and beyond. Couchbase’s AI‑ready technology and enterprise partnership model eliminate complexity and reduce total cost of ownership, enabling teams to stay agile, innovative and secure. Couchbase believes data should never slow you down, but act as the foundation for your next breakthrough. Discover why Couchbase is trusted to help the world’s biggest players scale, move fast and stay resilient, no matter what’s next on their roadmap. Visit couchbase.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. Want to be part of our story? Apply today! Principal Software Engineer – Capella Control Plane Platform Location: San Jose, California Couchbase Capella is a fully managed Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) platform that powers mission-critical applications with a modern, distributed NoSQL database. The Control Plane Platform team builds and operates the foundational systems that deliver reliability, scalability, and seamless experiences across cloud environments. We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead the architecture of Capella’s Control Plane — the platform that orchestrates SaaS interactions with major cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure). In this role, you will mentor engineers, deliver core platform capabilities, and combine hands-on development with deep expertise in distributed systems and cloud architecture leadership, while contributing to the architecture and integration of state-of-the-art AI/ML knowledge and process execution into the Capella Control Plane. Key Responsibilities • System Design & Architecture: Define and evolve the control plane architecture for scalability, reliability, performance, and security. • Hands-on Development: Develop and deliver production-quality Golang code for critical Capella platform services. Participate in, and help guide the team on Golang coding standards and strategies. • Cloud Infrastructure & Networking: Architect and optimize multi-cloud deployments, networking models, VPC/VNet peering, load balancing, and secure connectivity for Capella. • Cloud-First SaaS Expertise: Build and scale multi-tenant control plane services that orchestrate Couchbase clusters across cloud providers. • Technical Standards: Establish and enforce coding standards with strong code reviews, CI/CD practices, and design patterns. • Observability & Reliability: Define and implement monitoring, logging, tracing, and alerting standards for operational excellence. • High-impact Features: Lead design and delivery of core platform capabilities such as provisioning, lifecycle management, and security controls. • Problem Solving: Tackle complex distributed systems challenges and resolve scaling, networking, and performance bottlenecks. • Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with product, SRE, Quality Engineering, and operations teams to align technical direction with business goals. • Multi-geo Team Collaboration: Partner effectively with global engineering teams across geographies, driving alignment and execution. • Mentorship & Leadership: Guide junior and mid-level engineers, conduct reviews, and set a high bar for engineering culture. Perform code reviews in your area of influence. • Innovation: Research and evaluate cloud-native technologies, frameworks, and architectures for Capella’s evolution. Lead the technical strategy, design, and integration of AI/ML services and foundational models into the control plane to enhance platform capabilities and execution efficiency. • Support & Troubleshooting (Tier 3): Lead root cause analysis and deliver long-term solutions for critical production issues. • Define and optimize processes for AI model deployment, lifecycle management, and observability within the multi-cloud architecture. Required Skills & Experience • Expertise in Golang with proven experience building distributed, cloud-native systems. • Strong knowledge of system design, high availability, fault tolerance, and performance tuning. • Hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure), including networking (VPCs, routing, load balancing, firewalls, private connectivity). • Experience with Kubernetes, container orchestration, and multi-cloud deployments. • Experience designing and building platform and microservice components for control plane of SaaS platforms. • Experience mentoring engineers and influencing the engineering culture. • Hands-on problem solver who can balance strategic architecture with execution. • Demonstrated experience with AI/ML platform architecture and integrating advanced AI/ML services (e.g., vector databases, foundational models) into large-scale, production-ready SaaS platforms. • Strong understanding of data pipelines and model serving infrastructure necessary for state-of-the-art AI process execution. Education & Experience • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. • 12+ years of professional software engineering experience, with at least 5+ years in cloud/distributed systems. • Prior principal or staff engineer-level experience leading architecture and platform initiatives in DBaaS, cloud infrastructure, or large-scale SaaS environments. The anticipated starting base pay range for this role is listed below. Base salary is not the only component of our competitive total rewards package - you may also be eligible for bonus, commissions, equity, and other benefits as described below. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location.Base Pay Range$204,000—$225,000 USD At Couchbase, we believe innovation thrives when diverse perspectives are at the table. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds—including women, people of color, LGTBQIA+ professionals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. If you see a role that excites you, but don’t meet every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. Studies show underrepresented talent is less likely to apply unless they meet all the criteria. We encourage you to apply if you’re excited about the role and can bring strong contributions to our team. If you require reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process, please let your recruiter know—we’re happy to support you. We value diverse educational and career backgrounds. If your experience aligns with the role’s goals—even if it doesn’t follow a traditional path—we’d love to hear from you. Why Couchbase? Modern customer experiences need a flexible cloud database platform that can power applications spanning from cloud to edge and everything in between. Couchbase’s mission is to simplify how developers and architects develop, deploy and consume modern applications wherever they are. We have reimagined the database with our fast, flexible and affordable cloud database platform Capella, allowing organizations to quickly build applications that deliver premium experiences to their customers– all with best-in-class price performance. More than 30% of the Fortune 100 trust Couchbase to power their modern applications and build innovative new ones. See our recent awards to learn why Couchbase is a great place to work.We are honored to be a part of the Best Places to Work Award for the Bay Area and the UK. Couchbase offers a total rewards approach to benefits that recognizes the value you create here, so that you in turn may best serve yourself and your family. Some benefits include: • Generous Time Off Program - Flexibility to care for you and your family • Wellness Benefits - A variety of world class medical plans to choose from, along with dental, vision, life insurance, and employee assistance programs* • Financial Planning - Retirement program* and Business Travel Insurance • Career Growth - Be valued, Create value approach • Fun Perks - An ergonomic and comfortable in-office / WFH setup. Food & Snacks for in-office employees. • And much more! *Note: some programs are not applicable to all countries. Please discuss with a Couchbase recruiter to learn more. Learn more about Couchbase: News and Press Releases Couchbase Capella Couchbase Blog Investors Disclaimer: Couchbase is committed to being an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Join an impact initiative group and experience the amazing feeling of Couchbase can-do culture. By using this website and submitting your information, you acknowledge our Candidate Privacy Notice and understand your personal information may be processed in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Notice following guidelines in your country of application.