Senior Software Engineer- Database Infrastructure

Full Timesenior

San Francisco Bay Area $196k – $245kPosted 28 days ago

Role Overview

Discord is hiring a Senior Software Engineer- Database Infrastructure. This is a full-time role in San Francisco Bay Area. posted 4 weeks ago. The posted range is $196k to $245k. Full responsibilities, required qualifications, and the apply link are listed in the description below.

Resume Keywords to Include

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JavaGoRustKubernetesTerraformLinuxPostgreSQLElasticsearch

Job description

Discord has a highly engaged community of millions of daily active users who use the platform for many different reasons, but there’s one thing that nearly everyone does: play video games. Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming, and we are focused on making it easier and more fun for people to hang out before, during, and after playing games.

The Database Infrastructure team develops and operates all of Discord’s databases and data services. Those systems store the data of Discord's 200M+ monthly active users—including trillions of messages! We work across multiple areas: databases, disk storage and Rust-based data access services. We're a small team whose work has a huge impact on our company's success and ability to grow!

Some blog posts from the team:

How Discord Indexes Trillions of Messages
How Discord Stores Trillions of Messages
How Discord Supercharges Network Disks for Extreme Low-Latency

You will:

Build and operate large-scale, reliable and performant data systems with ScyllaDB, PostgreSQL, ElasticSearch, Linux and Rust.
Collaborate with product and infrastructure teams to develop storage primitives enabling all of Discord.
Exercise "First Principles Thinking" to always deliver what matters most to our users.
Work with a talented team of engineers who have built one of the largest communication platforms in the world.

You have:

4+ years of experience with building distributed systems and datastore infrastructure
Experience with highly-available and distributed databases: e.g. ScyllaDB, Cassandra, BigTable, DynamoDB, CockroachDB, Postgres w/HA, etc.
Proficiency with at least one statically-typed programming language: e.g. Rust, Go, Java, C, C++
Strong operating systems, distributed systems and concurrency control fundamentals
Familiarity with Linux internals
Comfortable working in fast paced environments.

Bonus Points:

Experience with Cassandra or Scylla
Experience with Rust
Knowledge of DevOps tools like Salt, Terraform or Kubernetes.

More things that might interest you:

We’ve tackled a lot of fascinating technical challenges over the years, and blogged about it regularly:
- How Discord Stores Trillions of Messages
- 25% or 6 to 4: The 11/6/23 Authentication Outage
- How Discord Supercharges Network Disks for Extreme Low Latency
- Why Discord is switching from Go to Rust
- How Discord Indexes Billions of Messages
- How Discord Stores Billions of Messages
- How Discord Indexes Trillions of Messages
One of our team members even wrote a book on ScyllaDB
We present at conferences:
- How Discord Indexes Trillions of Messages by Vicki Niu
- How Discord Performs Database Upgrades at Scale by Ethan Donowitz

Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties). Relocation assistance may be available.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $196,000 to $245,000 + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits.

Why Discord?

Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We're a multiplatform, multigenerational and multiplayer platform that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests, and helps developers build and grow their businesses. We believe games give us a way to have fun with our favorite people, whether listening to music together or grinding in competitive matches for diamond rank. Join us in our mission! Your future is just a click away!

Discord is committed to inclusion and providing reasonable accommodations during the interview process. We want you to feel set up for success, so if you are in need of reasonable accommodations, please let your recruiter know.

Please see our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy for details regarding Discord’s collection and usage of personal information relating to the application and recruitment process by clicking HERE.

About Discord

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for the Senior Software Engineer- Database Infrastructure position at Discord?

Use the Apply button above to submit your application directly to Discord. Most applications take less than 5 minutes if your resume and contact details are ready, and you'll be routed to the employer's official application system to finish.

Where is the Senior Software Engineer- Database Infrastructure position at Discord located?

This position is based in San Francisco Bay Area. Discord has not indicated remote or hybrid options for this role, so candidates should plan for on-site work.

How much does the Senior Software Engineer- Database Infrastructure role at Discord pay?

Discord has posted a compensation range of $196k to $245k for this position. Final offers typically vary based on candidate experience, location, and internal salary bands.

When was the Senior Software Engineer- Database Infrastructure role at Discord posted?

This role was posted on June 24, 2026 (28 days ago). It's still listed as actively hiring; we re-confirm openings against the source system multiple times per day and remove closed roles.

How much experience does the Senior Software Engineer- Database Infrastructure role at Discord require?

This is a senior-level position. Most senior roles call for 5+ years of directly relevant experience. Discord lists their specific requirements in the description below, so review the must-have qualifications closely before applying.