Greenhouse ·
full-timeStaff+ Software Engineer, Vectordb
Anthropic · New York City, NY | Seattle, WA; San Francisco, CA | New York City, NY | Seattle, WA
Anthropic is an AI research and development company focused on creating reliable, interpretable, and steerable artificial intelligence systems. This Staff+ Software Engineer role is a foundational position within the company's Databases organization, specifically tasked with building and scaling the vector search infrastructure that powers Claude. The role involves designing the architecture for high-recall, low-latency nearest-neighbor search systems that handle billions of vectors. Day-to-day responsibilities include managing index structures, optimizing storage layouts, and balancing trade-offs between latency, recall, and operational costs. The engineer will lead technical direction, conduct design reviews, and ensure the production readiness of retrieval systems that support both model training and live user interactions. This position is suited for a senior-level engineer with extensive experience in building production-grade vector or search systems, deep knowledge of approximate nearest-neighbor algorithms, and strong proficiency in systems programming languages like Rust, C++, or Go. The ideal candidate is comfortable navigating ambiguous, large-scale technical challenges and is prepared to take ownership of core infrastructure while mentoring a growing team.
Education
- Level: Bachelor's degree
Key Skills
About the Role Anthropic is seeking a Staff+ Software Engineer to design and build the vector search infrastructure that powers Claude's retrieval workloads, including indexing, storage layout, query execution, and serving layers. Responsibilities Own the core vector database layer, including index structures, storage layout, and serving; ensure production readiness through benchmarking, capacity planning, and operational tooling; drive recall, latency, and cost trade‑offs; scale throughput; extend retrieval stack with hybrid lexical and vector search; define evaluation methodology; set technical direction, lead design reviews, and mentor engineers; share on‑call responsibilities. Requirements Minimum: experience building production‑scale vector databases or ANN search systems; deep knowledge of ANN index structures, vector quantization, and filtered search; strong systems programming in Rust, C++, or Go; experience with large‑scale distributed storage/serving systems; ability to scope and deliver multi‑quarter projects; strong communication skills; interest in AI safety. Preferred: experience with object‑storage‑backed or disaggregated compute/storage designs; building or operating full‑text search engines (inverted indexes, BM25); hybrid retrieval systems; familiarity with embedding models and LLM retrieval; GPU/accelerator usage for indexing/search; prior technical lead experience on database or search infrastructure teams.
Skills for this role
| Role | Staff+ Software Engineer, Vectordb |
|---|---|
| Company | Anthropic |
| Location | New York City, NY | Seattle, WA; San Francisco, CA | New York City, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Type | full-time |
| Compensation | Not disclosed |
| Posted | 2026-10-20 |
| Deadline | Rolling |
Typical process for this type of role
A general guide — the exact steps for this specific listing may vary; check the original posting for details.
- 1ApplicationSubmit your resume through the apply link.
- 2ScreeningRecruiter reviews your background against the role.
- 3AssessmentA technical test, assignment, or coding round, depending on the role.
- 4Interview(s)One or more rounds with the hiring team.
- 5OfferOffer letter with compensation and start date.
Before you apply
0/4Staff+ Software Engineer, Vectordb at Anthropic: frequently asked questions
- Who can apply for the Staff+ Software Engineer, Vectordb role at Anthropic?
- The listing asks for Bachelor's degree; freshers are welcome.
- What skills does the Staff+ Software Engineer, Vectordb role require?
- The listing highlights Rust, C++, Go, ANN, vector search, distributed storage, full-text search, BM25, embedding models, GPU. Show each of these in a project or past role on your resume.
- What is the salary for this role?
- Anthropic has not stated compensation in the listing. Check the original posting or ask during the application process.
- Is the Staff+ Software Engineer, Vectordb position remote, hybrid or onsite?
- The listing gives New York City, NY | Seattle, WA; San Francisco, CA | New York City, NY | Seattle, WA as the location and does not state a work mode.
- What is the application deadline?
- Anthropic has not listed a fixed deadline, so apply early in case the opening is filled.
- How do I apply for the Staff+ Software Engineer, Vectordb role?
- Use the Apply button on this page. It opens the original listing on job-boards.greenhouse.io, where you submit your application with the company.
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