Software Engineer, Backend - Remote (US or International)

Job Summary

Rill, a leading business intelligence platform, is seeking a highly skilled Backend Software Engineer to join our remote-first team. This role offers the unique opportunity to work at the core of our distributed systems, contributing directly to the development of Apache Druid, a high-performance real-time analytics database. As a key member of our engineering team, you will design and build systems that handle billions of events daily, ensuring our customers receive the fastest and most reliable BI experience on the market. If you are passionate about distributed systems, performance engineering, and open-source technology, this is the perfect role for you.

At Rill, we are redefining business intelligence with a platform that combines last-mile ETL, an in-memory database, and interactive dashboards into a full-stack solution. Our BI-as-a-service approach empowers developers to define and collaborate on metrics using SQL and YAML. Trusted by leading companies in e-commerce, digital marketing, and financial services, Rill provides the speed and scalability needed for operational analytics and partner-facing reporting. Joining Rill means becoming part of a culture that values innovation, smart work, and having fun, with ample opportunities to make a significant impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and enhancement of Apache Druid, focusing on query performance and new feature implementation.
• Build and maintain ingestion systems capable of processing billions of events per day with high reliability.
• Improve Druid query functionality to meet customer SLAs and performance benchmarks.
• Manage and operate a hosted offering that ensures fault tolerance and consistency across thousands of nodes.
• Collaborate with the Apache Druid community to contribute back and help grow the ecosystem.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams including product, design, and support to define technical requirements and solutions.
• Profile and tune Java Virtual Machines (JVM) to optimize performance and diagnose issues.
• Conduct code reviews and uphold best practices in software engineering, focusing on testability and maintainability.
• Participate in on-call rotation to ensure system availability and rapid incident resolution.
• Document system architecture, design decisions, and operational procedures for team reference.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of professional experience in building distributed, fault-tolerant systems such as Cassandra, Kafka, Pinot, ElasticSearch, Druid, or Zookeeper.
• Proven experience developing high-concurrency, performance-oriented Java systems.
• Strong knowledge of JVM internals, garbage collection, and performance profiling tools (e.g., JProfiler, YourKit, or similar).
• Solid understanding of software engineering practices including code reviews, unit testing, and continuous integration.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with big data technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, or relational databases like MySQL or PostgreSQL is a strong plus.
• Previous contributions to open-source projects are highly desirable.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.

Skills Inventory

• Expertise in Java and distributed systems design.
• Experience with Apache Druid, Kafka, Cassandra, or similar technologies.
• Proficiency in JVM tuning and performance optimization.
• Knowledge of SQL and data modeling for analytics.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Experience with agile development methodologies.
• Understanding of BI tools and data visualization is a plus.
• Excellent collaboration and remote communication skills.
• Passion for open-source software and community engagement.

Salary & Compensation Estimation

While the exact salary range is not specified in the job description, based on industry standards for a senior backend engineer with 5+ years of experience in distributed systems, the expected annual base salary is estimated between $150,000 and $220,000 USD, depending on location and experience. Rill also offers equity, health benefits, and flexible remote work arrangements. For international candidates, compensation is benchmarked to local markets. The total compensation package is competitive and designed to attract top-tier talent.