Dive in and do the best work of your career at DigitalOcean. Journey alongside a strong community of top talent who are relentless in their drive to build the simplest scalable cloud. If you have a growth mindset, naturally like to think big and bold, and are energized by the fast-paced environment of a true industry disruptor, you’ll find your place here. We value winning together—while learning, having fun, and making a profound difference for the dreamers and builders in the world.
As a Principal Engineer, you will serve as the top-tier technical authority for our DBaaS platform, taking complete technical execution ownership to modernize our managed database services into an AI-native ecosystem. In this role, you will directly drive systems engineering to solve complex distributed computing and scale challenges, drastically enhance DBaaS service performance, elevate platform resiliency, and scale database infrastructure to meet the massive demands of real-time AI inference and data-heavy cloud workloads.
What You’ll Do- Architect and execute solutions for large-scale DBaaS distributed computing challenges, improving control plane throughput, platform scalability, and multi-region infrastructure.
- Set and execute the multi-year technical roadmap for DBaaS infrastructure, preparing systems for high-concurrency AI workloads, continuous data streaming, and AI inference pipelines.
- Take accountability for low-level DBaaS performance, resource utilization, and fault tolerance to maintain high service availability under heavy operational loads.
- Expand DBaaS control plane and underlying infrastructure to scale managed database services for compute-heavy AI inference and customer demand.
- Enhance existing core lifecycle capabilities—scaling automated failovers, continuous backups, point-in-time recovery (PITR), and maintenance workflows to handle higher data volumes and stricter SLAs.
- Author architectural technical blueprints, define execution standards, lead design reviews, and mentor staff and senior engineers.
- 15+ years of experience architecting, building, and operating large-scale platform infrastructure and distributed computing systems.
- Proven track record of diagnosing and solving complex, high-concurrency engineering problems in production cloud environments.
- Working knowledge of relational database engine internals—specifically PostgreSQL and/or MySQL—to optimize query performance, replication, and scale (preferred).
- Practical experience scaling distributed services to meet the compute, memory, and networking demands of AI inference and data-intensive workloads.
- Expertise in system profiling, identifying IO/CPU/network bottlenecks, and implementing changes that improve database service performance.
- Deep experience driving system resiliency, scaling platform availability, and optimizing recovery mechanisms for distributed environments.
- Demonstrated ability to take technical ownership, convert business requirements into clear architecture blueprints, and mentor engineering talent.
- Own and execute the technical strategy for database infrastructure used by developers and businesses worldwide.
- Build managed database services that bring AI inference and data processing capabilities to customers globally.
- Access dedicated learning stipends, conference budgets, and structured pathways for principal-level technical progression.
- Receive competitive compensation—including performance bonuses, equity options, and ESPP participation—alongside local healthcare coverage and flexible time off.
*This job is located in Hyderabad, India
JR: 2026-8293
#LI-Hybrid
- We innovate with purpose. You’ll be a part of a cutting-edge technology company with an upward trajectory, who are proud to simplify cloud and AI so builders can spend more time creating software that changes the world. As a member of the team, you will be a Shark who thinks big, bold, and scrappy, like an owner with a bias for action and a powerful sense of responsibility for customers, products, employees, and decisions.
- We prioritize career development. At DO, you’ll do the best work of your career. You will work with some of the smartest and most interesting people in the industry. We are a high-performance organization that will always challenge you to think big. Our organizational development team will provide you with resources to ensure you keep growing. We provide employees with reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education. All employees have access to LinkedIn Learning's 10,000+ courses to support their continued growth and development.
- We care about your well-being. Regardless of your location, we will provide you with a competitive array of benefits to support you from our Employee Assistance Program to Local Employee Meetups to flexible time off policy, to name a few. While the philosophy around our benefits is the same worldwide, specific benefits may vary based on local regulations and preferences.
- We reward our employees. The salary range for this position is based on market data, relevant years of experience, and skills. You may qualify for a bonus in addition to base salary; bonus amounts are determined based on company and individual performance. We also provide equity compensation to eligible employees, including equity grants upon hire and the option to participate in our Employee Stock Purchase Program.
- DigitalOcean is an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.
Application Limit: You may apply to a maximum of 3 positions within any 180-day period. This policy promotes better role-candidate matching and encourages thoughtful applications where your qualifications align most strongly.
Skills Required
- 15+ years of experience architecting, building, and operating large-scale platform infrastructure and distributed computing systems
- Experience diagnosing and solving complex, high-concurrency engineering problems in production cloud environments
- Working knowledge of relational database engine internals, specifically PostgreSQL and/or MySQL, including query performance, replication, and scaling
- Experience scaling distributed services for the compute, memory, and networking demands of AI inference and data-intensive workloads
- Expertise in system profiling and identifying IO, CPU, and network bottlenecks
- Experience improving database service performance through system and infrastructure changes
- Deep experience driving system resiliency, platform availability, and recovery mechanisms for distributed environments
- Ability to take technical ownership and translate business requirements into architecture blueprints
- Ability to mentor engineering talent
DigitalOcean Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, vision, and mental-health insurance. Feedback suggests this area stands out as a core strength of the package.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity participation is emphasized through performance grants and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Feedback suggests these programs add meaningful value alongside base pay.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is positioned as flexible or unlimited, with above-average parental leave highlighted across sources. Feedback suggests this flexibility supports work-life balance.
DigitalOcean Insights
What We Do
DigitalOcean is the Inference Cloud — a full-stack, production-ready cloud platform built to run AI applications with predictable performance, sustainable economics, and radically simpler operations at scale. We are built for teams turning AI into real products — not just training models. Our advantage is not fewer features, but fewer failure modes when operating AI at scale — combining minimal operational overhead, predictable cost efficiency, and a full-stack cloud that works as a system. Hyperscalers are broad by design. Neoclouds are infrastructure-first. DigitalOcean is inference-first — with a real cloud underneath. It combines inference-optimized compute, managed inference software, and integrated cloud capabilities that reduce operational burden for teams running real workloads. Inference is the foundation—not the boundary. Everything else builds on top of it.
Why Work With Us
At DO, we do career-defining work. We innovate with AI and build cutting-edge tech. Our rewards to match that intensity - to motivate you, recognize your impact, and give you what you need to thrive. If you have a growth mindset, like to think big and bold, and are energized by the fast-paced environment, you'll find your place here.
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DigitalOcean Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We commit to both remote work and in-person collaboration. These ways of working are dependent on specific roles and are mutually agreed upon by employees. In the US, we are mainly remote. In our APAC locations, we have a hybrid in-office approach.
