Software Engineer – Database Kernel

Location: Malmö; other location: London

Company

hirify.global develops a graph intelligence platform and enterprise-ready knowledge graph and database capabilities for AI systems and applications.

What you will do

• Design, profile, and implement core database features, including storage formats, index structures, and recovery paths.
• Diagnose concurrency bugs, race conditions, and lock contention.
• Improve latency through CPU, memory allocation, off-heap memory, and disk I/O profiling.
• Review designs and pull requests with emphasis on correctness, data integrity, and maintainability.
• Help shape technical direction and architectural trade-offs as the database engine evolves.

Requirements

• Systems programming experience and comfort working close to hardware; most of the codebase is Java, while C++, Rust, or Go experience can translate when combined with knowledge of memory layouts and concurrency.
• Clear understanding of threads, locks, atomic operations, cache locality, and algorithmic complexity.
• Ability to write thorough tests for database-kernel edge cases.
• Collaborative approach to technical decisions, including supporting choices with data or benchmarks and engaging in two-way code review discussions.

Nice to have

• Experience with database internals, storage engines, or file systems.
• Deep knowledge of JVM internals, including garbage collection, JIT compilation, and off-heap memory.
• Hands-on experience with async-profiler, JFR, or perf.
• Experience navigating and evolving large, mature codebases.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in an engineering-led Kernel team split between Malmö and London.
• Read and discuss database research papers, including VLDB and SIGMOD publications.
• Regular “Do What You Want” weeks provide dedicated time for prototypes and tooling improvements.
• Inclusive and equitable workplace focused on collaboration, innovation, relationships, and customer success.