Software Engineer - Cypher Planner

Neo4j
London, United Kingdom
On-site

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for candidates who optimize query execution and work in distributed teams, with a focus on graph database technologies and algorithm design.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with a background in optimizing query execution and a willingness to work in a distributed team environment
    — “determine the most rapid and effective means of retrieving queried data”
  • Individuals interested in compiler development and algorithm design for production-grade systems
    — “Interest or experience in developing compilers”

Things to consider

  • The role may require adapting to a distributed team setup across multiple locations
    — “Many of our teams are spread over two or more locations”
  • Candidates should be prepared to work on a highly technical, abstract level with complex systems
    — “ability to think abstractly, discuss the pros and cons of different options”

How to stand out

  • Emphasize your ability to work in distributed teams and your adaptability to new technical domains
    — “comfortable working as part of a distributed team”
  • Showcase your performance-driven development experience, including profiling and benchmarking techniques
    — “Experience with performance-driven development, e.g., profiling, benchmarking, and optimizing code”
  • Illustrate your ability to anticipate edge cases and design robust systems in your technical examples
    — “anticipate edge cases in a design”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • enhance and optimize the query planner
  • contribute to the development of comprehensive features
  • impact across the entire codebase
Typical background
5+ years of experience developing high-quality, highly scalable production-level software

Skills & requirements

Required

Software EngineeringQuery OptimizationDatabase DesignPerformance-driven DevelopmentAgile Development ProcessesScala

Preferred

JavaDatabase ImplementationCompiler DevelopmentAlgorithm Design

Stack & domain

Performance-driven DevelopmentProfilingBenchmarkingOptimizing CodeAgile Development ProcessesTDDKanban/scrumPair ProgrammingScalaJavaDatabase Design And ImplementationDeveloping CompilersAlgorithm Design And AnalysisExploratory LearningTransferring Academic Research Into Production-grade ProductsAbility To Think AbstractlyDiscuss Pros And Cons Of Different OptionsAnticipate Edge Cases In A DesignGraph Intelligence PlatformGraph Database CategoryData RelationshipsProperty Graph ModelQuery PlannerQuery StringsExecution PlansStorage Files And IndexesParserHigh-quality SoftwareHighly Scalable Production-level Software

About the role

Original posting from Neo4j via Greenhouse

About Neo4j:

Neo4j is the graph intelligence platform that transforms data into knowledge to power the next generation of intelligent applications and AI systems. It includes enterprise-ready knowledge graphs for accurate, explainable, and governed AI; the most comprehensive, trusted, and easy-to-deploy graph capabilities across any environment and data source; and an unmatched ecosystem trusted by 84 of the Fortune 100 and supported by the world’s largest graph community. Intelligence that works. Results that matter.

Built to work everywhere and integrate with everything across every cloud for dynamic, personalized, and autonomous AI systems. We deliver quicker results, contextual knowledge, and solutions that impact customers and employees across the business.

Our Vision: 

At Neo4j, we have always strived to help the world make sense of data.  

As business, society and knowledge become increasingly connected, our technology promotes innovation by helping organizations to find and understand data relationships. We created, drive and lead the graph database category, and we’re disrupting how organizations leverage their data to innovate and stay competitive.

The Role:

Join our dynamic Cypher team at Neo4j, where we are at the forefront of optimizing the core codebase that receives query strings and transforms them into efficient, logically sound execution plans. This role delves deep into the heart of the database, determining the most rapid and effective means of retrieving queried data from the underlying stores and indexes of the property graph model.

Responsibilities:

As a Cypher Software Engineer, you will not only enhance and optimize the query planner but also contribute to the development of comprehensive features that elevate the capabilities of the Cypher language and the Neo4j database. Your impact will extend across the entire codebase, from the parser to the storage files and indexes. Success in this role requires the ability to think abstractly, discuss the pros and cons of different options, and anticipate edge cases in a design.

What You'll Bring:

Experience with performance-driven development, e.g., profiling, benchmarking, and optimizing code

Familiarity with Agile development processes (TDD, kanban/scrum, pair programming)

Knowledge of or willingness to learn Scala

A desire to learn.

Nice to also have:

Experience programming in Scala and/or Java

Understanding or previous experience with database design and implementation

Interest or experience in developing compilers

A strong foundation in algorithm design and analysis

Interest in exploratory learning and transferring academic research into production-grade products

5+ years of experience developing high-quality, highly scalable production-level software

We don’t expect you to have experience across all these areas. We have a mix of different skills in our team. Many of our teams are spread over two or more locations, so you should be comfortable working as part of a distributed team.

Why Join Neo4j?

Neo4j is, without question, the most popular graph intelligence platform in the world. We have customers in every industry globally, and our products are a proven product/market fit. Joining our team is an opportunity to shape the future of data and analytics. Below are just a few exciting facts about Neo4j. 

Neo4j is one of the fastest-scaling technology companies in this industry. It recently surpassed $200M in annual recurring revenue (ARR), doubling its ARR over the past three years. 

Raised the biggest funding round in database history ($325M Series F). Backed by world-class investors like Eurazeo, GV (formerly Google Ventures), and Inovia Capital, Neo4j has raised over $600M in funding and is currently valued at over $2Bn. This puts Neo4j among the most well-funded database companies in history.

84% of the Fortune 100 and 58% of the Fortune 500 use Neo4j. Examples include Boston Scientific, BT Group, Caterpillar, Cisco, Comcast, Department for Education UK, eBay, NBC News, Novo Nordisk, Worldline, and others. 

Co-founder and CEO Emil Eifrem has built an amazing culture that prides itself on relationships, inclusiveness, innovation, and customer success.

Countless industry awards. Massive enterprises and individual developers/data scientists love Neo4j. A strong sense of community and ecosystem is built around the platform.

A recent Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Study cited Neo4j as delivering 417% ROI to customers. 

Research shows that members of underrepresented communities are less likely to apply for jobs when they don’t meet all the qualifications. If this is part of the reason you hesitate to apply, we’d encourage you to reconsider and give us the opportunity to review your application. At Neo4j, we are committed to building awareness and helping to improve these issues. 

One of our central objectives is to provide an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace for everyone to develop their potential and have a positive, career-defining experience. We look forward to receiving your application.

Neo4j Values:

Neo4j is a Silicon Valley company with a Swedish soul. We foster collaboration and each of us is empowered to contribute and put our innovative stamp on projects. We hire candidates who reflect the following Neo4j core values:

(we)-[:VALUE]->(relationships)

(we)-[:FOCUS_ON]->(userSuccess)

(we)-[:THRIVE_IN]->(:Culture {type: [‘Open’, ‘Inclusive’]})

(we)-[:ASSUME]->(:Intent {direction:’Positive’})

(we)-[:WELCOME]->(:Discussions {nature: ‘IntellectuallyHonest’})

(we)-[:DELIVER_ON]->(ourCommitments) 

Neo4j is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Please read the privacy notice regarding Neo4j's recruitment process to understand how we will handle the personal data that you provide. 

More information at www.neo4j.com.

©2026 Neo4j, Inc., Neo Technology®, Neo4j®, Cypher®, Neo4j Bloom™, Neo4j Graph Data Science Library™, Neo4j® Aura™, and Neo4j® AuraDB™ are registered trademarks or a trademark of Neo4j, Inc. All other marks are owned by their respective companies.

Source: Neo4j careers (Greenhouse)

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