Senior Software Engineer - Search Platform

Summary

Our small team is passionate about making knowledge discoverable. We are responsible for the search engine used on Wikipedia, its sister projects, and for the Wikidata Query Service.

We are looking for a software engineer to help us bring the Search Platform team to the next level.

We use open-source tools as much as possible, and always open source our own work. Java, PHP, Python and Scala make up most of our code, but we value using the right tool for the job. Our world is vast and can be complicated, so we value communication, enthusiasm, and an eagerness to learn.

You are responsible for:

• Work and communicate clearly and effectively within a small team that spans multiple time zones across the world
• Help maintain, scale, and extend our Elasticsearch-based search engine
• Improve the integration of Search, Wikidata Query Service, and the MediaWiki platform
• Get your hands dirty to fix things at all levels of the stack

Skills and Experience:

• Good working knowledge of software design principles
• Good understanding of how to scale applications, in terms of load, complexity, and performance
• Ability to work in a Linux server environment
• Write code in Java and PHP that stands the test of time
• Demonstrated experience in large-scale Java or PHP applications
• Be willing to travel occasionally - sometimes internationally - for team and organizational meetings
• Proficient English speaker and writer

Additionally, we’d love it if you have:

• Degree in computer science, statistics, math, physics or other quantitative discipline; equivalent experience learned hands-on on the job also works
• Experience with Elasticsearch, Solr, Lucene or another search engine
• Experience working on open source, collaborative development projects
• Understanding of free culture / free software / open source principles
• Exposure to applied machine learning (ML), deep learning, or natural language processing (NLP)
• Familiarity with statistics
• Experience with an internet software environment operating at scale; for example, messaging platforms that process hundreds of thousands of events per second
• Big thumbs ups if you are a contributor to Wikipedia

Show us your stuff! If you have any existing open-source software that you've developed (this could be your own software or patches to other packages), please share the URLs for the source. Links to GitHub, etc. are especially useful.

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. 

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at recruiting@wikimedia.org or +1 (415) 839-6885.

U.S. Benefits & Perks*

• Health Care Benefits Covered at 100%: We cover 100% of premiums for medical, dental and vision plans for all full time employees and eligible dependents
• Wellness Reimbursement Program: Up to 1,800.00 USD per year for reimbursement for staff wellness expenses, such as gym fees, educational expenses, and more
• Technology and Equipment Stipend: In addition to receiving a brand new laptop, monitor, & docking station, all new hires receive 600.00 USD stipend to set up their space for working virtually 
• Professional Development Program: Up to 750.00 USD reimbursement per year to encourage continuous learning through attending conferences, courses, workshops and the purchase of educational materials 
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: Employer match of up to 4% of employee contributions dollar for dollar with no vesting period
• Paid Time Off: Generous paid time off policy of over 45 days, which includes: vacation days, at least one observed holiday a month, sick leave, and volunteer days
• Flexible Schedules: Options available to balance your personal and remote-work life
• Silent Fridays: No scheduled meetings so you can get caught up at the end of each week
• New Parent Leave: Fully paid new parent leave for seven weeks plus an additional five weeks for pregnancy, and flexible options as you embark on your return to work
• Fertility and Adoption Reimbursement Plan: Reimburses staff up to 5,000.00 USD in expenses per year, with a lifetime maximum of 10,000.00 USD
• Assistance for those unexpected life events: Long and short term disability, life insurance, and an employee assistance program
• Pre-tax Savings Plans: Generously funded health savings accounts (HSAs), pre-tax contribution options for health care, child care & elder care, public transportation and parking expenses

*Please note that for remote roles located outside of the U.S., we defer to our PEO (Professional Employee Organization) to ensure alignment with local labor laws.