Search Engineer

About the role

This role is for an engineer who will develop the core systems enabling the transformation of the open web into searchable data. You will be instrumental in making our search product fast, dependable, and cost-effective as it expands.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Construct the systems responsible for web crawling, data indexing, and retrieval for the Firecrawl Search product.
• Reduce query latency and operational expenses as search usage increases.
• Enhance the quality and timeliness of search results for AI-driven information retrieval.
• Take full ownership of services from conception through deployment and ongoing refinement in a live environment.
• Collaborate directly with the Head of Search and the broader search team on product development plans.

Requirements

• Possess a minimum of 3 years of experience building and operating backend or distributed infrastructure systems.
• Demonstrate a strong focus on minimizing latency and cost while ensuring accuracy in system performance.
• Be comfortable tackling complex, ill-defined problems and translating them into functional systems.
• Exhibit a preference for rapid iteration and shipping solutions, valuing measurement and improvement over theoretical perfection.

Nice to have

• Experience with large-scale data processing pipelines.
• Familiarity with search engine technologies and ranking algorithms.

Skills & tools

• Backend development
• Distributed systems
• Infrastructure engineering

Practical notes

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not currently available.
• The interview process includes an application review, an introductory chat, a technical discussion, a founder chat, and a paid work trial.
• Benefits include generous paid time off, parental leave, wellness stipends, and professional development allowances. US-based employees receive comprehensive health insurance and retirement plans.