Staff Software Engineer, Search
About this role
Claude currently lacks robust, native information retrieval capabilities at scale, creating a critical bottleneck that this new team aims to eliminate. Anthropic is establishing a dedicated search platform engineering group to architect foundational retrieval systems from the ground up, allowing the conversational assistant to access and process external data efficiently. Engineers joining this initiative will collaborate closely with researchers to build indexing mechanisms, refine search algorithms, and establish the quantitative metrics needed to continuously evaluate system performance.
Candidates stepping into this position will work alongside a compact, senior cohort of technical peers in San Francisco or New York City. Success in this environment requires deep expertise in distributed systems combined with a solid grasp of search fundamentals like retrieval and ranking. Professionals who thrive here enjoy tackling ambiguous foundational problems and value empirical, large-scale scientific collaboration over smaller tactical puzzles.
What you will do
- Collaborate with a small, senior group of engineers and researchers to construct Anthropic’s search platform from scratch.
- Establish robust metrics and internal tooling to measure and systematically improve search quality.
- Enhance search algorithms and indexing mechanisms to boost overall retrieval accuracy and efficiency.
- Design and implement core search systems supporting high-volume data processing architectures.
What you need
- Bring at least 5 years of professional experience building complex distributed systems in production environments.
- Demonstrate a solid conceptual grasp of core search fundamentals, including indexing, retrieval, and ranking.
- Possess strong coding skills in programming languages such as Python, Go, or Java.
- Showcase hands-on practical experience working with high-volume data processing architectures.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation and benefits
- Optional equity donation matching
- Generous vacation
- Parental leave
- Flexible working hours
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the remote work policy?
Anthropic operates under a location-based hybrid policy. Staff are expected to be in one of the offices in San Francisco or New York City at least 25% of the time, though certain roles may require more frequent in-office presence.
What is the compensation range for the role?
The annual base salary range for this position is $320,000 to $405,000 USD. Additional benefits and optional equity donation matching are also provided.
What programming languages and technical background are required?
Candidates must have strong coding skills in Python, Go, Java, or similar languages, alongside at least five years of experience building complex distributed systems in production. A solid grasp of search fundamentals and high-volume data processing architectures is also necessary.
Does the company provide visa sponsorship?
Yes, Anthropic sponsors visas and retains an immigration lawyer to assist with the process. While successful sponsorship cannot be guaranteed for every candidate or role, the team makes every reasonable effort upon extending an offer.