Full-Time

Distinguished Software Engineer

Data Infrastructure

Posted on 8/20/2026

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

10,001+ employees

Professional networking and career development platform

Compensation Overview

$253k - $416k/yr

+ Annual performance bonus + Stock

Company Historically Provides H1B Sponsorship

Bellevue, WA, USA + 1 more

More locations: Mountain View, CA, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid work requires working from home and a LinkedIn office on select days.

Bachelor's, Master's, PhD

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Distributed Systems
Graph Databases
Machine Learning
RDBMS
Data Analysis

Get referred to LinkedIn

See people who can refer or advise you

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • At least 10 years of software engineering experience focused on infrastructure, distributed systems, or databases.
  • A master's or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent research experience, is preferred.
  • A proven track record of technical leadership in building robust, scalable platforms.
  • Demonstrated expertise designing, implementing, and managing large-scale distributed systems that are resilient and scalable.
  • At least 5 years of experience in a technical or scientific leadership position.
  • The ability to lead and mentor engineering teams while fostering technical excellence, innovation, and collaboration.
  • Expertise designing and implementing distributed databases and data and compute infrastructure at scale.
  • Experience identifying infrastructure gaps, recommending strategic improvements, and driving implementation of advanced solutions in data processing and data infrastructure.
  • Experience leading large-scale development projects from concept to production.
  • Proficiency with artificial intelligence-based development and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in production systems.
  • The ability to drive cross-company initiatives and influence the evolution of infrastructure systems.
  • Experience mentoring engineering talent and fostering collaboration and innovation.
  • Expertise in distributed systems, online infrastructure, and databases.
Responsibilities
  • Develop a comprehensive understanding of LinkedIn's infrastructure, particularly Online Infrastructure and Databases, and provide domain expertise and thought leadership.
  • Lead and facilitate cross-functional technical discussions to align product and technology strategies while meeting scale, performance, and efficiency requirements.
  • Define and drive technical strategies and roadmaps that translate business requirements into robust architecture and technology plans.
  • Design and architect highly scalable, resilient, and distributed systems to support Data Infrastructure objectives.
  • Establish and advocate for best practices, design patterns, and quality standards for scalable distributed databases and caching systems.
  • Identify gaps in the current infrastructure and recommend and implement migration strategies for legacy systems.
  • Mentor and guide senior engineering talent, fostering craftsmanship, innovation, and technical excellence.
  • Publish technical papers, present at conferences, and drive industry innovation in Data Infrastructure.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the infrastructure supports LinkedIn's business goals and customer needs.
  • Drive adoption of new technologies and methodologies that enhance the performance, reliability, and maintainability of LinkedIn's infrastructure.
  • Ensure compliance with security and privacy standards and implement measures to protect LinkedIn's data and systems.
Desired Qualifications
  • A master's or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.
  • A proven track record of technical leadership in building robust, scalable platforms.
  • Demonstrated expertise designing, implementing, and managing large-scale distributed systems that are resilient and scalable.
  • At least 5 years of experience in a technical or scientific leadership position.
  • The ability to lead and mentor engineering teams while fostering technical excellence, innovation, and collaboration.
  • Expertise designing and implementing distributed databases and data and compute infrastructure at scale.
  • Experience identifying infrastructure gaps, recommending strategic improvements, and driving implementation of advanced solutions in data processing and data infrastructure.
  • Experience leading large-scale development projects from concept to production.
  • Proficiency with artificial intelligence-based development and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in production systems.
  • The ability to drive cross-company initiatives and influence the evolution of infrastructure systems.
  • Experience mentoring engineering talent and fostering collaboration and innovation.

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that helps people manage their careers and helps companies find and hire talent. It works by letting users create free profiles to showcase work experience and skills, while employers post jobs and use recruiting tools. The platform makes money mainly from Talent Solutions (recruiting tools for employers), Marketing Solutions (targeted ads for professionals), and Premium Subscriptions (for individuals with enhanced features like advanced search, InMail, and access to LinkedIn Learning). It differs from competitors by hosting a massive global network of professionals, offering integrated hiring and marketing tools, and providing an interconnected set of services (jobs, learning, and professional insights) through a freemium model and Microsoft integration. The goal is to connect professionals, support career development, and enable business opportunities by expanding the professional network and the related economy (economic graph).

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

$559.1M

Headquarters

Mountain View, California

Founded

2002

Get referred to LinkedIn

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Microsoft reported LinkedIn revenue up 12% year over year in FY26 Q3.
  • BrandLink video ads and Creator Marketplace expand higher-margin B2B marketing inventory.
  • Adobe and LinkedIn's AI Essentials program targets marketers, riding 113% AI-job-post growth.

What critics are saying

  • May 2026 layoffs cut about 875 jobs and closed Graz, signaling margin pressure.
  • LinkedIn's Advice Sessions and creator tools lack disclosed take rates, limiting monetization visibility.
  • OpenAI, Google, and Perplexity erode LinkedIn search traffic and recruiting moat by 2027.

What makes LinkedIn unique

  • LinkedIn's billion-member professional graph powers hiring, sales, and advertising decision data.
  • Microsoft integrates LinkedIn with Office, Bing, and the $20 billion ads business.
  • Creator Marketplace and BrandWorks, launched June 10 2026, deepen B2B creator monetization.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Performance Bonus

Stock Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

1%
Tech in Asia
Aug 11th, 2026
LinkedIn shuts Israel office, lays off nearly all 50 staff after $80M Oribi acquisition

LinkedIn is closing its Tel Aviv development centre and laying off nearly all of its roughly 50 employees. A small number will remain temporarily to handle ongoing business activities. The Microsoft-owned company opened the office in 2022 after acquiring Oribi, an Israel-based analytics startup founded by Iris Shoor, for an estimated $80 million to $90 million. At the time, LinkedIn said Oribi's technology would improve campaign attribution and measure website conversions. A LinkedIn spokesperson said the company is proposing changes to some roles to focus its teams on top priorities. The closure comes as Microsoft cuts costs, including a recent move to lay off 9,000 employees, though available information does not directly tie the Israel layoffs to broader restructuring.

Yahoo Finance
Jul 22nd, 2026
LinkedIn launches paid advice sessions for premium users to monetise expertise

LinkedIn is rolling out a new feature for premium business subscribers that allows them to offer paid one-to-one advice sessions directly from their profiles. The tool, called Advice Sessions, enables followers to book and pay for consultations without leaving the platform. Derek Notman, founder of Intrepid Wealth Partners, said the feature could be particularly valuable for financial advisers seeking growth through new client connections. "It allows me to offer whatever services I want and get paid for it," Notman said. The launch comes as North American wealth managers have enjoyed annual growth rates of about 10% in assets under management over the past decade, though only 30% of that growth was organic, with the rest mainly attributable to market performance.

Yahoo Finance
Jun 26th, 2026
Microsoft's $20B ad business gets new leader as AI reshapes advertising landscape

Microsoft has unified its advertising businesses under SVP Matt Derella, who now oversees both Microsoft Advertising and LinkedIn Ads. The combined search and LinkedIn advertising business generates over $20 billion in annual revenue. Derella, who previously led LinkedIn's global ad sales, will maintain the units as separate operations whilst identifying shared capabilities and best practices. The restructuring follows the departure of Microsoft Advertising leader Kya Sainsbury-Carter in May. Derella outlined plans to leverage Microsoft's billion-plus monthly users across Xbox, Bing, MSN and Activision. He emphasised adapting to AI-driven search, noting that brand building is increasingly crucial as large language models reshape discovery. LinkedIn is the most-cited source for professional queries, according to Profound and Semrush. The company is also exploring expanded advertising on Xbox beyond gaming categories.

Fortune
Jun 16th, 2026
Adobe and LinkedIn launch free AI courses as marketing job postings requiring AI skills surge 113%

Adobe and LinkedIn are launching a free "AI Essentials for Marketers" programme to address a widening skills gap in the marketing industry. Job postings requiring AI literacy have surged 113% year-over-year on LinkedIn, whilst only 4% of marketing professionals globally have added AI skills to their profiles. The programme offers four role-specific learning paths on LinkedIn Learning, each taking two to three hours to complete, covering digital marketing, content and creative, social and communications, and data and analytics. According to research from Anthropic, marketing roles face approximately 65% exposure to AI automation. Both Adobe and LinkedIn executives emphasise that marketing professionals who actively adapt and demonstrate practical AI capabilities will be best positioned for success, whilst those who remain passive risk obsolescence.

Business Insider
Jun 10th, 2026
LinkedIn launches Creator Marketplace to connect brands with business experts

LinkedIn has launched Creator Marketplace, a new section within its advertising platform to help brands connect with business-focused creators. The marketplace allows creators to opt in and share contact information whilst advertisers can boost creator content through ads or explore partnerships like speaking engagements. Unlike rivals YouTube, Meta and TikTok, LinkedIn emphasises subject matter expertise over reach, targeting credible voices on niche business-to-business topics. The move follows LinkedIn's broader creator push, including original video shows and BrandLink, a revenue-sharing programme for in-stream video ads. Research by BrightEdge shows LinkedIn accounts for 33% of sources cited by ChatGPT for "how-to" questions, positioning the platform as increasingly valuable for B2B marketers targeting millennial and Gen Z buyers.