Platform Engineer - Java Developer & Elastic Search

Job Description

We help the world run better
At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

What you'll do

We’re looking for Software Engineers to build and evolve a next-generation Search Platform that powers intelligent, scalable, and low-latency retrieval across massive enterprise datasets.

Our systems span the full lifecycle of search—from data ingestion and indexing to retrieval, ranking, and real-time query execution. You will work at the intersection of distributed systems, information retrieval, and applied ML/LLMs, contributing to both platform capabilities and search relevance improvements at scale.

You will collaborate closely with engineering, product, and data science teams to design and deliver high-quality solutions while continuously improving system performance and user experience.

Value You Deliver

• Design and develop scalable backend services and REST APIs using Java and Spring Framework
• Build and optimize indexing pipelines and query systems for large-scale datasets
• Develop components for distributed search and data processing systems
• Implement hybrid search techniques (keyword + vector/semantic retrieval)
• Contribute to event-driven architectures and data pipelines using streaming technologies
• Integrate ML/LLM-based components into production search workflows
• Improve system performance through tuning, debugging, and root cause analysis
• Participate in end-to-end development lifecycle: design, development, testing, and maintenance
• Write high-quality, testable code using best practices such as TDD
• Collaborate in Agile (Scrum) teams, contributing to sprint planning, reviews, and design discussions

What you bring

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field
• 5+ years of experience in backend or distributed systems development
• Experience with large-scale data processing systems is a plus

Technical Skills

Core Programming & Frameworks

• Strong proficiency in Java (Java 17+)
• Hands-on experience with Spring Framework (Spring Boot, MVC, Security, Retry)
• Solid understanding of object-oriented design and design patterns

Search & Information Retrieval

• Basic understanding of search technologies (Solr / Elasticsearch / Lucene)
• Familiarity with indexing, querying, and relevance concepts (BM25, TF-IDF)
• Exposure to vector search and semantic retrieval is a plus

Data Processing & Streaming

• Familiarity with stream processing frameworks (Apache Beam / Storm / Spark)
• Understanding of event-driven architectures and message processing
• Experience working with JSON data (Jackson or similar libraries)

Data Storage

• Experience with NoSQL systems (preferably Cassandra)
• Understanding of distributed data models and query optimization

Infrastructure & Tooling

• Experience with build tools (Maven) and version control (Git)
• Familiarity with Kafka or similar message brokers is a plus
• Exposure to distributed file systems (HDFS) is a plus

Testing & Quality

• Experience with unit testing frameworks (JUnit, Mockito)
• Understanding of test-driven development (TDD)

Value Competencies

• Strong ownership and accountability for delivering high-quality solutions
• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and stakeholders
• Curiosity and willingness to learn modern search, ML, and LLM technologies
• Focus on performance, scalability, and reliability
• Continuous improvement mindset with strong engineering discipline

Where you belong

We are part of the CTO organization focused on building a world-class Search Platform that powers enterprise discovery and procurement use cases at scale. Our team works on challenging problems across distributed systems, search relevance, and AI-driven retrieval—combining traditional information retrieval techniques with modern ML and LLM-based approaches. We prioritize scalability, observability, and real-world impact, while fostering a culture where engineers can grow and do their best work.

#SAPInternalT2

Bring out your best
SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best.

We win with inclusion
SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e-mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: Careers@sap.com.

For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements.

Successful candidates might be required to undergo a background verification with an external vendor.

AI Usage in the Recruitment Process

For information on the responsible use of AI in our recruitment process, please refer to our Guidelines for Ethical Usage of AI in the Recruiting Process.

Please note that any violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the hiring process.

Requisition ID: 448603 | Work Area: Software-Design and Development | Expected Travel: 0 - 10% | Career Status: Professional | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid