Staff Platform Engineer (Databases & Storage)

Job Application for Staff Platform Engineer (Databases & Storage) at World Labs Back to jobs Staff Platform Engineer (Databases & Storage) San Francisco Apply About World Labs: We build foundational world models that can perceive, generate, reason, and interact with the 3D world — unlocking AI's full potential through spatial intelligence by transforming seeing into doing, perceiving into reasoning, and imagining into creating.We believe spatial intelligence will unlock new forms of storytelling, creativity, design, simulation, and immersive experiences across both virtual and physical worlds. We bring together a world-class team, united by a shared curiosity, passion, and deep backgrounds in technology — from AI research to systems engineering to product design — creating a tight feedback loop between our cutting-edge research and products that empower our users. Role Overview We are looking for a Staff Platform Engineer to own the database and storage foundation of World Labs. This is a high-impact systems role at the intersection of databases, distributed systems, and AI infrastructure. You will define how core data systems are designed, scaled, and operated in an environment where workloads are evolving quickly and requirements are often ambiguous. You will be responsible for the architecture and operation of the transactional backbone of the platform, making foundational decisions around data modeling, replication, consistency, and performance. This role is about turning complex, failure-prone systems into ones that are simple, reliable, and predictable — and setting the technical direction for how we build and operate them. What You Will Do: Own the design and evolution of the transactional systems that power the platform Define architecture for database and storage systems under high-throughput, low-latency workloads Make and drive decisions around data modeling, indexing, replication, and consistency Debug and resolve complex production issues, including contention, replication behavior, and performance bottlenecks Establish standards for reliability, observability, and operability across the platform Partner with product and research teams to support evolving and often ambiguous requirements Drive improvements in performance, scalability, and cost across the system Mentor engineers and raise the bar for system design and technical decision-making Key Qualifications: 8+ years of experience building and operating production systems at scale, with ownership of critical infrastructure Strong experience designing and operating transactional systems and databases (Spanner, Postgres, MySQL, or similar) Deep understanding of data modeling, indexing, transactions, concurrency, and consistency tradeoffs Experience owning systems with strict reliability and performance requirements in production Strong experience debugging complex production issues and reasoning about failure modes Experience designing distributed systems or large-scale infrastructure where tradeoffs are non-trivial Proven ability to define architecture and drive technical decisions end-to-end Strong judgment in balancing performance, reliability, and cost Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-moving environments with high ownership Preferred Qualifications: Experience with database internals, storage systems, or query engines Experience building infrastructure for AI/ML systems or data platforms Experience in early-stage or high-growth environments Who You Are: Fearless Innovator: We need people who thrive on challenges and aren't afraid to tackle the impossible. Resilient Builder: Impacting Large World Models isn't a sprint; it's a marathon with hurdles. We're looking for builders who can weather the storms of groundbreaking research and come out stronger. Mission-Driven Mindset: Everything we do is in service of creating the best spatially intelligent AI systems, and using them to empower people. Collaborative Spirit: We're building something bigger than any one person. We need team players who can harness the power of collective intelligence. We're hiring the brightest minds from around the globe to bring diverse perspectives to our cutting-edge work. If you're ready to work on technology that will reshape how machines perceive and interact with the world, World Labs is your launchpad. Join us, and let's make history together. Equal Opportunity & Pay Transparency Equal Employment Opportunity World Labs is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. We welcome all qualified applicants and are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the hiring process upon request. California Pay Transparency In accordance with California law, we disclose the following: Pay Range $200-$300k base salary (good-faith estimate for San Francisco Bay Area upon hire; actual offer based on experience, skills, and qualifications) Total Compensation Base salary plus equity awards and annual performance bonus Salary History We do not request or consider prior compensation in making offers Compliance: Cal. Lab. Code §432.3 (pay scale disclosure & salary history ban); Cal. Lab. Code §1197.5 (Equal Pay Act); Cal. Gov. 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