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Principal Research Scientist, Database Systems

MongoDB New York City; Palo Alto Full-time Research Posted Jun 4, 2026
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What it’s like to work at MongoDB

Developer Data Platform · New York

4
Employee Rating
3.8
Work-Life Balance
426
Open Roles
open-sourceeng-drivenlearningequityproduct-impact

What employees love

  • World-class enablement — best training programs many employees have encountered
  • Competitive pay with strong equity, especially for senior roles

What could be better

  • No 401k match and culture has gotten more political at scale
  • Work-life balance is team-dependent — some teams have long hours expectations
View full MongoDB culture profile →

About the Role

The mission of MongoDB Research is to advance the state of the art in database systems by conducting fundamental and applied research that directly impacts MongoDB's products. Our goal is to foster innovation that benefits MongoDB by addressing critical challenges in data management, performance optimization, security, scalability, and usability. Through collaboration, publication, and active engagement with leading research institutions, we strive to shape the future of database technology and ensure MongoDB remains at the forefront of innovation.

We seek an exceptional researcher specializing in database systems with particular expertise in database architecture, including query optimization, storage engines, indexing, and multicore processing. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong track record in designing and implementing highly performant database systems.

This role can be in-office, flexible, or based remotely in North America.

Responsibilities:

Qualifications:

Success metrics:

About MongoDB

MongoDB is built for change, empowering our customers and our people to innovate at the speed of the market. We have redefined the database for the AI era, enabling innovators to create, transform, and disrupt industries with software. MongoDB’s unified database platform—the most widely available, globally distributed database on the market—helps organizations modernize legacy workloads, embrace innovation, and unleash AI. Our cloud-native platform, MongoDB Atlas, is the only globally distributed, multi-cloud database and is available across AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

With offices worldwide and nearly 60,000 customers—including 75% of the Fortune 100 and AI-native startups—relying on MongoDB for their most important applications, we’re powering the next era of software.

Our compass at MongoDB is our Leadership Commitment, guiding how and why we make decisions, show up for each other, and win. It’s what makes us MongoDB.

To drive the personal growth and business impact of our employees, we’re committed to developing a supportive and enriching culture for everyone. From employee affinity groups, to fertility assistance and a generous parental leave policy, we value our employees’ wellbeing and want to support them along every step of their professional and personal journeys. Learn more about what it’s like to work at MongoDB, and help us make an impact on the world!

MongoDB is committed to providing any necessary accommodations for individuals with disabilities within our application and interview process. To request an accommodation due to a disability, please inform your recruiter.

MongoDB, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and makes all hiring decisions without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Req ID: 1263126935

MongoDB’s base salary range for this role is posted below. Compensation at the time of offer is unique to each candidate and based on a variety of factors such as skill set, experience, qualifications, and work location. Salary is one part of MongoDB’s total compensation and benefits package. Other benefits for eligible employees may include: equity, participation in the employee stock purchase program, flexible paid time off, 20 weeks fully-paid gender-neutral parental leave, fertility and adoption assistance, 401(k) plan, mental health counseling, access to transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage, and health benefits offerings. Please note, the base salary range listed below and the benefits in this paragraph are only applicable to U.S.-based candidates.

MongoDB’s base salary range for this role in the U.S. is:
$168,000$330,000 USD

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the work-life balance like at MongoDB?
MongoDB has a work-life balance score of 3.8/5 based on employee reviews. This is about average for the AI/tech industry.
What is MongoDB’s culture like?
MongoDB is characterized by these culture values: open-source, eng-driven, learning, equity, product-impact. Based on employee reviews, the company has an overall rating of 4/5. World-class enablement — best training programs many employees have encountered
How many open roles does MongoDB have?
MongoDB currently has 426 open roles across departments including engineering, product, sales, and more. Roles are refreshed daily from their careers page.
Is this role remote-friendly?
This role is located in New York City; Palo Alto. Check the job description above for specific location and remote work details.
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