Data Plane Engineer

Overview

Build the part of the system that actually moves the data. At DDN, we engineer high-performance infrastructure for environments where speed, scale, and reliability are non-negotiable. This role sits at the heart of that mission.

We are looking for a Data Plane Engineer with strong C/C++ expertise and hands-on experience in Data Path / I/O Path development, ideally with exposure to NVMe / NVMe-oF. If you enjoy working close to the system, solving complex low-level problems, and building software that directly impacts performance, this is the kind of work that will keep you engaged.

Job Description

This is an opportunity to work on deep technical challenges rather than surface-level feature development. You will contribute to performance-critical systems where code quality, efficiency, and engineering judgment matter. Your work will influence how data moves through high-throughput storage environments and will have direct, visible impact on product capability.

What you’ll do

• Design and develop core components in C/C++
• Work on Data Path / I/O Path functionality in performance-sensitive systems
• Contribute to engineering work involving NVMe / NVMe-oF
• Debug, optimize, and improve low-level code for throughput, latency, and reliability
• Collaborate with engineers working across storage and systems infrastructure
• Help build robust, scalable software for demanding production environments

What we’re looking for

• 5 to 20 years of software engineering experience
• Strong hands-on programming skills in C/C++
• Experience working on Data Path / I/O Path
• Hands-on exposure to NVMe / NVMe-oF
• Strong systems thinking and debugging capability
• Based in Pune, India

Good to have

• Kernel development experience
• Experience in storage systems or low-level systems software
• Exposure to performance tuning, OS-level development, or protocol-heavy systems

Who this role will attract

• Engineers who like working close to the hardware and operating system
• People who enjoy solving difficult systems and performance problems
• Builders who want to work on core infrastructure, not just abstraction layers
• Strong individual contributors who value technical depth and meaningful engineering ownership

Who this role is not for

• Engineers whose experience is mainly in web, frontend, or general application development
• Candidates without meaningful low-level systems exposure
• People looking for a purely managerial role
• Those who prefer broad platform work over deep systems engineering

DDN

Why join DDN - DDN is trusted in environments where infrastructure performance truly matters. For engineers who want to do serious technical work, this is a chance to build at the core of modern data infrastructure alongside people who care about craft, performance, and real-world impact.

Apply if - You have strong C/C++ skills, real Data Path / I/O Path experience, and hands-on exposure to NVMe / NVMe-oF, and you want to work on systems software that matter