Senior Compiler Developer (Kotlin Compiler - Core)

About JetBrains

JetBrains develops intelligent software tools aimed at enhancing productivity for developers and teams. Trusted by over 15 million users and 300,000 organizations, including the vast majority of Fortune Global Top 100 companies, our mission is to enable scalable productivity and AI adoption for development teams worldwide.

Role Overview

In your role with the Kotlin Compiler team, you will take responsibility for the critical compiler pipeline linking the frontend to various backends. Your work will deeply impact how Kotlin code is parsed, validated, and optimized. You'll make key architectural decisions to enhance the compiler's efficiency and memory consumption while ensuring full backward compatibility. Collaborating closely with related Kotlin teams, you will contribute to advancing the language and enriching the experience of Kotlin developers globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement new features for the Kotlin language.
• Develop and optimize intermediate representation (IR) lowering passes.
• Diagnose and fix complex compiler bugs and edge cases.
• Enhance compiler performance and reduce memory usage.
• Partner with other Kotlin teams on language evolution initiatives.
• Improve the developer experience for Kotlin users.
• Maintain and enhance core Kotlin infrastructure components such as IR/AST transformations, Klibs, ensuring backward compatibility.

Candidate Profile

• Exemplify precision with attention to detail ranging from architecture to edge cases.
• Demonstrate strong ownership of challenging technical projects.
• Communicate decisions clearly and effectively to technical peers.
• Possess a collaborative attitude to work effectively within a team.
• Focus on long-term maintainability and compatibility over quick fixes.

Required Qualifications

• Proficiency in Kotlin/JVM or Java development.
• Solid understanding of algorithms and data structures.
• Ability to produce clean, maintainable, and well-tested code.
• Experience in compiler development is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of Gradle plugin development is a plus.
• Experience optimizing JVM application performance is advantageous.

Success Milestones

Within the initial months, you will familiarize yourself with the compiler’s pipeline, take ownership of specific lowering passes, and address bugs. Progressively, you'll make impactful architectural decisions that lead to measurable improvements in compiler performance and memory efficiency. Success will be marked by earning team trust through clear communication, sound technical reasoning, and delivering cleaner, more robust compiler code.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary aligned with skills and experience.
• Flexible work location options, including home and office.
• Opportunity to work remotely from abroad up to 30 days per year.
• Additional paid time off for relaxation and personal pursuits.
• Medical insurance allowances for you and your family.
• Access to learning resources, conferences, and language courses.
• Relocation support to ease your transition.
• Language classes to acquire local or improve English skills.
• Meal provisions or lunch allowances on workdays.
• Professional mental health services for wellbeing support.
• Sports benefits including on-site gym access or stipends.
• Participation in company events and team celebrations.
• Note: Benefits may vary depending on geographic location.

Diversity and Inclusion

JetBrains is committed to fostering an inclusive and open workplace culture that values diverse backgrounds, identities, religions, ages, abilities, and orientations.

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