PostgreSQL Senior Engineer / DBA

Job Title: PostgreSQL Senior Engineer / DBA

Location: Sunnyvale, CA / Austin, TX

Employment Type: Full-Time

Experience Level: Senior (typically 8-15 years)

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced PostgreSQL Senior Engineer (DBA) to design, operate, and optimize large-scale, mission-critical PostgreSQL environments. The role requires deep expertise in PostgreSQL internals, high availability, replication, cloud deployments, and performance tuning for high-transaction systems managing multi-terabyte datasets.

This is a hands-on role suited for candidates who thrive in complex, high-availability environments and can collaborate effectively across engineering and business teams.

Key Responsibilities

PostgreSQL Administration & Operations

• Administer and support enterprise PostgreSQL databases with high availability and performance requirements.

• Perform backup, restore, and point-in-time recovery (PITR) using best-practice strategies.

• Execute minor and major PostgreSQL version upgrades with minimal downtime.

High Availability & Replication

• Design, implement, and manage replication and HA solutions using repmgr, pgpool, or EFM.

• Ensure resilience, failover readiness, and disaster recovery compliance.

Performance Tuning & Troubleshooting

• Monitor and troubleshoot day-to-day operational issues, including load average, locks, blocking sessions, and long-running SQL.

• Tune PostgreSQL configuration parameters for performance, scalability, and stability.

• Analyze system catalogs and metrics to proactively prevent performance degradation.

Architecture & Scale

• Support and manage multi-terabyte PostgreSQL databases in high-volume, transaction-intensive environments.

• Contribute to the design and evolution of large database infrastructures supporting business-critical applications.

Cloud & Container Platforms

• Deploy and operate PostgreSQL in cloud environments such as AWS (RDS or EC2) or Google Cloud Platform.

• Support PostgreSQL workloads in Kubernetes or containerized environments.

Maintenance & Continuous Improvement

• Perform routine PostgreSQL maintenance tasks including vacuuming, reindexing, and capacity planning.

• Continuously evaluate and adopt new PostgreSQL features, tools, and best practices.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with application, infrastructure, and platform teams across multiple initiatives.

• Communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Strong expertise in PostgreSQL architecture and internals.

• Hands-on experience with backup, restore, PITR, and replication.

• Proven experience performing PostgreSQL major and minor upgrades.

• Deep understanding of PostgreSQL configuration parameters and system tables.

• Experience administering multi-terabyte databases.

• Hands-on experience with high-availability tools (repmgr, pgpool, EFM).

• Experience deploying PostgreSQL on AWS or Google Cloud Platform.

• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes or container technologies.

• Background supporting high-volume, mission-critical transactional systems.

• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills.

• Ability and aptitude to independently learn new technologies.

Key Competencies

• Ownership and accountability for database reliability and performance

• Ability to operate independently in complex environments

• Strong problem-solving skills under production pressure

• Effective collaboration across engineering and business teams

Technical Skills

PostgreSQL | Replication | PITR | High Availability | repmgr | pgpool | EFM | Performance Tuning | AWS RDS | Google Cloud Platform | Kubernetes | Containerization | Multi-TB Databases