Database Administrator Principal

Job ID: 2509215

Location: ASHBURN, VA, US

Date Posted: 2025-09-05

Category: Information Technology

Subcategory: Database Admin

Schedule: Full-time

Shift: Day Job

Travel: No

Minimum Clearance Required: None

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: Public Trust

Potential for Remote Work: Yes

Description

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Database Subject Matter Expert (SME) with strong Database Administrator (DBA) capabilities to join our team. The ideal candidate will specialize in PostgreSQL (RDS), bringing expertise in deployment, administration, query tuning, and database monitoring. This role is hybrid-remote requiring 2 days on-site per week in Ashburn, VA.

This role requires a proactive professional capable of managing database operations, optimizing performance, and supporting application development teams.

Responsibilities:

• Database Administration:
  • Configure and administer managed PostgreSQL instances in the AWS environment.
  • Maintain database security policies, including role-based access control and data encryption.
• Query Tuning and Optimization:
  • Analyze and optimize SQL queries for performance improvement, particularly on large tables.
  • Work with development teams to review and enhance database-related code.
• Monitoring and Alerts:
  • Set up and monitor Dynatrace alerts to ensure database reliability and availability.
  • Investigate and resolve performance issues identified through monitoring tools or reported by users.
• Automation and Deployment:
  • Develop and implement database automation scripts for routine tasks such as deployments, scaling, and maintenance.
  • Assist in Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) processes for database updates.
• System Health and Troubleshooting:
  • Proactively monitor database health and resolve capacity or connectivity issues.
  • Conduct root-cause analysis for database incidents and implement preventive measures.
• Database Design and Support:
  • Provide input on data modeling and schema design for new and existing applications.
  • Collaborate with developers and data engineers to ensure efficient data access patterns.
• Documentation and Best Practices:
  • Create and maintain detailed documentation of database environments, procedures, and standards.
  • Enforce database best practices and policies.
• Training and Guidance:
  • Act as a technical mentor to junior team members.
  • Provide training to application developers and other stakeholders on database-related topics.

Qualifications

Education and experience REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience). Nine (9) years or more experience; master's degree and seven (7) years or more experience; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience.
• Certifications such as AWS Certified Database - Specialty, PostgreSQL DBA Certification, or similar are a plus.

Required Skills:

• Must have extensive experience with PostgreSQL, including deployment, maintenance, and optimization.
• Strong knowledge of database tuning, query optimization, and indexing strategies.
• Experience with Postgres GIS queries using the PostGIS addon.
• Experience with database monitoring tools, particularly Dynatrace or similar platforms.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash) for database automation.
• Understanding of cloud database architectures and services, such as AWS RDS.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and database version control.
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Skills:

• Knowledge of ETL pipelines and data warehouse architecture.
• Familiarity with analytics/modeling tools.
• Exposure to data replication and sharding strategies.
• Knowledge of government regulatory compliance standards.

Soft Skills:

• Strong communication and collaboration skills for working with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high-quality results.

BI Requirement

• Current holder of a DHS Public Trust clearance or the ability to obtain one.
• Note: Employment will be contingent upon having/obtaining a DHS Public Trust clearance prior to starting.