PostgreSQL DBA
Compunnel, Chandler, AZ, United States
Job Summary
The PostgreSQL DBA will support production and non-production database environments with a focus on reliability, performance, security, automation, and cloud-based operations. The role requires strong hands-on expertise in PostgreSQL administration along with experience working in AWS environments and developing reusable Terraform modules. The position involves managing backups, recovery, replication, performance tuning, and participating in on-call support as needed.
Key Responsibilities
Install, configure, administer, and maintain PostgreSQL databases across production and non-production environments. Perform backup and recovery planning, PITR restore validation, and DR readiness activities. Monitor database health and performance; troubleshoot issues related to queries, indexing, locks, replication, and storage. Plan and execute patching, upgrades, migrations, and version compatibility checks. Implement and manage replication strategies, including streaming and logical replication, and ensure high availability. Maintain database security, including access controls, roles, privileges, and audit readiness. AWS Responsibilities:
Work with AWS services related to PostgreSQL hosting and operations, including RDS for PostgreSQL and Aurora PostgreSQL. Manage EC2-based PostgreSQL deployments. Utilize supporting AWS services such as IAM, VPC, Security Groups, KMS, CloudWatch, S3, and SNS. Support cloud best practices for networking, monitoring, encryption, scalability, and cost optimization. Participate in AWS-based DR strategies. Terraform (IaC) Responsibilities:
Design and develop reusable Terraform modules for infrastructure deployments. Maintain Terraform codebases using practices such as remote state, state locking, workspaces, and module versioning. Implement naming standards, reusable patterns, and secure variable handling (e.g., Secrets Manager, Parameter Store). Collaborate with DevOps/SRE teams to automate infrastructure provisioning for database environments. Operational Collaboration:
Participate in on-call production support activities as required. Create and maintain runbooks, SOPs, and technical documentation. Collaborate with application teams on schema reviews, query optimization, and release readiness. Required Qualifications
4 to 8 years of hands-on production experience as a PostgreSQL DBA. Strong understanding of backup, recovery, high availability, and replication concepts. Experience with performance tuning, indexing, vacuum/analyze, and query plan interpretation. Strong understanding of PostgreSQL security, roles, grants, and encryption fundamentals. Practical experience with AWS RDS and Aurora for PostgreSQL. Strong expertise in Terraform, including writing and maintaining reusable modules. Familiarity with Linux administration and scripting (Shell/Python preferred). Strong troubleshooting skills and ability to handle production issues effectively. Preferred Qualifications
Experience with Oracle DBA tasks including basic administration, backup/restore, and troubleshooting. Experience with CI/CD integrations for Terraform (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI). Familiarity with monitoring tools such as CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or New Relic. Experience working with container environments such as Kubernetes for adjacent DB services. Exposure to security and compliance frameworks such as SOC2, ISO, or PCI.
The PostgreSQL DBA will support production and non-production database environments with a focus on reliability, performance, security, automation, and cloud-based operations. The role requires strong hands-on expertise in PostgreSQL administration along with experience working in AWS environments and developing reusable Terraform modules. The position involves managing backups, recovery, replication, performance tuning, and participating in on-call support as needed.
Key Responsibilities
Install, configure, administer, and maintain PostgreSQL databases across production and non-production environments. Perform backup and recovery planning, PITR restore validation, and DR readiness activities. Monitor database health and performance; troubleshoot issues related to queries, indexing, locks, replication, and storage. Plan and execute patching, upgrades, migrations, and version compatibility checks. Implement and manage replication strategies, including streaming and logical replication, and ensure high availability. Maintain database security, including access controls, roles, privileges, and audit readiness. AWS Responsibilities:
Work with AWS services related to PostgreSQL hosting and operations, including RDS for PostgreSQL and Aurora PostgreSQL. Manage EC2-based PostgreSQL deployments. Utilize supporting AWS services such as IAM, VPC, Security Groups, KMS, CloudWatch, S3, and SNS. Support cloud best practices for networking, monitoring, encryption, scalability, and cost optimization. Participate in AWS-based DR strategies. Terraform (IaC) Responsibilities:
Design and develop reusable Terraform modules for infrastructure deployments. Maintain Terraform codebases using practices such as remote state, state locking, workspaces, and module versioning. Implement naming standards, reusable patterns, and secure variable handling (e.g., Secrets Manager, Parameter Store). Collaborate with DevOps/SRE teams to automate infrastructure provisioning for database environments. Operational Collaboration:
Participate in on-call production support activities as required. Create and maintain runbooks, SOPs, and technical documentation. Collaborate with application teams on schema reviews, query optimization, and release readiness. Required Qualifications
4 to 8 years of hands-on production experience as a PostgreSQL DBA. Strong understanding of backup, recovery, high availability, and replication concepts. Experience with performance tuning, indexing, vacuum/analyze, and query plan interpretation. Strong understanding of PostgreSQL security, roles, grants, and encryption fundamentals. Practical experience with AWS RDS and Aurora for PostgreSQL. Strong expertise in Terraform, including writing and maintaining reusable modules. Familiarity with Linux administration and scripting (Shell/Python preferred). Strong troubleshooting skills and ability to handle production issues effectively. Preferred Qualifications
Experience with Oracle DBA tasks including basic administration, backup/restore, and troubleshooting. Experience with CI/CD integrations for Terraform (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI). Familiarity with monitoring tools such as CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or New Relic. Experience working with container environments such as Kubernetes for adjacent DB services. Exposure to security and compliance frameworks such as SOC2, ISO, or PCI.