Sr. Database Engineer

Role: Sr. Database Engineer
Location : Irvine, CA - Onsite
Duration: 6+ Months
Job Type: C2C

We are looking for a Sr. Database Engineer to be a technical authority and lead designer of our high-performance data environments. You are a "builder " who views databases as code equally skilled at deep SQL performance tuning as you are at building automated deployment pipelines for global-scale clusters.

You thrive on the challenge of high-stakes, large-scale data systems. As a key client-facing expert, you will guide our clients away from legacy "babysitting " models toward modern, self-healing, cloud-native database architectures on AWS.

What You'll Do

Architect Scalable Data Systems: Design and oversee the implementation of enterprise-scale relational (RDS, Aurora) and NoSQL (DynamoDB, DocumentDB) database architectures.

Engineer Database Automation: Develop "Database-as-Code " using Terraform or CloudFormation to automate provisioning, scaling, and recovery processes across multi-region environments.

Optimize for Performance: Act as the final authority on complex performance tuning, including query optimization, indexing strategies, and hardware-level bottleneck analysis.

Modernize for AI: Design and implement specialized data storage solutions, such as vector databases (Amazon OpenSearch, pgvector), to support Generative AI and RAG-based applications.

Set the Standards: Define and enforce best practices for data modeling, security (encryption at rest/transit), and high-availability/disaster recovery (RPO/RTO) across the practice.

Lead & Mentor: Act as a technical mentor for junior engineers, leading deep-dive design reviews and fostering a culture of operational excellence.

What You Bring (Requirements)

Professional Experience: 8-12+ years in database administration or engineering, with at least 4+ years in a Senior Engineering role focusing on cloud environments.

AWS Database Mastery: Expert-level knowledge of the AWS database ecosystem (Aurora, RDS, DynamoDB, Redshift).

Coding & Scripting: Proven mastery of Python and Advanced SQL for automation and sophisticated data manipulation.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Deep experience with Terraform or AWS CDK to manage database infrastructure.

Data Modeling: Expert-level understanding of both relational and non-relational data modeling techniques.

Client-Facing Excellence: Exceptional skills in leading technical workshops and translating ambiguous business needs into high-performance technical designs.

Startup Mentality: A "builder " mindset with a focus on impact, ownership, and the agility to solve "unsolvable " technical challenges.

Bonus Points (Nice-to-Haves)

Certifications: AWS Certified Database Specialty or AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional.

AI/ML Fluency: Experience with vector databases and preparing data pipelines for LLM integration.

Consulting Background: Experience in a Professional Services or global consulting environment.