Senior Database Engineer

Senior Database Engineer

Location:  Onsite – India

Experience:  8–12 years

Environment:  Cloud-native (AWS), Early-stage Startup

Role Summary

We are hiring a Senior Database Engineer  to build and own the data layer  of a fast-growing, two-sided home services marketplace. This is a hands-on engineering role , focused on schema design, complex SQL, performance optimization, and enabling backend and analytics teams to move fast.

You will spend the majority of your time developing and optimizing PostgreSQL systems , not running tickets or doing heavy database administration. Operational responsibilities exist, but they are lightweight and automation-first , aligned with a cloud-native setup.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building robust data systems , making pragmatic trade-offs, and taking ownership in a startup environment.

What You’ll Do (80% Engineering / 20% Ops)

Database Engineering & Development (Primary)

• Design and evolve PostgreSQL schemas  to support high-throughput marketplace workflows
• Write, review, and optimize complex SQL queries  for backend APIs and analytics use cases
• Own query performance tuning : indexing strategies, execution plans, partitioning, and data access patterns
• Implement and optimize PostGIS-based queries  where geospatial logic is required (e.g., proximity, service discovery)
• Collaborate closely with backend engineers (Node.js / APIs)  to shape data models and query patterns
• Enable analytics and BI workloads  on PostgreSQL without impacting transactional performance
• Make pragmatic design decisions balancing speed, correctness, and scalability

Database Operations (Secondary, Ownership-Driven)

• Manage PostgreSQL on AWS Aurora (PostgreSQL-compatible)  in a cloud-native setup
• Ensure reliable backups, monitoring, alerting, and failover
• Handle production issues related to performance, locking, or data growth
• Proactively identify risks and bottlenecks before they impact customers
• Document database architecture and operational playbooks

Must-Have Skills

• 8–12 years of hands-on experience with PostgreSQL in production
• Strong command over:
• SQL writing and optimization
• Indexing and query planning
• Data modeling for transactional systems
• Experience working closely with backend/API teams
• Practical experience with AWS Aurora PostgreSQL  or PostgreSQL on AWS
• Solid understanding of ACID properties, isolation levels, and concurrency
• Engineering-first mindset with strong ownership

Good-to-Have / Nice-to-Have

• Experience with PostGIS  or geospatial data (important but not central)
• Exposure or conceptual understanding of:
• Graph databases  (e.g., Neo4j)
• Vector databases  and embedding-based search
• Experience supporting analytics / BI  workloads on PostgreSQL
• Familiarity with cloud-native monitoring and automation

What Success Looks Like (6–12 Months)

• Backend and analytics teams ship faster with confidence in the data layer
• Database performance remains predictable as traffic and data grow
• Minimal production incidents related to schema or query design
• Clear ownership of database architecture and evolution
• Well-documented, scalable data systems aligned with product needs

Why This Role Is Different

• Engineering-led, not ops-heavy
• Real ownership, not ticket-based DBA work
• High impact on core marketplace functionality
• Early-stage startup with room to shape foundational systems