Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Database Engineer to join an active, evolving modernization engagement supporting a primary client and their affiliated portfolio of companies. This is not a standard support or tuning role. The work spans both immediate operational needs and longer-horizon architectural improvements, requiring someone who can shift fluidly between hands-on execution and system-level strategic thinking.

The engagement began with a review and advisory mandate across PostgreSQL Server environments. It has since expanded to encompass full operational database support, infrastructure-layer improvements, cross-system modernization, and a potential migration from Azure SQL Managed Instance (SQL MI) to PostgreSQL. The core objective is building a clean, performant, and scalable data foundation that reduces infrastructure costs, improves product performance, and unifies systems across a family of companies.

The environment is heavily reliant on stored procedures, with the majority of application logic and data access flowing through them. Day-to-day work will include engineering, support, and tuning—but the ideal candidate will operate just as comfortably at the architecture level, driving platform-wide improvements rather than addressing only individual queries or procedures.

Responsibilities

Performance Engineering & Query Optimization

• Analyze and tune stored procedures, queries, and execution plans to improve throughput and reduce latency
• Manage the full index lifecycle: creation, modification, consolidation, and removal
• Identify and remediate systemic performance and scalability risks across environments
• Improve data model and pipeline efficiency where workloads materially impact database performance

Database Architecture & Modernization

• Address normalization issues, reduce data duplication, and improve overall data design
• Evaluate stored procedure dependency and define a path to simplify or appropriately redistribute application logic
• Drive schema and structural improvements that go beyond query-level tuning
• Establish a cleaner, more maintainable data layer that enables product and engineering teams to build and iterate more efficiently

Infrastructure & Cost Optimization

• Administer and improve the database infrastructure layer, including server-level configuration and environmental health
• Evaluate infrastructure costs, pricing models, and the long-term ROI of architectural decisions
• Support analysis and planning for a potential migration from Azure SQL Managed Instance to PostgreSQL

Monitoring & Observability

• Design and implement performance monitoring frameworks, baseline metrics, and dashboards
• Establish visibility into ongoing performance and cost drivers to support operations beyond the engagement lifecycle

Operational Support & Execution

• Pick up and execute against active tickets and operational database needs
• Manage workload across both reactive support and proactive improvement initiatives
• Maintain documentation of changes, findings, and recommendations

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with business and engineering stakeholders to understand current pain points and future needs
• Communicate architectural recommendations and trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Coordinate across teams within the client hierarchy, including sister companies within the broader portfolio

Required Qualifications

• 5–8 years of hands-on experience in database engineering, with a strong focus on PostgreSQL
• Demonstrated experience analyzing and optimizing complex stored procedures and execution plans
• Deep proficiency in index strategy, query performance tuning, and schema design
• Experience working at both the DBA/administrative layer and the data modeling/architecture layer
• Familiarity with Azure SQL Managed Instance or SQL Server environments
• Proven ability to identify systemic database risks and deliver structured remediation plans
• Experience designing monitoring frameworks and performance dashboards
• Strong documentation and communication skills; able to present findings and recommendations clearly
• Ability to work independently in a remote, async-first consulting environment
• Professional proficiency in English (written and verbal)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with PostgreSQL migration projects, particularly from SQL Server or Azure SQL MI
• Familiarity with stored procedure-heavy legacy architectures and strategies for logic redistribution
• Background in multi-tenant or multi-entity environments (e.g., supporting a portfolio of companies on shared infrastructure)
• Exposure to data pipeline tooling, ETL processes, or application-layer integration patterns
• Experience with cost analysis and infrastructure rightsizing in cloud environments (Azure preferred)
• Familiarity with tools such as pgBadger, pg_stat_statements, Azure Monitor, or equivalent observability tooling

Hiring Process

1. Application Review – Resume and portfolio/project history reviewed by our team
2. Intro Call – 30-minute conversation to align on scope, availability, and fit with a member of our recruiting team
3. Technical Discussion – 60-minute deep dive with a senior technical stakeholder covering past projects, architecture decisions, and approach to the problem space
4. Culture Fit Conversation – A conversation with our Lead Architect and Project Manager to explore working style, collaboration approach, and alignment with how our teams operate

What We Offer

At Tech9, we believe great talent deserves great opportunities — no matter where you are in Latin America. We build real teams, not just rosters, and we’re committed to making Tech9 a place where you can do your best work, grow your career, and thrive on your own terms.

Work with World-Class U.S. Clients

Gain hands-on experience with top-tier American companies and high-impact projects that challenge you and elevate your career.

Competitive, USD-Based Compensation

Your skills have global value. We pay competitively in U.S. dollars, giving you financial stability and recognition for what you bring to the table.

Grow Your Skills on Us

All Tech9ers get access to Udemy’s full course library. Whether you want to deepen your expertise or explore something new, we invest in your growth.

A Community, Not Just a Contract

When you join Tech9, you become a Tech9er. That means being part of a collaborative, inclusive community of talented professionals across LatAm who support each other and grow together.

Modern Tech & Agile Teams

Work with current technologies, frameworks, and methodologies alongside teams that move fast, communicate well, and value your input.

About Tech9  

At Tech9, we are driven by a clear mission—to empower organizations with AI-centered solutions that make them more adaptable, efficient, and future-ready. With proven expertise in product strategy, UX design, cloud architecture, and AI, our teams deliver purpose-built software that meets today’s needs and anticipates tomorrow’s challenges.

Headquartered in Utah, Tech9 experts collaborate across the United States, Latin America, and India. We offer a remote working environment with a collaborative and supportive culture, allowing you to focus on what you do best.

If you're excited by the opportunity to work in a fast-paced, innovative environment where scaling and building the future of software is key, we’d love to hear from you. Join us as we work together to redefine the world of software development.