Senior Database Reliability Engineer (PostgreSQL)

Arctic Fox; Canberra; On-site; AUD 176,000 - 251,000; Full time

Job summary

Services Australia is seeking a Senior Database Reliability Engineer (PostgreSQL) to optimise and manage enterprise PostgreSQL deployments. You will implement high availability, backups, PITR and security controls while integrating with OpenShift, VMware and RHEL environments.

The role requires expertise in PEM, EFM, ArgoCD, GitLab, and scripting in Python and shell to automate operations and support incident response. This is a 12-month contract with extension options in Canberra area.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years PostgreSQL DBA experience.
• Experience with Ansible CI/CD pipelines in RHEL/OpenShift/VMware environments.
• Experience developing Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC).
• Experience implementing PostgreSQL security controls and access management.

Responsibilities

• Configure and manage HADR replication cluster using EFM.
• Install, configure and administer PEM with agent deployment and performance monitoring.
• Develop and maintain IaC for PostgreSQL deployments.
• Design and deploy PostgreSQL deployments using Ansible CI/CD across RHEL, OpenShift and VMware.

Skills

PostgreSQL

Ansible

CI/CD

Python

Shell scripting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

OpenShift

VMware

RHEL

PEM

EFM

GitLab

ArgoCD

LDAP

Job description

Role: Senior Database Reliability Engineer (PostgreSQL)

Client:Services Australia

Rate: $155 per hour including Super

Contract Length: 12 months + 2x12 month extension options

Location: The agency requires these services at the agency’s premises in Canberra, however locations of Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth will be considered.

Database Administrator Experts scope, source and optimise database environments to support analysis, modelling and scenario testing while maintaining system integrity.

They apply expertise across system databases, data elements, application software and related toolsets to design and deliver enterprise data solutions. This includes advanced capability across contemporary ICT systems, servers, coding languages and database platforms.

Database Administrator Experts operate with a high degree of independence, delivering technical outcomes under general direction from the leadership team.

Out-of-hours work may occasionally be required to complete scheduled activities or resolve complex incidents.

Key duties and responsibilities

Duties may include:

• Configure and manage HADR replication cluster using EDB failover manager (EFM).
• Instal, configure and administer EDB Postgres Enterprise Manager (PEM), including agent deployment, database registration and performance monitoring.
• Develop and maintain infrastructure-as-code (IaC) for PostgreSQL deployments.
• Design deploy and maintain PostgreSQL deployments using Ansible CI/CD pipelines across RHEL OpenShift and VMware environments.
• Configure ArgoCD deployments and integrate them with GitLab.
• Skills in python and shell scripting.
• Implement backup and disaster recovery strategies encompassing automated backup orchestration,
• point-in-time recovery (PITR), WAL archiving, replication-based recovery.
• In-depth knowledge of database migration methodologies—including logical and physical replication, WAL log shipping, backup and restore, database cloning and server-level migration.
• Ability to evaluate and select appropriate migration approach based on compatibility, downtime, data
• integrity, performance, rollback requirements and business continuity.
• Configuring and maintaining PostgreSQL authentication using LDAP/Active Directory integration, centralised identity management, role-based access control (RBAC), TLS encryption, X.509 certificate setup.
• Manage database software installations and upgrades to maintain currency.
• Contribute to team capability uplift and maintain supporting documentation.

Technical skills

Extensive enterprise PostgreSQL DBA expertise in complex production incident management, advanced performance diagnostics, replication and high-availability troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and implementing resilient remediation strategies to ensure service continuity and operational stability.

• Expertise in installing and configuring EDB Postgres Enterprise Manager (PEM), including agents and
• database registration; leveraging PEM for performance monitoring, query analysis, resource diagnostics, alerting, and historical trend analysis.
• Extensive experience designing, implementing, and maintaining PostgreSQL high availability, replication,
• automated backup, point-in-time recovery (PITR) and disaster recovery solutions, ensuring defined recovery
• objectives and business continuity.
• Demonstrated expertise in PostgreSQL version upgrades and cross-platform migrations across Linux RHEL and OpenShift environments, including logical and physical replication, WAL shipping, backup and restore, database cloning and server migration, with the ability to select appropriate approaches based on downtime, compatibility, and data integrity requirements.
• Strong technical capability in PostgreSQL security and access management, including LDAP/Active Directory
• authentication, role-based access control (RBAC), TLS encryption, X.509 certificate management, privileged
• access controls, and security hardening in accordance with enterprise security standards.
• Proven ability to automate and streamline PostgreSQL administration using scripting and DevOps tools.
• Implement enterprise monitoring and logging, troubleshoot complex database and operating-system
• issues, and maintain database reliability, availability, capacity, and operational compliance across production
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and maintaining Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and automated PostgreSQL deployment solutions using Ansible and CI/CD pipelines, across RHEL, OpenShift and VMware environments, including configuration management, deployment standardisation, and environment consistency.
• Experience implementing GitOps-based deployment workflows using Argo CD integrated with GitLab,
• alongside strong Python and Shell scripting skills to automate database administration, operational
• processes, monitoring, deployment validation, and troubleshooting.

Selection Criteria

• Minimum five years’ PostgreSQL database administration experience
• Experience designing, deploying and maintaining PostgreSQL deployments using Ansible CI/CD pipelines in RHEL OpenShift and VMware environments
• Experience developing and maintaining infrastructure-as-code
• Experience optimising PostgreSQL database integration and performance
• Experience implementing PostgreSQL database security controls
• Minimum five years’ experience with RHEL on OpenShift and VMware technologies
• Minimum three years’ experience developing and maintaining infrastructure-as-code
• Minimum two years’ experience designing, deploying and maintaining PostgreSQL deployments using Ansible CI/CD pipelines in RHEL OpenShift and VMware environments
• Experience optimising PostgreSQL database integration and performance and implementing PostgreSQL database security controls