Senior System Administrator

Galent; Markham; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology company is seeking a Senior PostgreSQL System Administrator with 5 to 7 years of hands-on experience managing large-scale PostgreSQL environments. Responsibilities include leading installation, configuration, and administration of database servers, optimizing performance, and mentoring junior DBAs. Ideal candidates will have deep knowledge of PostgreSQL internals and experience with cloud platforms like AWS and GCP. This role is an opportunity to ensure database availability and security in mission-critical systems while collaborating across teams.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of PostgreSQL DBA experience in production environments.
• Deep understanding of PostgreSQL internals, architecture, and advanced features.
• Strong experience with backup and recovery tools and strategies.
• Advanced knowledge of Linux/Unix systems and scripting (Bash, Python preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead the installation, configuration, and administration of PostgreSQL database servers.
• Monitor and analyze database performance and fine-tune SQL queries.
• Perform database upgrades, patching, and migrations with minimal downtime.
• Implement robust backup and recovery strategies.

Skills

PostgreSQL administration

Performance tuning

Database security

SQL query optimization

Shell scripting

Monitoring tools

Cloud platforms management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

pgBackRest

Barman

AWS RDS

GCP Cloud SQL

Azure

Docker

Kubernetes

Ansible

Terraform

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Senior PostgreSQL System Administrator with 5 to 7 years of hands‑on experience managing large‑scale PostgreSQL environments. The ideal candidate will be responsible for database performance, optimization, scalability, and security across mission‑critical systems, mentor junior DBAs, and support architectural decisions to ensure high availability and business continuity.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the installation, configuration, and administration of PostgreSQL database servers across production and non‑production environments.
• Design and implement high availability (HA), disaster recovery (DR), and replication solutions.
• Monitor and analyze database performance, identify bottlenecks, and fine‑tune SQL queries and database configurations.
• Perform database upgrades, patching, and migrations with minimal downtime.
• Implement robust backup and recovery strategies using tools like pgBackRest, Barman, etc.
• Ensure database security through access controls, auditing, and encryption.
• Automate routine database tasks using shell scripting or Ansible.
• Collaborate with development, infrastructure, and DevOps teams to design scalable database architectures.
• Document procedures, standards, and best practices for database management.
• Provide mentorship to junior DBAs and act as an SME for PostgreSQL in cross‑functional teams.
• Support on‑call rotation and handle critical incidents as needed.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 5–7 years of PostgreSQL DBA experience in production environments.
• Deep understanding of PostgreSQL internals, architecture, and advanced features.
• Experience with PostgreSQL V14.
• Proven experience with streaming/logical replication and clustering.
• Expertise in performance tuning, query optimization, and index strategy.
• Strong experience with backup and recovery tools and strategies.
• Advanced knowledge of Linux/Unix systems and scripting (Bash, Python preferred).
• Familiarity with monitoring tools like Prometheus, Grafana, or Zabbix.
• Experience managing PostgreSQL on cloud platforms (AWS RDS, GCP Cloud SQL, Azure).

Preferred / Good to Have

• Experience with containerization and orchestration tools (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Knowledge of other database technologies (MySQL, Oracle, or NoSQL solutions).
• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Ansible, Terraform, etc.

Soft Skills

• Excellent problem‑solving, analytical, and troubleshooting skills.
• Strong communication and documentation abilities.
• Leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Proactive mindset with a focus on process improvements and automation.