Aurora PostgreSQL Database Administrator (DBA)

TALENT Software Services; Seven Hills (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

TALENT Software Services is seeking a Senior Aurora PostgreSQL DBA to design, administer, and optimize highly available PostgreSQL databases on Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL. You will support development, test, and production environments and ensure reliability, performance, security, and disaster recovery.

The role requires 5–10+ years of PostgreSQL experience, strong AWS knowledge, and hands-on skills in performance tuning, PITR, backup/restore, and automation with Python or AWS Lambda.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of database administration experience with PostgreSQL.
• 2+ years with Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL.
• Strong understanding of PostgreSQL architecture, administration, internals.
• Experience with SQL, PL/pgSQL, indexes, transactions, locking, and query plans.
• Experience with backup/recovery, replication, high-availability.
• Strong AWS knowledge, particularly: Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, EC2, IAM, CloudWatch, S3, Airflow, Lambda.
• Experience troubleshooting database performance using EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN ANALYZE, PostgreSQL statistics views, AWS Performance Insights, CloudWatch.
• Strong scripting and automation skills using Python or similar languages.
• Experience with production-critical databases and incident management.

Responsibilities

• Administer and support Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL database environments.
• Install, configure, upgrade, patch, and maintain PostgreSQL/Aurora systems.
• Manage: Aurora clusters, read replicas, failover, parameter groups, subnet groups, endpoints.
• Perform database performance tuning, including: Query optimization, execution plan analysis, index optimization, connection/memory tuning, lock/wait-event analysis, vacuum/autovacuum optimization.
• Monitor database: Health, capacity, performance, availability.
• Use AWS and PostgreSQL monitoring tools.
• Implement and maintain backup and restore strategies, DR, business continuity.
• Perform PITR and support recovery exercises.
• Troubleshoot production issues: incidents, performance, connectivity, replication, failures.
• Manage database security: users, roles, permissions, encryption, auditing, access controls.
• Work with applications on SQL queries, schema design, indexes, and db-related issues.
• Support migrations to Aurora PostgreSQL from on-prem DB2 and other platforms.
• Develop automation/scripts using Python, AWS Lambda, AWS CLI.
• Establish and maintain standards, procedures, and runbooks.
• Participate in on-call rotations and production support.
• Assist with capacity planning and cloud cost optimization.

Skills

PostgreSQL

Aurora PostgreSQL

SQL

PL/pgSQL

Query optimization

Performance tuning

High availability

Backup and recovery

Automation

Python

Airflow

CloudWatch

IAM

DMS

Tools

Datadog

Grafana

Prometheus

AWS CLI

Lambda

Airflow

DMS

EC2

S3

IAM

Job description

• Experience Level: Senior-level
• Experience Required: 5-10+ years

• Job Title: Aurora PostgreSQL Database Administrator (DBA)
• Experience Level: Senior-level
• Experience Required: 5-10+ years
• Primary Database: PostgreSQL / Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL

Position Overview

• Experienced Aurora PostgreSQL DBA responsible for designing, administering, optimizing, and supporting highly available PostgreSQL databases on Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL.
• Responsible for:
• Database reliability
• Performance
• Security
• Backup and recovery
• Monitoring
• Production support
• Support database environments across:
• Development
• Test
• Production
• Strong hands-on PostgreSQL and AWS/Amazon Aurora experience required.
• Strong understanding of:
• Database performance
• High availability
• Automation
• Troubleshooting

Key Responsibilities

• Administer and support Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL database environments.
• Install, configure, upgrade, patch, and maintain PostgreSQL/Aurora systems.
• Manage:
• Aurora clusters
• Read replicas
• Failover
• Parameter groups
• Subnet groups
• Endpoints
• Perform database performance tuning, including:
• Query optimization
• Execution plan analysis
• Index optimization
• Connection and memory tuning
• Lock and wait-event analysis
• Vacuum/autovacuum optimization
• Monitor database:
• Health
• Capacity
• Performance
• Availability
• Use AWS and PostgreSQL monitoring tools.
• Implement and maintain:
• Backup and restore strategies
• Disaster recovery (DR)
• Business continuity strategies
• Perform Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR).
• Support database recovery exercises.
• Troubleshoot production issues, including:
• Database incidents
• Performance problems
• Connectivity issues
• Replication issues
• Database failures
• Manage database security:
• Users
• Roles
• Permissions
• Encryption
• Auditing
• Access controls
• Work with application and development teams on:
• SQL queries
• Schema design
• Indexes
• Database-related application issues
• Support migrations to Aurora PostgreSQL from:
• On-premises DB2
• Other database platforms
• Develop automation and operational scripts using:
• Python
• AWS Lambda
• AWS CLI
• Establish and maintain:
• Database standards
• Operational procedures
• Documentation
• Runbooks
• Participate in on-call rotations.
• Provide production support for critical database environments.
• Assist with:
• Capacity planning
• Cloud cost optimization
• Database modernization initiatives

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of database administration experience with PostgreSQL.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience with Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL.
• Strong understanding of:
• PostgreSQL architecture
• PostgreSQL administration
• PostgreSQL internals
• Strong experience with:
• SQL
• PL/pgSQL
• Indexes
• Transactions
• Locking
• Query execution plans
• Experience with:
• PostgreSQL backup and recovery
• Replication
• High-availability strategies
• Strong AWS knowledge, particularly:
• Amazon Aurora
• Amazon RDS
• EC2
• IAM
• CloudWatch
• S3
• Airflow
• Lambda
• Experience troubleshooting database performance using:
• EXPLAIN
• EXPLAIN ANALYZE
• PostgreSQL statistics views
• AWS Performance Insights
• CloudWatch
• Experience with database monitoring and alerting.
• Strong scripting and automation skills using Python or similar languages.
• Experience working with:
• Production-critical databases
• Incident management processes

Preferred Qualifications

• AWS Certified Database - Specialty or comparable AWS certification.
• PostgreSQL certification or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience migrating databases to Aurora PostgreSQL using AWS Database Migration Service (DMS).
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with database observability tools such as:
• Datadog
• Grafana
• Similar platforms
• Experience with:
• PostgreSQL version upgrades
• Aurora major-version upgrades

Technical Skills

• Databases:
• PostgreSQL
• Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL
• Amazon RDS
• AWS:
• Aurora
• RDS
• EC2
• VPC
• IAM
• CloudWatch
• S3
• KMS
• DMS
• Lambda
• Airflow
• Performance Tuning:
• EXPLAIN / EXPLAIN ANALYZE
• Query tuning
• Indexing
• Wait-event analysis
• Lock analysis
• Vacuum/autovacuum
• Connection management
• High Availability & Disaster Recovery:
• Aurora replication
• Read replicas
• Failover
• Backup/restore
• Point-in-Time Recovery
• Disaster recovery
• Automation:
• Python
• AWS CLI
• Lambda
• Airflow
• Monitoring & Observability:
• AWS Performance Insights
• CloudWatch
• PostgreSQL monitoring
• Grafana
• Prometheus
• Datadog

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent troubleshooting skills.
• Strong incident-management capabilities.
• Ability to work effectively with:
• Developers
• Architects
• Infrastructure teams
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced production environment.
• Strong ownership and attention to:
• Reliability
• Security
• Operational excellence

Success Criteria

• Maintain highly available and secure Aurora PostgreSQL environments.
• Proactively improve database:
• Performance
• Reliability
• Automate routine DBA activities.
• Minimize production downtime.
• Partner effectively with engineering teams.
• Deliver scalable and reliable database solutions.

Key Resume Keywords

• PostgreSQL DBA
• Aurora PostgreSQL
• Amazon Aurora
• AWS RDS
• PostgreSQL Administration
• Database Administration
• SQL
• PL/pgSQL
• Query Optimization
• Performance Tuning
• EXPLAIN ANALYZE
• Index Optimization
• Replication
• High Availability
• Failover
• Backup & Recovery
• Point-in-Time Recovery
• Disaster Recovery
• AWS
• CloudWatch
• Performance Insights
• IAM
• S3
• Lambda
• AWS CLI
• Python
• Airflow
• AWS DMS
• DB2 Migration
• Database Migration
• Datadog
• Grafana
• Prometheus
• CI/CD