Database Architect

ETHOS - Talent & Advisory; Maryland; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ETHOS - Talent & Advisory is seeking a Database Architect in Maryland to design secure, high-performance data platforms on AWS and Snowflake. You will own schema design, data warehouse management, EMR clustering, and robust disaster recovery, while integrating with Lambda, S3, and Glue for cohesive pipelines.

The role emphasizes experienced SQL optimization, IAM and encryption, and mentoring engineers. A hands-on, strategic contributor who can translate complex tech to stakeholders is ideal.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or equivalent field.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience as a Database Architect.
• Deep AWS expertise: RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, ElastiCache, EMR, Neptune.
• Proven track record troubleshooting complex AWS infrastructure issues.
• Strong SQL skills - query optimization, indexing, caching, and execution plan analysis.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code - Terraform, CloudFormation, or AWS CLI.
• Scripting proficiency - Python, Bash, or PowerShell.

Responsibilities

• Architect and optimize scalable, secure, high-performance database solutions across AWS's full data ecosystem.
• Design schema, micro-partitioning strategies, and manage virtual data warehouses in Snowflake.
• Configure, optimize, and cost-manage EMR clusters for diverse data sources and integration patterns.
• Build and maintain backup, disaster recovery, and high-availability solutions (Multi-AZ, read replicas, failover automation).
• Integrate databases with AWS services (Lambda, S3, EC2, Glue) to create cohesive data pipelines.
• Write and optimize complex SQL for analysis, transformation, and reporting at scale.
• Lead security architecture - implementing IAM policies, encryption, VPC design, and compliance best practices.
• Mentor junior/mid-level engineers and communicate technical strategy to non-technical stakeholders.

Skills

AWS Expertise

SQL Proficiency

Data Modeling

IAM & Security

Mentorship

Terraform

CloudFormation

Python Scripting

Bash

PowerShell

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

AWS CLI

Job description

We're looking for a Database Architect who thrives on designing secure, high-performance data solutions at scale. You'll work directly on mission-critical database and data warehouse platforms architecting everything from AWS infrastructure to Snowflake ecosystems that support large-scale, high-availability systems. This is hands-on architecture work where your decisions directly impact system reliability, security, and performance.

Core technologies: AWS (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, EMR, Neptune) | Snowflake | SQL | Infrastructure as Code

What you'll own

• Architect and optimize scalable, secure, high-performance database solutions across AWS's full data ecosystem
• Design schema, micro-partitioning strategies, and manage virtual data warehouses in Snowflake
• Configure, optimize, and cost-manage EMR clusters for diverse data sources and integration patterns
• Build and maintain backup, disaster recovery, and high-availability solutions (Multi-AZ, read replicas, failover automation)
• Integrate databases with AWS services (Lambda, S3, EC2, Glue) to create cohesive data pipelines
• Write and optimize complex SQL for analysis, transformation, and reporting at scale
• Lead security architecture - implementing IAM policies, encryption, VPC design, and compliance best practices
• Mentor junior/mid-level engineers and communicate technical strategy to non-technical stakeholders

What you bring

Must-haves

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or equivalent field
• 7+ years of hands-on experience as a Database Architect
• Deep AWS expertise: RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, ElastiCache, EMR, Neptune
• Proven track record troubleshooting complex AWS infrastructure issues
• Strong SQL skills - query optimization, indexing, caching, and execution plan analysis
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code - Terraform, CloudFormation, or AWS CLI
• Scripting proficiency - Python, Bash, or PowerShell

Nice-to-haves

• Advanced Snowflake expertise (RBAC, encryption, BI tool integration with Tableau/Power BI, Python data pipelines)
• NoSQL and relational database modeling expertise
• Linux scripting for ETL automation and data migration
• Automated testing, TDD, and CI/CD practices
• Architecture roadmap and technical strategy experience
• Public sector or federal agency experience
• Exceptional ability to translate technical concepts for business audiences