Database Engineer

DeWinter Group; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

DeWinter Group is seeking a hands-on SQL Server Database Engineer to ensure reliability, performance, and automation of critical database environments. You will troubleshoot production issues, optimize queries, and automate tasks across SQL Server, AWS, and modern data platforms.

You will diagnose bottlenecks, manage backups and security, and collaborate with application teams on production issues. On-call rotations and on-site/remote flexibility are part of the role.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server in production environments.
• Strong understanding of execution plans, indexing, and performance tuning.
• Experience with backup, recovery, security, maintenance, patching, and upgrades.

Responsibilities

• Support and troubleshoot high-availability MS SQL Server production environments.
• Diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks including blocking and deadlocks.
• Analyze execution plans to optimize queries and indexing.
• Manage backup, recovery, security, maintenance, patching, and upgrades.
• Support disaster recovery strategies and high-availability configurations.
• Automate routine database operations using Python, PowerShell, or Bash.
• Enhance CI/CD pipelines and automate database deployment processes.
• Develop and maintain data pipelines and scheduled workflows.
• Collaborate with application teams to resolve production issues.
• Participate in on-call rotations to ensure availability.

Skills

SQL Server production support

Query tuning

Performance troubleshooting

Automation scripting

Root-cause analysis

Collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Python

PowerShell

Bash

Git

Terraform

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Discover the Opportunity: SQL Server Database Engineer

Join a dynamic team as a hands-on SQL Server Database Engineer, where your expertise will drive the reliability, performance, and automation of critical database environments. You’ll play a pivotal role in troubleshooting complex production issues, optimizing query performance, and automating operational tasks, all while contributing to innovative data platform initiatives that span AWS, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, and beyond. If you're passionate about blending traditional database support with modern engineering practices, this is your next challenge.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support and troubleshoot high-availability Microsoft SQL Server production environments
• Diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks related to blocking, deadlocks, and resource constraints
• Analyze execution plans to optimize query performance through tuning and indexing
• Manage backup, recovery, security, maintenance, patching, and upgrades for SQL Server
• Support disaster recovery strategies and high-availability configurations
• Automate routine database operations using scripting languages such as Python, PowerShell, or Bash
• Enhance CI/CD pipelines and automate database deployment processes
• Develop and maintain data pipelines and scheduled workflows
• Collaborate with application teams to resolve database-related issues in production
• Participate in on-call rotations to ensure continuous database availability and support

Required Skills:

• Proven hands-on experience supporting and administering Microsoft SQL Server in a production setting
• Deep understanding of SQL query tuning, execution plan analysis, indexing, and performance troubleshooting
• Expertise with SQL Server backup, recovery, security, maintenance, patching, and upgrades
• Ability to automate operational tasks through scripting with Python, PowerShell, or Bash
• Strong problem-solving skills with a track record of root-cause analysis in production incidents
• Adept at balancing support responsibilities with automation and engineering projects
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach

Nice to Have Skills:

• AWS experience, particularly with RDS, EC2, EBS, S3, VPC, IAM, or CloudWatch
• Familiarity with PostgreSQL or Snowflake
• Experience designing and building ETL/ELT workflows or data pipelines
• Knowledge of Git, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform
• Exposure to modern data engineering tools such as Airflow, Docker, Kubernetes, or Kafka

Preferred Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field
• Multiple years of supporting SQL Server in a production environment, demonstrating growth beyond basic administration

Other Requirements:

• This role involves supporting production systems, with potential on-call responsibilities
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities simultaneously
• This position is primarily on-site/remote flexible as per project requirements

Elevate your career by leveraging your database expertise in a role that combines operational excellence with innovative automation and cloud initiatives. Be a key contributor to a modern data architecture and make a tangible impact every day.