Principal Data Engineer/Data Architect with SQL Server to PostegresSQL Migration

Methodhub; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

MethodHub seeks a Principal Data Engineer/Architect to lead SQL Server to PostgreSQL or Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL migrations in complex enterprise environments. Location is Houston, with in-person interviews and a 12+ month contract.

You will define enterprise data architectures, model data conceptually and physically, oversee migration planning, data movement, CDC, cutover, and validation, and drive standards for automation, security, and performance.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in enterprise data architecture and large-scale modernization.
• Proven experience leading SQL Server to PostgreSQL or Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL migrations in complex environments.
• Advanced data modeling skills with conceptual, logical, and physical models.
• Deep knowledge of SQL Server and PostgreSQL internals, indexing, and performance tuning.
• Experience with migration assessment, schema conversion, CDC, cutover, and validation.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain enterprise data and database strategy including architecture and cost optimization.
• Own data models aligned to business capabilities and target-state architecture.
• Lead SQL Server discovery, assessment, and migration planning across schemas, procedures, and data quality.
• Own data movement, CDC, reconciliation, cutover, rollback, and post-migration validation.
• Define database engineering standards for IaC, schema-as-code, and release management.
• Partner with application/platform teams to improve maintainability and performance.
• Lead, mentor, and coordinate cross-functional delivery and document key decisions.

Skills

SQL Server

PostgreSQL

Data modeling

Migration planning

ER/Studio

AWS DMS

Aurora PostgreSQL

Leadership

Architecture

Tools

ER/Studio

Job description

Principal Data Engineer/Architect -SQL Server to PostgreSQL or Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL migrations in complex enterprise environments.

Location: Houston, TX Only Locals Inperson Interview

Contract: 12+ Months

Final Interview In-person in Houston Office

3 days onsite mandate

Key Accountabilities:

• Define and maintain the enterprise data and database strategy, including principles, standards, reference architectures, target-state roadmaps, measurable outcomes, ownership models, and architecture decision criteria for Aurora PostgreSQL topology, resilience, security, observability, and cost optimization.
• Own conceptual, logical, and physical data models aligned to business capabilities, enterprise standards, domain boundaries, canonical definitions, master/reference data, and target-state architecture.
• Lead SQL Server discovery, assessment, and migration planning across schemas, stored procedures, functions, triggers, jobs, data quality, security, and operational readiness.
• Own data movement, change data capture, reconciliation, cutover, rollback, stabilization, post-migration validation, and production readiness across source and target systems.
• Define database engineering standards for infrastructure as code, schema-as-code, version control, migration scripts, release management, automated compliance checks, quality gates, and performance validation.
• Partner with application and platform teams to improve maintainability, including placement of business logic, indexing, query optimization, partitioning, connection management, workload isolation, and performance tuning.
• Lead, mentor, and coordinate cross-functional delivery while chairing design reviews, resolving technical issues, documenting key decisions, communicating risks and trade-offs, providing hands‑on support for complex challenges, and building reusable standards, templates, accelerators, and knowledge‑transfer materials.

Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience in enterprise data architecture, database architecture, data modeling, and large‑scale database modernization.
• Proven experience leading SQL Server to PostgreSQL or Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL migrations in complex enterprise environments.
• Advanced conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling skills, including proficiency with enterprise modeling tools such as ER/Studio.
• Deep knowledge of SQL Server and PostgreSQL internals, SQL dialects, data types, stored code conversion, indexing, execution plans, transactions, locking, and performance tuning.
• Hands‑on experience with migration assessment, schema conversion, bulk load, change data capture, reconciliation, cutover, rollback, and stabilization planning.
• Strong working knowledge of AWS database and migration services, including Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL, AWS Database Migration Service, and schema conversion or assessment tooling.
• Ability to establish database and data standards across governance, metadata, lineage, data quality, master/reference data, security, resilience, observability, and operational readiness.