# PostgreSQL Developer / PostgreSQL DBA
Location: Chicago, IL (Hybrid) · Employment Type: Full-time · Level: Mid-Senior
Salary Range: $140,000 - $180,000
[Company] is building a data-driven platform that powers critical business operations for enterprise customers. Our PostgreSQL infrastructure handles millions of transactions daily, supporting real-time analytics, complex reporting, and high-throughput API services.
Our database environment includes a 2TB primary PostgreSQL cluster with read replicas, serving 50+ microservices and processing over 100 million queries per day. We maintain 99.9% uptime and handle complex data modeling requirements across multiple product domains.
Why join [Company]?
- Work on challenging database optimization problems at scale
- Design schemas and queries that power mission-critical features
- Join a team that values database expertise and performance engineering
- Competitive compensation with equity and comprehensive benefits
We're looking for a PostgreSQL Developer or DBA to join our database engineering team. You'll be responsible for designing efficient database schemas, optimizing query performance, ensuring data integrity, and maintaining our PostgreSQL infrastructure.
The ideal candidate has deep PostgreSQL expertise, can systematically debug and optimize slow queries, understands database internals, and enjoys solving complex data modeling challenges. You'll work closely with backend engineers, product teams, and DevOps to ensure our database layer scales with our growing platform.
- Optimize query performance and reduce database latency across critical services
- Design scalable database schemas for new product features and data models
- Implement database monitoring, alerting, and performance tuning strategies
- Ensure data integrity, backup, and disaster recovery procedures
- Mentor backend engineers on PostgreSQL best practices and query optimization
- Design and implement efficient PostgreSQL schemas, indexes, and constraints
- Optimize slow queries using EXPLAIN ANALYZE and query plan analysis
- Write and review database migrations that maintain zero-downtime deployments
- Monitor database performance metrics and proactively identify bottlenecks
- Configure and maintain PostgreSQL replication, backups, and high availability
- Collaborate with backend engineers on query design and ORM usage
- Troubleshoot production database issues and participate in on-call rotation
- Document database architecture, query patterns, and optimization strategies
- Review SQL code and database changes in pull requests
- Plan and execute database migrations, version upgrades, and schema changes
- 4+ years of professional PostgreSQL development or DBA experience
- Deep understanding of PostgreSQL internals: MVCC, WAL, vacuum, and query planning
- Expert-level SQL skills: complex queries, CTEs, window functions, and aggregations
- Strong experience with query optimization: EXPLAIN ANALYZE, index strategies, and performance tuning
- Production experience designing schemas for transactional (OLTP) or analytical workloads
- Understanding of database normalization, denormalization trade-offs, and data modeling
- Experience with PostgreSQL features: JSONB, indexes (B-tree, GIN, GiST), and partitioning
- Familiarity with database migrations, version control, and deployment strategies
- Knowledge of connection pooling, transaction management, and concurrency control
- Experience debugging production database issues and performance problems
- Experience with PostgreSQL replication, streaming replication, and failover strategies
- Background in database performance tuning at scale (100GB+ databases)
- Experience with managed PostgreSQL services (AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, Azure Database)
- Knowledge of PostgreSQL extensions: PostGIS, pg_stat_statements, or custom types
- Familiarity with database monitoring tools (pgAdmin, Datadog, New Relic)
- Experience with backup and recovery strategies: pg_dump, WAL archiving, point-in-time recovery
- Understanding of database security: role management, row-level security, encryption
- Contributions to PostgreSQL-related open-source projects
- Experience mentoring engineers on database best practices
- Database: PostgreSQL 15+ (primary), read replicas for scaling
- Hosting: AWS RDS PostgreSQL with automated backups and multi-AZ deployment
- Backend: Python (Django/SQLAlchemy), Node.js (Prisma), Go (database/sql)
- ORM: SQLAlchemy, Prisma, Django ORM, and raw SQL where needed
- Monitoring: Datadog for database metrics, pg_stat_statements for query analysis
- Backup: Automated RDS snapshots, WAL archiving for point-in-time recovery
- Data Size: 2TB primary database, growing at ~50GB/month
- Query Volume: 100M+ queries per day across 50+ microservices
Salary: $140,000 - $180,000 (based on experience and location)
Equity: 0.02% - 0.08% (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)
Benefits:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% covered for employees, 80% for dependents)
- Unlimited PTO with 15-day minimum encouraged
- $2,000 annual learning and development budget
- $1,500 home office setup allowance
- 401(k) with 4% company match
- 12 weeks paid parental leave
- On-call compensation: $300/week when primary on-call
- Flexible hybrid work (3 days in Chicago office, 2 days remote)
Our interview process typically takes 2-3 weeks. We provide feedback at every stage.
- Step 1: Recruiter Screen (30 min) - We'll discuss your background, PostgreSQL experience, and answer your questions about the role.
- Step 2: Technical Screen (60 min) - A conversation about PostgreSQL fundamentals, query optimization, and past database projects.
- Step 3: SQL & Query Optimization (90 min) - Review a slow query, optimize it using EXPLAIN ANALYZE, and discuss indexing strategies.
- Step 4: Schema Design (60 min) - Design a database schema for a real business problem and discuss trade-offs.
- Step 5: Team Interviews (2 x 30 min) - Meet potential teammates and discuss collaboration and database architecture.
- Step 6: Hiring Manager (30 min) - Discuss career goals, team culture, and next steps.
We pay $200 for take-home exercises over 3 hours.
Submit your resume and optionally include links to:
- GitHub repositories with PostgreSQL-related code
- Blog posts or articles about database optimization
- Examples of complex queries or schema designs you've worked on
We review every application and respond within 5 business days.
---
*[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from candidates who may not meet 100% of the qualifications—research shows underrepresented groups are less likely to apply unless they meet every requirement.*
# PostgreSQL Developer / PostgreSQL DBA
**Location:** Chicago, IL (Hybrid) · **Employment Type:** Full-time · **Level:** Mid-Senior
**Salary Range:** $140,000 - $180,000
## About [Company]
[Company] is building a data-driven platform that powers critical business operations for enterprise customers. Our PostgreSQL infrastructure handles millions of transactions daily, supporting real-time analytics, complex reporting, and high-throughput API services.
Our database environment includes a 2TB primary PostgreSQL cluster with read replicas, serving 50+ microservices and processing over 100 million queries per day. We maintain 99.9% uptime and handle complex data modeling requirements across multiple product domains.
**Why join [Company]?**
- Work on challenging database optimization problems at scale
- Design schemas and queries that power mission-critical features
- Join a team that values database expertise and performance engineering
- Competitive compensation with equity and comprehensive benefits
## The Role
We're looking for a PostgreSQL Developer or DBA to join our database engineering team. You'll be responsible for designing efficient database schemas, optimizing query performance, ensuring data integrity, and maintaining our PostgreSQL infrastructure.
The ideal candidate has deep PostgreSQL expertise, can systematically debug and optimize slow queries, understands database internals, and enjoys solving complex data modeling challenges. You'll work closely with backend engineers, product teams, and DevOps to ensure our database layer scales with our growing platform.
## Objectives of This Role
- Optimize query performance and reduce database latency across critical services
- Design scalable database schemas for new product features and data models
- Implement database monitoring, alerting, and performance tuning strategies
- Ensure data integrity, backup, and disaster recovery procedures
- Mentor backend engineers on PostgreSQL best practices and query optimization
## Responsibilities
- Design and implement efficient PostgreSQL schemas, indexes, and constraints
- Optimize slow queries using EXPLAIN ANALYZE and query plan analysis
- Write and review database migrations that maintain zero-downtime deployments
- Monitor database performance metrics and proactively identify bottlenecks
- Configure and maintain PostgreSQL replication, backups, and high availability
- Collaborate with backend engineers on query design and ORM usage
- Troubleshoot production database issues and participate in on-call rotation
- Document database architecture, query patterns, and optimization strategies
- Review SQL code and database changes in pull requests
- Plan and execute database migrations, version upgrades, and schema changes
## Required Skills and Qualifications
- 4+ years of professional PostgreSQL development or DBA experience
- Deep understanding of PostgreSQL internals: MVCC, WAL, vacuum, and query planning
- Expert-level SQL skills: complex queries, CTEs, window functions, and aggregations
- Strong experience with query optimization: EXPLAIN ANALYZE, index strategies, and performance tuning
- Production experience designing schemas for transactional (OLTP) or analytical workloads
- Understanding of database normalization, denormalization trade-offs, and data modeling
- Experience with PostgreSQL features: JSONB, indexes (B-tree, GIN, GiST), and partitioning
- Familiarity with database migrations, version control, and deployment strategies
- Knowledge of connection pooling, transaction management, and concurrency control
- Experience debugging production database issues and performance problems
## Preferred Skills and Qualifications
- Experience with PostgreSQL replication, streaming replication, and failover strategies
- Background in database performance tuning at scale (100GB+ databases)
- Experience with managed PostgreSQL services (AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, Azure Database)
- Knowledge of PostgreSQL extensions: PostGIS, pg_stat_statements, or custom types
- Familiarity with database monitoring tools (pgAdmin, Datadog, New Relic)
- Experience with backup and recovery strategies: pg_dump, WAL archiving, point-in-time recovery
- Understanding of database security: role management, row-level security, encryption
- Contributions to PostgreSQL-related open-source projects
- Experience mentoring engineers on database best practices
## Tech Stack
- **Database:** PostgreSQL 15+ (primary), read replicas for scaling
- **Hosting:** AWS RDS PostgreSQL with automated backups and multi-AZ deployment
- **Backend:** Python (Django/SQLAlchemy), Node.js (Prisma), Go (database/sql)
- **ORM:** SQLAlchemy, Prisma, Django ORM, and raw SQL where needed
- **Monitoring:** Datadog for database metrics, pg_stat_statements for query analysis
- **Backup:** Automated RDS snapshots, WAL archiving for point-in-time recovery
- **Data Size:** 2TB primary database, growing at ~50GB/month
- **Query Volume:** 100M+ queries per day across 50+ microservices
## Compensation and Benefits
**Salary:** $140,000 - $180,000 (based on experience and location)
**Equity:** 0.02% - 0.08% (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)
**Benefits:**
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% covered for employees, 80% for dependents)
- Unlimited PTO with 15-day minimum encouraged
- $2,000 annual learning and development budget
- $1,500 home office setup allowance
- 401(k) with 4% company match
- 12 weeks paid parental leave
- On-call compensation: $300/week when primary on-call
- Flexible hybrid work (3 days in Chicago office, 2 days remote)
## Interview Process
Our interview process typically takes 2-3 weeks. We provide feedback at every stage.
- **Step 1: Recruiter Screen** (30 min) - We'll discuss your background, PostgreSQL experience, and answer your questions about the role.
- **Step 2: Technical Screen** (60 min) - A conversation about PostgreSQL fundamentals, query optimization, and past database projects.
- **Step 3: SQL & Query Optimization** (90 min) - Review a slow query, optimize it using EXPLAIN ANALYZE, and discuss indexing strategies.
- **Step 4: Schema Design** (60 min) - Design a database schema for a real business problem and discuss trade-offs.
- **Step 5: Team Interviews** (2 x 30 min) - Meet potential teammates and discuss collaboration and database architecture.
- **Step 6: Hiring Manager** (30 min) - Discuss career goals, team culture, and next steps.
We pay $200 for take-home exercises over 3 hours.
## How to Apply
Submit your resume and optionally include links to:
- GitHub repositories with PostgreSQL-related code
- Blog posts or articles about database optimization
- Examples of complex queries or schema designs you've worked on
We review every application and respond within 5 business days.
---
*[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from candidates who may not meet 100% of the qualifications—research shows underrepresented groups are less likely to apply unless they meet every requirement.*
