Database Engineer (RDS PostgreSQL & OpenSearch)

KBR • Sioux Falls, SD

12d • Remote

About The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled Database Engineer with deep expertise in Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and Amazon OpenSearch Service . The ideal candidate will be capable of architecting scalable data solutions, optimizing performance, and troubleshooting complex production issues across relational and search engine workloads. This role supports mission critical systems and requires a strong background in AWS cloud services, database internals, and distributed data architectures.

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on experience with PostgreSQL , including advanced SQL, performance tuning, query planning, and replication.
• 3+ years of experience with Amazon RDS (Postgres) in production environments.
• 2+ years of experience managing and tuning Amazon OpenSearch clusters.
• Strong understanding of AWS services including EC2, IAM, VPC networking, S3, CloudWatch, Lambda, and KMS.
• Experience with Terraform, CloudFormation , or other IaC tools.
• Proficiency with scripting languages (Python, Bash) for automation and diagnostics.
• Solid understanding of distributed systems, search indexing, and data lifecycle management.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting mission critical or high throughput environments.
• Knowledge of log analytics pipelines (e.g., FluentBit, Logstash, Firehose).
• Familiarity with containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipelines.
• Certifications: AWS Solutions Architect, AWS Database Specialty, or similar.

Responsibilities

• Architecture & Design Design and implement scalable, highly available database architectures using Amazon RDS (Postgres) and OpenSearch .
• Create schema designs, index strategies, and data models optimized for query performance and storage efficiency.
• Evaluate and recommend tools, patterns, and best practices for data pipelines, ingestion, search indexing, and replication.
• Develop secure, resilient architectures aligned with cloud-native and DevSecOps principles.
• Performance Optimization Conduct in-depth performance tuning including: SQL query optimization Indexing strategy improvements Vacuum/analyze planning Connection pooling and load balancing adjustments
• Optimize OpenSearch clusters for indexing throughput, shard/replica strategy, query performance, and log analytics workloads.
• Monitor performance using CloudWatch, Performance Insights, OpenSearch Dashboards, and custom telemetry.
• Operations & Troubleshooting Lead troubleshooting of database and cluster issues including failovers, replication lag, slow queries, cluster imbalance, and node-level failures.
• Perform root cause analysis and implement long term corrective actions.
• Maintain backup, restore, and disaster recovery strategies for both Postgres and OpenSearch.
• Support automation of administrative tasks using InfrastructureasCode (Terraform, CloudFormation) and scripting tools.
• Security & Compliance Implement and maintain IAM policies, encryption at rest/in transit, security groups, and audit logging.
• Ensure database and cluster configurations meet organizational security standards and regulatory requirements.
• Backup & Restore Define Recovery options (RPO/RTO) and setup appropriate backup strategy.
• Create plans for backup service management including schedules and disaster recovery options.
• Implement procedures to restore operations for point-in-time-recovery (PITR) and disaster recovery.
• Collaboration & Communication Work closely with application teams, cloud architects, DevOps engineers, and data stakeholders to support existing systems and plan new capabilities.
• Provide guidance on database best practices and mentor junior engineers.

Benefits

• KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule.
• We support career advancement through professional training and development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees