Database Engineer- Secret clearance eligible

Sherpa 6•Springfield, VA

About The Position

Sherpa 6 is seeking a talented Database Engineer with deep expertise in PostgreSQL to join our team and play a crucial role in designing, optimizing, and maintaining our data infrastructure. We build mission-critical systems for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other commercial customers. You’ll collaborate closely with engineering, QA, and product owners to ensure our databases are scalable, secure, and high-performing as we continue to grow our platform and data-driven capabilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
5+ years of hands-on experience designing and tuning PostgreSQL databases for production environments.
Strong knowledge of SQL, query optimization, indexing, and execution plans.
Solid understanding of database replication, failover, and backup/restore strategies.
Strong knowledge of source control systems (Git, branching strategies, tagging).
Experience with scripting and automation (e.g., Python, Bash, Groovy, PowerShell).
Familiarity with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
Solid understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and agile methodologies.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen attention to detail.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience with PostgreSQL extensions (e.g., PostGIS, TimescaleDB, pg_partman).
Working knowledge of cloud environments (AWS RDS, Aurora PostgreSQL, GCP Cloud SQL, or Azure Database for PostgreSQL).
Knowledge of ETL pipelines, data warehousing, or analytics systems.
Certification in PostgreSQL administration (e.g., EDB Certified PostgreSQL DBA).
Experience with NoSQL databases (e.g., Redis, MongoDB).
Knowledge of Linux operating systems.

Responsibilities

Design and maintain PostgreSQL database architectures to support application and analytical workloads.
Develop and optimize SQL queries, stored procedures, and database functions for high performance and reliability.
Ensure data integrity and security, including backups, disaster recovery, and access controls.
Monitor and tune database performance using tools like pg_stat_statements, EXPLAIN ANALYZE, and pgBadger.
Collaborate with developers to review schema changes and ensure efficient database usage patterns.
Automate database operations through CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible).
Develop and support migration plans.
Troubleshoot production issues and provide on-call support for critical database incidents.
Document database standards, procedures, and schemas for consistency across teams.