Database Engineer

Position: GCP Database Engineer / GCP DBA (Junior and Senior Levels)

Company: International Professional Services

Location: Remote - Chicago, Preferred

Employment Type: Full-Time

Overview

The GCP Database Engineer is responsible for supporting, optimizing, securing, and modernizing enterprise database environments hosted on Google Cloud Platform. This role focuses on ensuring the availability, performance, scalability, and reliability of mission-critical database systems while supporting cloud migration and modernization initiatives. Working closely with data engineering, application development, infrastructure, security, and business teams, the successful candidate will help build a highly available cloud database ecosystem that supports operational and analytical workloads. The position requires expertise in database administration, performance tuning, backup and recovery strategies, security management, and cloud-native database technologies including BigQuery and Cloud SQL. As the organization continues its cloud transformation journey, the role will also evaluate opportunities to leverage automation and AI-enabled operational tools to improve database reliability and operational efficiency.

Purpose

This role provides the opportunity to become a key contributor in building and maintaining the cloud database foundation that supports enterprise applications, analytics, and future digital transformation initiatives. The work directly impacts business continuity, system performance, and the organization's ability to scale its data-driven capabilities.

Growth

The position offers hands-on experience with modern cloud database platforms, enterprise-scale migration projects, cloud optimization initiatives, and emerging AI-enabled database management technologies. The role provides opportunities to deepen expertise in cloud operations, architecture, automation, and database engineering while expanding influence across multiple technology domains.

Motivators

This opportunity is ideal for professionals who enjoy solving complex technical problems, optimizing system performance, improving operational reliability, and supporting business-critical environments. The role offers a combination of technical ownership, continuous learning, and the ability to contribute directly to the organization's cloud modernization strategy.

Objectives

1. Optimize and Stabilize Enterprise GCP Database Environments

Within the first six months, assess existing Google Cloud database environments and implement performance, reliability, and operational improvements that increase availability and reduce system risk. Evaluate current database configurations, workloads, resource utilization, and operational procedures to identify opportunities for optimization. Develop and execute improvement plans that enhance performance, scalability, and operational stability while minimizing disruption to business operations. Success will be measured through improved database performance, reduced incident volumes, increased availability, and positive stakeholder feedback. This objective may be enhanced through AI-enabled monitoring and database optimization tools.

2. Support Cloud Database Modernization and Migration Initiatives

Within the first nine months, actively support cloud migration and modernization efforts by designing, implementing, and validating database migration strategies that minimize downtime and business risk. Partner with infrastructure, engineering, and application teams to ensure successful migration of databases and workloads into Google Cloud environments. Develop migration standards, validation procedures, and operational documentation that improve consistency across projects. Success will be measured through successful migration completion, reduced migration-related incidents, adherence to project timelines, and improved platform performance.

3. Improve Database Governance, Security, and Operational Excellence

Within the first twelve months, establish and maintain database administration standards that support security, compliance, backup and recovery readiness, and operational resilience. Implement proactive monitoring, auditing, capacity planning, and operational controls that reduce risk and improve overall platform governance. Partner with security and compliance teams to ensure all environments meet organizational requirements. Success will be measured through compliance results, recovery readiness, security posture improvements, and operational efficiency gains. AI-assisted anomaly detection and operational analytics may enhance this objective.

Critical Subtasks

1. Manage and Administer GCP Database Platforms

Within the first 90 days, gain full operational ownership of assigned database environments including BigQuery, Cloud SQL, and supporting cloud database services. Ensure systems are properly configured, monitored, documented, and maintained according to established standards. Success will be measured through operational stability, issue resolution effectiveness, and platform availability.

2. Perform Database Performance Tuning and SQL Optimization

Continuously analyze database performance metrics, workload characteristics, and query execution patterns to identify optimization opportunities. Implement indexing, query tuning, resource allocation improvements, and architectural enhancements that improve performance and reduce costs. Success will be measured through reduced response times, improved throughput, and lower cloud consumption costs.

3. Establish Backup, Recovery, and Disaster Recovery Readiness

Within the first six months, review and improve backup, recovery, replication, and disaster recovery procedures across all assigned environments. Conduct recovery testing and validate operational readiness to ensure business continuity objectives can be achieved. Success will be measured through successful recovery tests, reduced recovery risk, and compliance with recovery objectives.

4. Implement Security and Compliance Controls

Continuously manage database security, access controls, encryption standards, audit requirements, and compliance policies to protect enterprise data assets. Work closely with security teams to identify vulnerabilities and implement remediation plans. Success will be measured through audit results, reduced security findings, and compliance adherence.

5. Support Data Replication and High Availability Solutions

Design, implement, and maintain replication architectures and high-availability solutions that ensure critical business systems remain resilient and available. Monitor replication health and proactively address issues before they impact operations. Success will be measured through uptime metrics, replication performance, and operational reliability.

6. Collaborate with Engineering and Data Teams

Partner with application developers, data engineers, cloud architects, and business stakeholders to ensure database platforms effectively support business and technical requirements. Participate in architecture reviews, migration planning sessions, and troubleshooting activities. Success will be measured through stakeholder satisfaction, project success, and reduced operational friction.

7. Continuously Evaluate and Integrate AI to Improve Performance

Within the first 90–180 days, identify opportunities to leverage AI and automation technologies to improve database administration, monitoring, performance tuning, capacity planning, security analysis, and operational support processes. Evaluate available tools, lead pilot initiatives, and implement solutions that improve efficiency and reliability. Success will be measured through reduced manual effort, faster issue resolution, improved performance outcomes, and increased operational productivity.

Junior vs. Senior-Level Differentiation

Junior GCP Database Engineer

2–5 years of database administration experience.

Works under guidance on migration, optimization, and administration activities.

Focuses on operational support, monitoring, troubleshooting, and learning cloud database technologies.

Success is measured through technical growth, reliability, and execution quality.

Senior GCP Database Engineer

5+ years of DBA or Database Engineering experience.

Leads optimization, migration, governance, and architecture initiatives.

Serves as a technical mentor and escalation point for complex issues.

Influences standards, automation strategies, and long-term platform improvements.

Success is measured through business impact, operational excellence, and technical leadership.