{"id":3635020,"url":"https://alion.io/job/green-dot-lead-postgresql-database-administrator","title":"Lead PostgreSQL Database Administrator","company":{"id":1752890,"name":"Green Dot","domain":"greendot.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/greendot-com","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":95,"open_postings":5,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":62,"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"}},"role":"Data Science","role_family":"Data Science","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":["Los Angeles, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":109300,"max":163900,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":163900},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Ansible","optional":false},{"name":"Azure","optional":false},{"name":"Bicep","optional":false},{"name":"CentOS Stream","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"Configuration Management","optional":false},{"name":"Consul","optional":false},{"name":"Datadog","optional":false},{"name":"DNS","optional":false},{"name":"etcd","optional":false},{"name":"Git","optional":false},{"name":"Grafana","optional":false},{"name":"HAProxy","optional":false},{"name":"HIPAA","optional":false},{"name":"Least Privilege","optional":false},{"name":"Linux","optional":false},{"name":"Microsoft Entra ID","optional":false},{"name":"PostgreSQL","optional":false},{"name":"PowerShell","optional":false},{"name":"Prometheus","optional":false},{"name":"Red Hat","optional":false},{"name":"Rest API","optional":false},{"name":"SOC 2","optional":false},{"name":"Terraform","optional":false},{"name":"Windows","optional":false},{"name":"Windows Server","optional":false},{"name":"Apache HTTP Server","optional":true},{"name":"Azure AKS","optional":true},{"name":"FedRAMP","optional":true},{"name":"Kubernetes","optional":true},{"name":"MySQL","optional":true},{"name":"Oracle","optional":true},{"name":"PCI DSS","optional":true},{"name":"pgvector","optional":true},{"name":"SQL","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-02T20:55:12Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-02","last_verified_at":"2026-11-03T20:39:22Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":1,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":1},"description":"We’re looking for talented professionals to join us in bringing smart money management and payment solutions to everyone’s fingertips.\nThis position is classified as structured hybrid, with an expectation of three (3) days per week working in the office and flexibility to work remotely on the remaining days. On-site expectations may evolve over time to support business needs, with clear communication provided in advance.\n\n JOB DESCRIPTION\nLocation Requirement\nThis position is open only to candidates who currently reside in one of the following approved locations:\nWest Los Angeles, CA\nThe Senior PostgreSQL DBA owns the design, availability, performance, and security of our production PostgreSQL estate hosted in Microsoft Azure. The role covers both Azure Database for PostgreSQL (flexible server) and self-managed PostgreSQL on Azure virtual machines running Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS Stream, and Windows Server.\nThis is a hands-on senior engineering role, not a supervisory one. The DBA is the final escalation point for database incidents, the architect of our high-availability and disaster-recovery topology (active-passive and active-active), and the person who keeps us current on PostgreSQL 17, 18, and the upcoming 19 release.\nKey responsibilities\nDuties marked critical are the core of the role; a candidate who cannot demonstrate them should not advance past the technical screen.\n1. High availability and disaster recovery (critical)\nActive-passive (primary/standby):\nDesign, deploy, and operate zone-redundant high availability on Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server: synchronous standby in a second availability zone, automatic failover in 60-120 seconds with zero data loss, and the 99.99% uptime SLA that configuration carries.\nDecide between zone-redundant and same-zone (zonal) HA per workload based on latency tolerance and zone-failure risk, and document the trade-off.\nRun and document planned, unplanned, and forced failover tests at least quarterly; measure downtime from the application side, not from the service side.\nSize max_replication_slots and max_wal_senders correctly (four reserved for HA plus one per read replica and per logical slot) so failovers never fail for lack of slots.\nBuild equivalent active-passive clusters on self-managed Azure VMs using streaming replication with Patroni and etcd (Linux) or a supported cluster manager on Windows, fronted by HAProxy, PgBouncer, or an Azure internal load balancer.\nDesign cross-region disaster recovery: geo-redundant backups, cross-region read replicas, and promotion runbooks with tested RPO/RTO targets.\nPreserve logical replication across failover: pg_failover_slots on PostgreSQL 16 and earlier, native sync_replication_slots = on with hot_standby_feedback = on on PostgreSQL 17 and later.\nActive-active (bi-directional / multi-master):\nDesign and operate active-active topologies across Azure regions using the pglogical extension or native logical replication, following Microsoft's published bi-directional replication guidance for Azure Database for PostgreSQL.\nDefine and enforce conflict-avoidance and conflict-resolution strategy: partitioned write ownership, non-overlapping sequence ranges or UUIDv7 keys, last-writer-wins rules where appropriate, and monitoring for conflict counts.\nManage DDL propagation across nodes (pglogical.replicate_ddl_command() or controlled DDL rollout for native replication) and sequence synchronization (PostgreSQL 19 adds native sequence replication via ALL SEQUENCES and REFRESH SEQUENCES).\nMonitor replication lag, slot retention, and retain_dead_tuples settings on every node; alert before WAL retention threatens primary disk.\nOwn the decision of when active-active is and is not appropriate, and push back on it where a well-run active-passive design meets the requirement at lower risk.\n2. Azure platform administration (critical)\nProvision and manage Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server via the portal, Azure CLI, Az.PostgreSQLFlexibleServer PowerShell module, ARM/Bicep, Terraform, and REST API.\nConfigure networking: VNet integration, private endpoints, private DNS zones, firewall rules, and migration from VNet-injected to private-endpoint servers (now supported for HA-enabled servers).\nImplement Microsoft Entra ID authentication, Entra group login, managed identities, customer-managed keys (including cross-tenant CMK), and SCRAM-SHA-256 as the password default.\nManage compute and storage tiers, including Premium SSD v2 (GA with HA, read replicas, geo-DR, and major version upgrade support) and online storage scaling.\nOperate built-in PgBouncer (currently 1.25.x) for connection pooling and tune pool modes per application.\nRun in-place major version upgrades on flexible server (PostgreSQL 18 upgrade GA June 2026), including pre-upgrade extension and large-object checks.\nManage read replicas (in-region, cross-region, cascading), promote them when required, and keep replica lag within SLA.\nConfigure backup retention, long-term retention via Azure Backup, point-in-time restore, and recovery of deleted servers; test restores on a schedule.\nEvaluate and deploy elastic clusters (sharded flexible server) for horizontally scaled workloads where appropriate.\nSet custom maintenance windows and coordinate Azure-initiated minor version patching with application owners.\n3. Self-managed PostgreSQL on Linux and Windows (critical)\nInstall, patch, and tune PostgreSQL 15-19 on RHEL 8/9, CentOS Stream, and Windows Server 2019/2022 running as Azure VMs.\nOn Linux: manage systemd units, SELinux contexts, firewalld, LVM/managed-disk layout, kernel and huge-page settings, and PGDG repository packaging.\nOn Windows: manage the PostgreSQL service, NTFS permissions, Windows Firewall, scheduled tasks for maintenance, and Windows-specific installer and upgrade behavior.\nOperate backup tooling: pgBackRest or Barman on Linux, pg_basebackup and WAL archiving to Azure Blob Storage on both platforms, with incremental backups where supported.\n4. Performance engineering\nDiagnose and tune queries using EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS, WAL, IO), pg_stat_statements, auto_explain, and Azure Query Performance Insight.\nTune autovacuum per table, including PostgreSQL 19 parallel autovacuum (autovacuum_max_parallel_workers) and the new prioritization scoring, and prevent transaction-ID wraparound.\nReclaim bloat without downtime using REPACK (CONCURRENTLY) on PostgreSQL 19, pg_repack on earlier versions, and VACUUM FULL only as a last resort.\nTune asynchronous I/O (io_method, worker counts) introduced in PostgreSQL 18, memory parameters, checkpointing, and WAL compression.\nDesign partitioning, indexing (B-tree, BRIN, GIN, GiST, skip-scan on PostgreSQL 18), and extended statistics strategies.\nUse pg_plan_advice and pg_stash_advice on PostgreSQL 19 to stabilize problem plans without permanent hints.\n5. Security and compliance\nEnforce least-privilege roles, row-level security, and predefined roles (pg_read_all_data, pg_write_all_data); retire MD5 passwords before PostgreSQL 19 begins warning on them.\nManage TLS, SNI (new in PostgreSQL 19), certificate rotation, and encryption at rest with customer-managed keys.\nProduce audit evidence with pgaudit and Azure Monitor diagnostic logs for SOC 2, HIPAA, or PCI as required.\nRespond to CVEs within the patching SLA and track Azure-applied minor version patches.\n6. Monitoring and incident response\nBuild dashboards and alerts in Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and the Azure HA health status monitor; supplement with Prometheus/Grafana or Datadog for VM-hosted clusters.\nInstrument the new PostgreSQL 19 views (pg_stat_recovery, pg_stat_lock, pg_stat_autovacuum_scores) and the per-process-type log_min_messages.\nLead Sev-1 database incidents, write blameless post-mortems, and drive the resulting fixes to closure.\n7. Migrations and upgrades\nPlan and execute migrations into Azure from on-premises or other clouds using Azure Database Migration Service, pg_dump/pg_restore, logical replication, or pg_createsubscriber.\nLead major version upgrades on both flexible server and VMs, with rollback plans and application regression testing.\nReplace deprecated features ahead of removal: MD5 auth, RADIUS (removed in 19), standard_conforming_strings = off.\n8. Automation and engineering practice\nKeep all database infrastructure in code (Terraform, Bicep, Ansible, PowerShell) with CI-tested changes.\nWrite runbooks for every failover, restore, and upgrade procedure and keep them current.\nMentor junior DBAs and developers on PostgreSQL best practices and review schema changes in pull requests.\nRequired qualifications\nAll items in this section are must-haves. Azure hosting experience is non-negotiable: candidates whose PostgreSQL experience is only on-premises or on another cloud will not be considered.\nExperience\n7+ years administering PostgreSQL in production, with at least 3 years on PostgreSQL 14 or later.\n3+ years hosting and operating PostgreSQL in Microsoft Azure, including at least 2 years on Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server (not Single Server, which was retired in March 2025).\nDemonstrated ownership of a production active-passive HA cluster, including at least one real (not test) failover.\nDemonstrated design or operation of a production active-active / bi-directional replication topology, with a clear explanation of how conflicts were avoided or resolved.\nAdministered PostgreSQL on both Linux (RHEL or CentOS) and Windows Server in production.\nAzure\nAzure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server: HA modes, read replicas, PITR and geo-restore, major version upgrade, server parameters, extensions allow-list, PgBouncer, maintenance windows.\nAzure networking for databases: VNet integration, private endpoints, private DNS, NSGs.\nMicrosoft Entra ID authentication for PostgreSQL and managed identities.\nAzure Monitor, Log Analytics (KQL), and Azure Advisor for PostgreSQL.\nInfrastructure as code for Azure: Terraform or Bicep, plus Azure CLI and PowerShell.\nPostgreSQL\nStreaming replication, replication slots, logical replication (publications and subscriptions), and pglogical.\nPatroni or an equivalent cluster manager; etcd or Consul; HAProxy or PgBouncer.\nBackup and recovery with pgBackRest or Barman, WAL archiving to object storage, and incremental backups.\nDeep query tuning: reading execution plans, index design, statistics, partitioning, autovacuum tuning, and bloat management.\nMajor version upgrades via pg_upgrade, logical replication, and pg_createsubscriber.\nWorking knowledge of PostgreSQL 18 features (asynchronous I/O, UUIDv7, virtual generated columns, temporal constraints, OAuth, data checksums on by default) and awareness of what changes in PostgreSQL 19.\nOperating systems and tooling\nRHEL/CentOS: systemd, SELinux, LVM, package management from the PGDG repository, shell scripting (bash).\nWindows Server: service management, NTFS permissions, PowerShell scripting, Windows-specific PostgreSQL installation and upgrade behavior.\nGit-based workflows, CI/CD pipelines, and configuration management (Ansible preferred).\nProfessional\nExperience leading Sev-1 incident response and writing post-mortems.\nClear written communication: runbooks, architecture decision records, and change requests that non-DBAs can follow.\nAbility to participate in a 24x7 on-call rotation.\nPreferred qualifications\nNone of these are required, but each one strengthens a candidate's case.\nMicrosoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP-300) or Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305).\nRed Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or equivalent Linux certification.\nHands-on testing of PostgreSQL 19 betas or release candidates, especially REPACK CONCURRENTLY, parallel autovacuum, WAIT FOR LSN, and sequence replication.\nExperience with Azure Database for PostgreSQL elastic clusters (Citus-based sharding) or with Citus on self-managed clusters.\nExperience with EDB Postgres Distributed, pgEdge, or another commercial mult...","description_format":"text","description_chars":14275,"description_truncated":true,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":7,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"phd","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Payment Processing & Gateways","Digital Banks & Neobanks"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-02T20:55:12Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B 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