Database Engineer - Forward Deployed
About Us
Founded in 2011, Modus is a global, fully remote team of world-class technologists who thrive in a collaborative, innovative environment. We're a digital product engineering partner for forward-thinking businesses. Our global teams work side-by-side with clients to design, build, and scale custom solutions that achieve real results and lasting change, partnering with industry leaders including AWS, GitHub, and Atlassian.
We were fully remote before it was cool! Recognized as one of the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies for nine years and a top remote work company by FlexJobs, we have helped some of the world's largest brands deliver powerful digital experiences.
The Opportunity
You won't be building from the sidelines. As a Modus Database Engineer embedded in our Modus Data & ML practice, you operate as a forward deployed engineer - right at the frontier of enterprise data transformation. You'll work directly with clients to accelerate pre-sales opportunities, collaborating with Sellers, to turn data challenges into production-grade solutions.
Our team drives database migration, modernization, and platform engineering for some of the largest organizations in the world - helping them Re-host on AWS EC2, Re-platform to RDS, Re-factor to Aurora PostgreSQL/MySQL/NoSQL, and migrate Oracle/Exadata workloads to ODB@AWS. You'll be in the room (or the call) where it happens, turning ambiguity into architectures and architectures into outcomes.
This isn't a role for people who want to sit back and review tickets. You'll lead Executive Conversations, drive proof-of-concepts, run technical workshops, and build reusable IP that multiplies impact across customers, market segments, and technology domains. If you thrive on complexity, love building scalable patterns, and want your work to directly shape enterprise deals and client outcomes - this is your seat.
What you'll do
- Lead technical pre-sales engagements - Executive Conversations, workshops, POCs - directly alongside Seller turning ambiguous client challenges into validated technical solutions.
- Architect and deliver database migration strategies across the full modernization spectrum: Re-host (EC2), Re-platform (RDS), Re-factor (Aurora PostgreSQL, MySQL, DynamoDB), and Oracle/Exadata to ODB@AWS migrations.
- Identify repeatable patterns across customer engagements and translate them into scalable, reusable architectural IP - including GenAI-enabled database migration accelerators.
- Deconstruct complex technical propositions into clear, repeatable solutions that sales teams can execute and clients can trust.
- Gather market segment data and build business cases that bridge the gap between current-state infrastructure and the outcomes clients actually care about.
- Influence senior technical and business stakeholders - inside and outside the client organization - as a credible, independent voice on data modernization strategy.
- Drive force-multiplication: create mechanisms, enablement assets, and documentation that scale your impact well beyond your direct engagements.
- Collaborate with engineering, product, and data teams in a fully distributed, asynchronous-first environment.
Requirements
- Hands-on experience with database migration and modernization projects - ideally involving AWS data services (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, DMS, SCT).
- Deep proficiency in one or more relational database platforms: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, or SQL Server - including schema design, query optimization, and replication.
- Proven ability to architect and implement data pipelines, ETL/ELT workflows, and integration patterns at scale.
- Experience with Oracle or Exadata migrations - including assessment, schema conversion, and cutover planning - is strongly valued.
- Solid understanding of AWS infrastructure fundamentals: EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, and compute/storage considerations for database workloads.
- Comfort operating in pre-sales and client-facing contexts - you can translate technical depth into business language without losing the signal.
- Ability to lead proof-of-concept engagements end-to-end: scope, build, validate, and present results to senior stakeholders.
- Strong software engineering fundamentals - you write clean, maintainable code and understand how data engineering fits into broader application architectures.
- Experience working in distributed, async-first teams; you don't need to be in the same timezone to drive outcomes.
Bonus Points
- Experience with NoSQL platforms: DynamoDB, MongoDB, Cassandra, or similar - especially in migration or modernization contexts.
- Familiarity with GenAI-assisted data migration tooling, LLM-powered schema translation, or AI-driven data quality workflows.
- AWS certifications (Database Specialty, Solutions Architect, or Data Analytics).
- Experience with data lakehouse architectures, Apache Iceberg, Glue, or Athena.
Background in consulting, professional services, or solutions engineering - you know how to run a room.
- Contributions to open-source data tooling, migration frameworks, or reusable architectural patterns.
You'll Love
- Being the technical voice in the room - not just a builder in the back, but a strategic force in enterprise deals.Working at the intersection of data engineering, cloud infrastructure, and generative AI on problems that actually matter at scale.
- Building reusable IP that outlives individual engagements and shapes how entire market segments modernize their data platforms.
- Collaborating with Fortune 500 clients, and a globally distributed team of sharp, low-ego engineers.
- The autonomy to define solutions, the support to deliver them, and the recognition when they land.
By joining our team, you'll be part of a group that values precision, honest communication, and delivering work that stands up to scrutiny. Apply now and show us you've got what it takes to build data platforms that matter.