Database and Systems Engineer (Remote)

About Netchex

We're Netchex — the fastest-growing Payroll, Human Resource, Time and Attendance, and Benefits services company in America. We give HR professionals time to work on what drives their businesses forward by providing efficient tools and quality personal service. We tackle big challenges, take pride in our work, and learn early and often so we can delight our clients with solutions that solve their problems every day.

About the Role

Netchex is expanding its custom data platform, and our custom reporting and integration machinery sits right at the operational core of our business. We are looking for an experienced Database and Systems Engineer to own, build, and scale the data pipelines, automated file feeds, and internal services that deliver mission-critical payroll, 401(k), benefits, and accounting data directly to our clients and their third-party partners.

This is a software and data engineering role, not a database administrator (DBA) or IT/sysadmin position.

You won't be managing hardware, backups, or servers. Instead, you will be a hands-on builder writing clean T-SQL and Python from scratch, solving loosely defined integration challenges, and leveraging modern AI-assisted engineering tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot) as a standard part of your daily workflow. Because custom reporting is a direct, billable client service touching payroll, 401(k) contributions, and General Ledger feeds, precision, audit discipline, and rapid turnaround are vital.

What You'll Do

• Engineer & Deliver Data Feeds: Build, test, and deploy robust data feeds and reports to external specifications (CSV, fixed-width, Excel) for 401(k) recordkeepers (Fidelity, Empower, Principal), GL/accounting platforms (NetSuite, M3, R365), and insurance carriers.
• Build Internal Tools from Scratch: Design and implement services, data pipelines, automated file delivery mechanisms, scheduled jobs (e.g., Celery), and validation systems to replace manual intervention and retire legacy third-party dependencies.
• Write Advanced T-SQL: Author, test, and optimize complex SQL Server stored procedures, multi-table joins, CTEs, and window functions against enterprise payroll schemas.
• Code with Modern AI Tooling: Leverage AI coding assistants (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, etc.) daily to accelerate scaffolding, debugging, and documentation—while applying rigorous engineering discipline to audit, test, and validate all generated logic.
• Deconstruct Ambiguous Requirements: Take intake tickets that start with partial specs, client emails, or support tickets, deduce what is actually needed, ask targeted questions, and deliver a reliable end-to-end solution.
• Maintain & Troubleshoot Production Data: Own investigation and resolution for edge cases: GLs out of balance, inflated calculation amounts, missing 401(k) loan repayments, mid-year rehire/termination logic, and SFTP transmission errors.
• Code Reviews & Collaboration: Ship all code via standard Git pull requests, collaborate cross-functionally with our Custom Reporting Lead and Data/AI product teams, and communicate clearly with client finance/HR teams and technical vendor contacts.

What You'll Bring

Essential

• 5–10 years of experience in backend software engineering, data engineering, or database development with proven, hands-on Python development (building functional services, pipelines, and automation tools—not just one-off analysis scripts).
• Advanced SQL Mastery: Expert-level T-SQL on Microsoft SQL Server (or comparable deep expertise in PostgreSQL / Oracle PL/SQL). You have a deep understanding of relational data modeling, table grains, primary/foreign keys, joins, and aggregating financial/payroll data with zero room for error.
• A Builder's Track Record: Demonstrated experience writing and shipping tools, pipelines, and data systems from scratch rather than primarily configuring off-the-shelf SaaS connectors.
• AI-Assisted Development as a Habit: Active, daily experience using AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf) to move fast, paired with the technical depth required to spot hallucinations, catch edge cases, and rigorously test machine-generated logic.
• Tolerance for Ambiguity: Comfort operating without a 10-page spec document; the ability to identify missing variables, confirm assumptions, and keep deliverables moving.
• Data Integrity & Confidentiality: Obsessive attention to data hygiene, audit standards, and handling sensitive employee records (PII, compensation, SSNs, retirement assets).
• Communication & Ticket Discipline: Clear, professional written communication with US-based stakeholders, clients, and vendors, with the organization to handle concurrent priorities in Jira.

Nice to Have

• Domain experience in Payroll, HCM, or Benefits data (e.g., pre-tax vs. Roth 401(k) deferrals, loans, catch-up contributions, employee life-cycle statuses, or balanced debit/credit journal entries).
• Hands-on experience with task queues and orchestration frameworks like Celery, RQ, Airflow, Prefect, or Dagster.
• Familiarity with Docker, Azure cloud services, CI/CD pipelines, or C#/.NET.
• Experience building direct API or SFTP automation workflows in code.

A Note on Our Tech Stack

Our core database infrastructure runs on Microsoft SQL Server / T-SQL and Python, supported by Git/GitHub and Jira. While we welcome engineers who built their data foundations in PostgreSQL or Oracle, you should expect a technical evaluation centered on relational data grain, debugging complex joins, and verifying real-world code.

Why This Role

• Real Engineering Autonomy: You aren't just configuring existing dashboards; you are coding tools, automating workflows, and building solutions from the ground up.
• Immediate Tangible Impact: Your feeds ensure thousands of employees receive accurate 401(k) deposits and that financial ledgers reconcile down to the cent every pay cycle.
• High-Paced, Modern Workflow: We encourage our engineering team to utilize the latest AI tooling to build fast and stay ahead of repetitive manual tasks.
• Direct Growth Path: Scope to expand into contributing directly to our proprietary in-house reporting engine and core data platform.

Working Hours

We are looking for someone who can maintain meaningful daily collaboration overlap with US Central Time (CT) to partner with internal stakeholders and interface with vendor timelines.

Netchex is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and are committed to building an inclusive team.