Sr Database Engineer

Company

Cox Automotive - USAEngineering / Product DevelopmentSr Software EngineerIndividual ContributorHybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the weekYes, 5% of the timeDay

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $101,500.00 - $169,100.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

The Database Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day operational health, reliability, and performance of enterprise database environments hosted on AWS. The primary database platform for this role is PostgreSQL or MySQL on Linux/AWS RDS; candidates with solid Oracle 19c experience are equally welcome. Reporting to the Lead Database Administrator, this role executes within established architectural standards, independently resolving the full spectrum of operational database issues while escalating complex architectural decisions as appropriate.

Key Responsibilities
Daily Operations & Monitoring

• Monitor health, performance, and availability of Production, QA, and Development databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, and/or Oracle) hosted on AWS on a daily basis.
• Respond to monitoring alerts, investigate root causes, and resolve common issues: space exhaustion, blocking sessions, runaway queries, and service disruptions.
• Track resource utilization (CPU, memory, I/O, storage) and report capacity trends to the Lead DBA for planning.
• Review database alert logs, audit logs, and job scheduler outputs proactively; participate in the rotating on-call DBA schedule.

Maintenance & Administration

• Execute scheduled and ad hoc maintenance: table reorganization, index rebuilding, statistics gathering, tablespace/schema management, and object defragmentation.
• Administer databases on Linux EC2 instances and AWS RDS — including startup/shutdown, patch application, and minor version updates under Lead DBA guidance.
• Manage database user accounts, roles, and privileges in accordance with security policies and RBAC standards.
• Apply patches and cumulative updates in non-production environments, documenting steps for Lead DBA review before production rollout.
• Perform database cloning and environment refreshes for QA and development on a scheduled and on-demand basis.

Backup, Recovery & Business Continuity

• Execute and validate backup jobs (RMAN for Oracle; pg_basebackup/pgBackRest for PostgreSQL; mysqldump/Percona XtraBackup for MySQL), ensuring schedules meet RPO targets.
• Perform point-in-time and full restores in non-production environments to verify backup integrity and document recovery procedures.
• Monitor AWS RDS automated backup and snapshot jobs; alert the Lead DBA to failures or anomalies.
• Assist with disaster recovery testing and failover validation under Lead DBA direction; maintain up-to-date backup and recovery runbooks.

Performance Monitoring & Query Tuning

• Identify slow-running queries and performance bottlenecks using platform-appropriate tools: EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE (PostgreSQL/MySQL), Oracle AWR/ADDM/ASH, wait event analysis, and execution plan review.
• Assist application developers in tuning PL/SQL, PG/SQL, and T-SQL code for improved database access efficiency.
• Monitor and manage index health; rebuild or coalesce fragmented indexes within maintenance schedules.
• Review and optimize long-running batch jobs and scheduled tasks to minimize contention during peak hours.

Automation & Scripting

• Write and maintain UNIX/Linux shell scripts to automate recurring tasks: log archiving, space checks, health reporting, and backup verification.
• Schedule and manage automated jobs using cron, pgAgent / MySQL Event Scheduler, Oracle DBMS_SCHEDULER, and/or SQL Server Agent as applicable.
• Maintain and update existing Terraform scripts for minor infrastructure changes under Lead DBA review and approval.
• Document all automation scripts with clear inline comments; maintain a centralized runbook repository.

Development Support & Collaboration

• Write, test, and debug PL/SQL, PG/SQL, and SQL scripts, stored procedures, and ad hoc queries in support of development and operations teams.
• Collaborate with application development teams to provide database support during sprint cycles, deployments, and hotfixes.
• Assist with data loads, migrations, and import/export operations using platform-native tools (pg_dump, mysqldump, Oracle Data Pump, SQL*Loader) and AWS DMS.
• Support QA teams by providing accurate test data, database snapshots, and query assistance for validation activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline, and 4 years of hands-on database administration experience. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master’s degree and 2 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 1 years’ experience in a related field; or 12 years’ experience in a related field.
• Primary expertise in at least one of the following: PostgreSQL on Linux / AWS RDS, MySQL on Linux / AWS RDS, or Oracle 19c on Linux. Multi-platform experience is a strong plus.
• Solid working knowledge of backup and recovery strategies.
• Working knowledge of database performance diagnostics, for example: EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE, query plan analysis, wait event analysis, and index tuning.
• Hands-on experience writing SQL and scripting for operational and support tasks.
• Practical UNIX/Linux systems administration and shell scripting experience (bash/ksh).
• Cloud database administrative experience in any of the following: AWS, Azure, Oracle Cloud, or Google Cloud (GCP).
• Understanding of database security fundamentals: user privilege management, role-based access control (RBAC), and auditing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Cross-platform DBA experience: working knowledge of at least two of PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle in a production environment.
• Familiarity with Oracle Data Guard, PostgreSQL Streaming Replication, or MySQL Group Replication for standby/HA configurations.
• Experience with AWS RDS and Aurora for PostgreSQL or MySQL workloads.
• Exposure to Terraform or other infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tooling.
• MS SQL Server administration experience in a production setting.
• Experience in an Agile/Scrum delivery environment.
• Knowledge of load testing tools and performance benchmarking methodologies.
• Familiarity with streaming or integration technologies: AWS Kinesis, Apache Kafka, or Informatica.
• Relevant professional certification: PostgreSQL Professional Certification, Oracle OCP, AWS Database Specialty, or equivalent.

To be employed in this role, you’ll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells – or simply uses – cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.

EOE, including disability/vets