Sr. Cloud Database Engineer - Hybrid - Seattle
Seattle, WA 98101, United States of America
We're seeking an exceptional Senior Cloud Database Engineer to lead our database team's strategic expansion into AWS cloud-based database platforms. This is a unique opportunity to shape the foundation of our cloud database practice, establish best practices from the ground up, and mentor a team of highly experienced database professionals as they expand their expertise into modern cloud database technologies.
As the cloud database subject matter expert on our team, you'll work alongside seasoned DBAs with deep Oracle and MSSQL backgrounds, bringing your expertise in AWS and cloud-native databases to establish our cloud database standards and accelerate the team's skill development in this critical new platform.
While PostgreSQL/Aurora are our heaviest use cases currently, we're building comprehensive AWS database capabilities and will give preference to candidates with extensive experience across the full range of AWS database services and technologies.
What You'll Do
Platform Leadership
Define and implement best-practice, standardized configurations for AWS databases that meet enterprise business requirements
Architect solutions using the full spectrum of AWS database services including RDS, Aurora PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Aurora DSQL, and other emerging AWS data services
Establish governance frameworks, deployment standards, and operational procedures for databases across AWS environments
Design backup, recovery, and high availability strategies that meet SLAs and regulatory compliance requirements
Develop database strategies that leverage AWS-native capabilities and optimize for cost, performance, and scalability
Technical Excellence
Deploy and manage diverse database systems across AWS environments (relational, NoSQL, in-memory, and data warehouse platforms)
Monitor, optimize, and troubleshoot complex performance issues across various AWS database services
Provide expert guidance on application database design patterns and query optimization for PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, and other AWS database platforms
Develop automation and infrastructure-as-code solutions for database provisioning and management using AWS tools
Support production databases with a focus on reliability, security, and performance
Evaluate and implement emerging AWS database technologies and managed services
Design appropriate database architecture based on workload characteristics (OLTP, OLAP, real-time, analytical)
Knowledge Transfer & Mentorship
Train and mentor database engineers transitioning from traditional on-premises systems to AWS cloud-native platforms
Conduct hands-on workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions on AWS database services, PostgreSQL, and cloud database strategies
Create comprehensive documentation, runbooks, and training materials
Collaborate with team members to bridge traditional database administration with cloud-native practices
What You Bring
Required Qualifications
7+ years of hands-on database engineering experience with at least 4 years focused on cloud database platforms
3+ years of experience with AWS database services across multiple database types
Deep expertise in PostgreSQL administration including performance tuning, high availability, replication, and disaster recovery
Strong understanding of AWS infrastructure, networking, security, and cloud architecture patterns
Proven experience establishing database standards and best practices in enterprise environments
Experience with database backup/recovery strategies and ensuring compliance with SLA requirements
Strong troubleshooting skills for complex database and application performance issues
Excellent communication skills with ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences
Preferred Qualifications
AWS certifications (Solutions Architect Professional, Database Specialty, or similar)
PostgreSQL certification or equivalent deep community involvement
Extensive experience with multiple AWS database platforms:
Relational: RDS (PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server), Aurora (PostgreSQL), DSQL
NoSQL/Key-Value: DynamoDB
In-Memory: ElastiCache (Redis, Memcached), MemoryDB for Redis
Graph: Neptune
Data Warehouse: Redshift
Experience migrating from Oracle or MSSQL to AWS-native databases (PostgreSQL, Aurora, RDS)
Knowledge of infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform)
Familiarity with AWS monitoring and other observability tools (CloudWatch, Performance Insights, New Relic, etc.)
Experience with CI/CD pipelines for database deployments
Experience with AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) and Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
Understanding of when to apply different database types based on use case (relational vs. NoSQL vs. graph vs. time-series)
Experience with AWS data services ecosystem (S3, Glue, Athena, Kinesis, Lake Formation)
Why Join Our Team
Leadership Opportunity: Be the founding expert and architect of our AWS cloud database platforms
Impact: Your work will directly shape our cloud database strategy and team capabilities across our platform
Collaboration: Work with a talented team of database professionals eager to expand their skills
Growth: Develop your leadership and mentoring abilities while staying technically hands-on
Innovation: Help drive our organization's cloud transformation journey on AWS
About Our Team
Our database engineering team consists of highly skilled professionals with extensive experience in enterprise database management. We maintain critical systems that power our business operations and take pride in our commitment to reliability, performance, and continuous improvement. As we expand into AWS cloud platforms with PostgreSQL/Aurora as our current focus, we're looking for someone who can complement our existing strengths while bringing fresh perspectives on the full spectrum of AWS database services and cloud-native database practices.
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We’ve got you covered…
Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:
Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
Life Insurance and Disability
Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources
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Pay Range Details
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Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
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