Lead Product Database Engineer

Lead Product Database Engineer

Pasadena, CA / Remote

Contract

About the Role

We are looking for a Database Engineer with deep expertise in SQL Server and Azure cloud technologies to join our product engineering team. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, AI-enhanced SDLC and is passionate about building scalable, secure, and high-performance applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize SQL Server databases for high availability, scalability, and performance.
• Lead and support Azure migration efforts for legacy databases and data services.
• Develop and maintain cloud-native data solutions using Azure SQL, Azure Data Factory, Cosmos, and other relevant services.
• Operate in an AI-driven SDLC environment:
• Collaborate with AI copilots to convert stakeholder requirements into structured data models and specifications.
• Use generative AI tools to iterate on database architectures and performance strategies.
• Pair program with AI assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude) to write, refactor, and validate SQL in real time.
• Implement tools for automated validation, bug prediction, and self-healing data pipelines.
• Collaborate with application engineers to ensure seamless integration between backend data systems and product features.
• Monitor and troubleshoot database performance, security, and compliance issues.

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in database engineering with a focus on SQL Server.
• Strong understanding of database design, indexing, query optimization, and stored procedures.
• Strong experience in database modeling using Third Normal Form (3NF), with solid data architecture experience.
• 3–5 years of NoSQL experience, such as Cosmos DB.
• Solid knowledge of SQL internals in Azure SQL Database Hyperscale.
• Strong experience optimizing database queries and stored procedures, including monitoring performance from both system and database perspectives.
• Strong experience using SQL Server-side Trace.
• Proven experience with Azure SQL, Azure Data Factory, and cloud-native data architectures.
• Expertise in reviewing stored procedure performance, reading execution plans, and making optimizations.
• Experience designing and writing high-performance SQL queries and table designs.
• Familiarity with AI code assistants such as GitHub Copilot or similar tools.

Knowledge of distributed databases, ELT tools, and data stream processing tools is a significant plus