Database Engineer (RDS PostgreSQL & OpenSearch)

Title:

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR!

Around here, we define the future.

We share one goal: to improve the world responsibly as a company of innovators, thinkers, creators, explorers, volunteers, and dreamers.

Note: This position is contingent upon contract award, customer approval, and funding availability.

Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain a government background check
Citizenship Requirement: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents

Preferred location is Sioux Falls, SD

Will consider Remote

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Database Engineer with deep expertise in Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and Amazon OpenSearch Service. The ideal candidate will be capable of architecting scalable data solutions, optimizing performance, and troubleshooting complex production issues across relational and search engine workloads. This role supports mission critical systems and requires a strong background in AWS cloud services, database internals, and distributed data architectures.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture & Design

• Design and implement scalable, highly available database architectures using Amazon RDS (Postgres) and OpenSearch.

• Create schema designs, index strategies, and data models optimized for query performance and storage efficiency.

• Evaluate and recommend tools, patterns, and best practices for data pipelines, ingestion, search indexing, and replication.

• Develop secure, resilient architectures aligned with cloud-native and DevSecOps principles.

Performance Optimization

• Conduct in-depth performance tuning including:

• SQL query optimization

• Indexing strategy improvements

• Vacuum/analyze planning

• Connection pooling and load balancing adjustments

• Optimize OpenSearch clusters for indexing throughput, shard/replica strategy, query performance, and log analytics workloads.

• Monitor performance using CloudWatch, Performance Insights, OpenSearch Dashboards, and custom telemetry.

Operations & Troubleshooting

• Lead troubleshooting of database and cluster issues including failovers, replication lag, slow queries, cluster imbalance, and node-level failures.

• Perform root cause analysis and implement long term corrective actions.

• Maintain backup, restore, and disaster recovery strategies for both Postgres and OpenSearch.

• Support automation of administrative tasks using InfrastructureasCode (Terraform, CloudFormation) and scripting tools.

Security & Compliance

• Implement and maintain IAM policies, encryption at rest/in transit, security groups, and audit logging.

• Ensure database and cluster configurations meet organizational security standards and regulatory requirements.

Backup & Restore

• Define Recovery options (RPO/RTO) and setup appropriate backup strategy.

• Create plans for backup service management including schedules and disaster recovery options.

• Implement procedures to restore operations for point-in-time-recovery (PITR) and disaster recovery.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work closely with application teams, cloud architects, DevOps engineers, and data stakeholders to support existing systems and plan new capabilities.

• Provide guidance on database best practices and mentor junior engineers.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience with PostgreSQL, including advanced SQL, performance tuning, query planning, and replication.

• 3+ years of experience with Amazon RDS (Postgres) in production environments.

• 2+ years of experience managing and tuning Amazon OpenSearch clusters.

• Strong understanding of AWS services including EC2, IAM, VPC networking, S3, CloudWatch, Lambda, and KMS.

• Experience with Terraform, CloudFormation, or other IaC tools.

• Proficiency with scripting languages (Python, Bash) for automation and diagnostics.

• Solid understanding of distributed systems, search indexing, and data lifecycle management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting mission critical or high throughput environments.

• Knowledge of log analytics pipelines (e.g., FluentBit, Logstash, Firehose).

• Familiarity with containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipelines.

• Certifications: AWS Solutions Architect, AWS Database Specialty, or similar.

Why This Role Matters

This engineer will play a key role in ensuring the reliability, scalability, and performance of core operational datasets and search capabilities that underpin critical applications and services. Their expertise will directly contribute to improved system stability, faster analytics, and more efficient data operations.

Ready to make a difference? Apply today.

Basic Compensation:

$107,700-$161,600

The offered rate will be based on contract affordability and the selected candidate's working location, knowledge, skills, and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR Benefits​

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.​

Click here to learn more: KBR Benefits

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.