[Hiring] Database Engineer @Tucows

Role Description

We are looking for a highly skilled Database Reliability Engineer (DBRE) with deep expertise in PostgreSQL at scale. In this role, you will design, operationalize, and optimize the data persistence layer that powers large-scale, mission-critical systems. You’ll work closely with SRE, Platform, and Engineering teams to ensure performance, reliability, automation, and operational excellence across the database environment. This is a hands-on engineering role focused on building resilient data infrastructure—well beyond traditional database administration. This role is a remote position open to applicants based in Canada.

What You’ll Do

• Architecture, Reliability & Performance
  • Design, implement, and operate highly available PostgreSQL clusters (physical/logical replication, sharding, partitioning, failover automation)
  • Optimize query performance and indexing strategies
  • Perform capacity planning, growth forecasting, and workload modeling
  • Own high-availability strategies, including:
    • Automatic failover
    • Multi-region deployments
    • Disaster recovery
• Automation & Tooling
  • Build and maintain automation for:
    • Provisioning and configuration
    • Backups and recovery
    • Failovers
    • Vacuum tuning
    • Schema management
  • Use tools such as Terraform, Ansible/SaltStack, Bash, Python, etc.
  • Develop monitoring and alerting systems for PostgreSQL clusters
• Operations & Incident Response
  • Lead response during database incidents (e.g., performance regressions, replication lag, deadlocks, bloat, storage failures)
  • Conduct root-cause analysis and implement long-term fixes
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with software engineers to:
    • Review SQL queries
    • Optimize schemas
    • Ensure effective use of PostgreSQL features
  • Provide guidance on:
    • Database design patterns
    • Migrations and version upgrades
    • Best practices

Qualifications

• 7+ years of hands-on PostgreSQL experience in large-scale, high-volume production environments
• Strong expertise in PostgreSQL internals: WAL, MVCC, vacuum tuning, query planner, indexing, logical replication
• Advanced SQL and strong schema design and query optimization skills
• Solid experience with Linux systems and networking fundamentals
• Experience building automation using Go or Python
• Experience with monitoring tools such as: Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, PMM, pg_stat_statements

Preferred (Nice to Have)

• Experience with connection pooling and load balancing: PgBouncer, HAProxy
• Experience with high-availability solutions: Patroni or similar tools
• Exposure to event streaming and CDC: Kafka, Debezium
• Experience supporting 24/7 production environments
• Experience with PostgreSQL backup tools: Barman, pgBackRest, WAL-G
• Familiarity with Traefik or similar infrastructure components

Benefits

• The base salary range for this position is $126,100 to $140,100. Range shown in $CAD for Canadian residents. Other countries will differ.
• Range may vary on a number of factors including, but not limited to: location, experience and qualifications.
• Tucows believes in a total rewards offering that includes fair compensation and generous benefits.

Company Description

At Wavelo and Tucows, we care about protecting the open Internet, narrowing the digital divide, and supporting fairness and equality. We also know that diversity drives innovation. We are committed to inclusion across race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status. We celebrate multiple approaches and diverse points of view.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.

We use AI-enabled tools throughout our recruitment process to help us work more efficiently and consistently. These tools support our hiring teams by organizing and reviewing information, while final hiring decisions are always made by people.

Tucows and its subsidiaries participate in the E-verify program for all US employees.