[Remote] Database Administrator (DBA) / Database Engineer
Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. CalAmp is a company that provides a K-12 transportation platform tracking buses for over 1 million students daily. They are seeking a hands-on Database Engineer to manage and optimize their SQL Server instances, lead architectural designs, and enhance automation in database processes.
Responsibilities
- Diagnose and fix slow queries, plan regressions, and locking storms across 9 SQL Server instances supporting customer-facing operations
- Lead the design of reporting replica architecture, likely AWS DMS feeding a multi-tenant Aurora PostgreSQL store
- Define the archival policy and own the automation for sound data retention strategy across 600+ customer DBs
- Identify measurable savings on SQL Server EE licensing on EC2 through edition choice, reserved instances, right-sizing, and replica strategy
- Make the schema-change process across all customer DBs automated, reliable, and low-risk
- Review every schema change from developers before it ships and bring actionable design insight
- Profile and optimize queries and stored procedures alongside the engineers writing them
- Participate in an on-call rotation, running once every five weeks, with on-call hours from 6 AM to 11 PM Eastern
Skills
- 4–8 years of hands-on DBA / Database Engineering experience, meaningful share on SQL Server
- Database SME mindset — you've reviewed engineering schema changes, contributed design insight in code/architecture reviews, and partnered with developers (not gatekept them). This is a core part of the role, not a side responsibility
- PostgreSQL proficiency — or willingness to develop it (aligned to future reporting architecture)
- Cloud database experience on AWS — self-hosted SQL Server on EC2 today; RDS familiarity is a plus given a possible future migration
- Performance tuning track record — you can talk through specific queries you fixed and how
- Strong SQL: query writing, plan reading, index design, locking and isolation
- Comfort scripting in Python or PowerShell for automation
- Linux and Windows both
- HA / replication topologies (Always On, log shipping, transactional)
- Strong written communication — this is an opinionated engineering team; you'll write proposals and defend them
- Bachelor's in CS, Information Systems, or equivalent practical track
- Multi-tenant SaaS data architectures (per-customer databases or shared schemas)
- AWS DMS or other CDC replication experience
- Aurora PostgreSQL
- AWS cost optimization (Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, sizing)
- Datadog, Dynatrace, or similar APM
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools (helpful but not required)
- Background in operationally-critical SaaS (transportation, healthcare, finance)
Company Overview