Senior Database Engineer

Cassandra Database Engineer 📍 Location: Austin, Texas 78759 🕒 Duration: Long-term contract to potential hire Position Summary: We are seeking an experienced Cassandra Database Engineer with deep expertise in NoSQL database technologies, particularly in Cassandra administration. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Public Cloud environments (AWS and/or GCP) and extensive experience supporting high-performance, production-grade database platforms. This role is primarily focused on database operational activities, including performance analysis, incident management, monitoring, and continuous improvement of production systems. Key Responsibilities: • Perform database performance analysis and operations review for production environments. • Manage database operations, including incident response, alert resolution, and third-party vendor engagement. • Deploy and maintain database monitoring solutions. • Develop, test, and document restore and recovery procedures. • Oversee database platform deployment, installation, patching, and change management activities. • Implement database hardening and security best practices across cloud, hosted, and on-prem environments. • Provide technical support and database expertise to internal technical and project delivery teams. • Participate in platform reviews, benchmarking, tuning, and security evaluations. • Deliver technical analysis and proactive recommendations for database performance and design improvements. Minimum Qualifications: • 8+ years of hands-on Cassandra administration experience (not architecture/design). • High school diploma required; Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science preferred. • 8–10 years of experience with NoSQL database administration. • Strong background in public cloud database deployment, management, and migration (AWS/GCP). • Proven experience in high-availability database operations with strict SLAs. • Expertise in database deployment methodologies, change management, and production operations. • Strong communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. Preferred Qualifications: • Deep expertise in Cassandra database administration. • Experience with DataStax Enterprise Cassandra. • Strong Linux systems administration background. • Experience with GitLab, Terraform, and Datadog. • Familiarity with Kubernetes and Docker. • Proven ability in database performance evaluation and benchmarking. Special Requirements: • Ability to multitask and manage emergency incidents in production environments. • Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to meet tight deadlines. • Excellent communication skills with both technical teams and management. • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.