Senior Data Engineer
Charlotte, NC
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior Data Engineer to lead critical data infrastructure, database modernization, and migration initiatives supporting a next-generation application platform. This role will be responsible for building a scalable data foundation while transitioning large-scale legacy systems to a modern AWS cloud architecture.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in PostgreSQL, Oracle-to-PostgreSQL migrations, AWS, data modeling, and real-time data processing.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and build PostgreSQL databases, schemas, and data models from the ground up, with a focus on performance, scalability, and maintainability.
- Lead large-scale Oracle-to-PostgreSQL migrations, moving databases from on-premises environments to AWS RDS PostgreSQL while maintaining data integrity and minimizing downtime.
- Analyze existing database schemas and recommend structural, performance, and scalability improvements.
- Build and optimize real-time data pipelines and products using Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, and Apache Hudi or similar lakehouse technologies.
- Design and implement Change Data Capture (CDC) and auditing solutions to track data changes, lineage, and historical activity.
- Develop normalized and denormalized data models supporting both OLTP and analytical workloads.
- Establish data validation and quality controls throughout migration and modernization efforts.
- Develop and maintain data catalogs, schema documentation, and architectural documentation for application and engineering teams.
- Partner with application developers, architects, infrastructure teams, and business stakeholders throughout modernization initiatives.
- Ensure appropriate data security, access controls, encryption, and compliance practices.
Required Qualifications
- Strong hands-on expertise with PostgreSQL, including database architecture, schema design, SQL, administration, performance tuning, and optimization.
- Demonstrated experience performing large enterprise database migrations; Oracle-to-PostgreSQL experience is strongly preferred.
- Hands-on AWS experience, particularly RDS, EC2, networking, and security.
- Experience with Apache Kafka and Apache Flink for streaming and real-time data processing.
- Experience with Apache Hudi, Delta Lake, or comparable lakehouse technology.
- Strong understanding of relational database design and normalized/denormalized data modeling.
- Experience implementing CDC, audit logging, data lineage, and change-tracking solutions.
- Ability to evaluate legacy database structures and design improved schemas for modern applications.
- Strong technical documentation and stakeholder communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- AWS data services such as Glue, Lambda, and Step Functions.
- Data quality and validation frameworks.
- Terraform or CloudFormation.
- Application modernization or legacy platform replacement experience.
- Knowledge of data security, encryption, and regulatory requirements such as GDPR or HIPAA.