Data Engineer III

Patriot Software is hiring a Data Engineer III to build and operate scalable, reliable data platforms, with a focus on PostgreSQL, AWS, and data pipelines. The role also shapes technical direction, improves database performance and reliability, and mentors engineers across teams.

Responsibilities:

• Design, build, and maintain scalable, reliable, and highly available PostgreSQL databases and supporting data infrastructure
• Own complex data engineering initiatives from architecture through implementation, deployment, and long-term operational support
• Design efficient relational data models that support transactional applications, integrations, reporting, and future business growth
• Optimize database performance through query tuning, indexing strategies, execution plan analysis, partitioning, and server configuration
• Troubleshoot complex production issues involving databases, replication, storage, infrastructure, and application performance
• Design and maintain high availability, backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions for critical data systems
• Build and maintain data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and supporting infrastructure that move data reliably between operational systems and downstream consumers
• Collaborate with software engineers to improve application performance through efficient schema design, ORM usage, and database access patterns
• Serve as the subject matter expert for PostgreSQL and database technologies across multiple engineering teams
• Evaluate and recommend database technologies, storage solutions, and cloud services that improve scalability, reliability, security, and operational efficiency
• Develop cloud-native data solutions using AWS services such as RDS, Lambda, S3, EventBridge, and related technologies
• Improve observability by implementing monitoring, alerting, automation, and operational tooling for Patriot's data platform
• Identify technical debt and proactively improve database architecture before issues become operational challenges
• Review database changes, migrations, and application designs to ensure long-term maintainability, scalability, and performance
• Guide engineering teams on best practices for database design, query optimization, and efficient data access
• Mentor Level I and II Data Engineers through pairing, design reviews, code reviews, and technical coaching
• Communicate technical decisions through design documents, architecture reviews, technical discussions, and cross-functional collaboration
• Support secure and responsible data management by promoting best practices for governance, compliance, privacy, and secure adoption of modern technologies, including AI
• Support Patriot's values through leadership, collaboration, and customer-focused decision-making

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, or equivalent professional experience
• 4-7 years of professional experience in Data Engineering, Database Engineering, or Software Engineering with significant database responsibilities
• Advanced expertise with PostgreSQL, including:
• Utilizes software engineering principles for data engineering projects
• Strong understanding of relational database design, normalization, data modeling, and schema design
• Experience designing and supporting highly available, fault-tolerant production database environments
• Experience building and maintaining ETL/ELT pipelines and data integration solutions
• Professional experience with SQL and at least one programming language such as Python, C#, Go, or similar
• Experience with AWS cloud services such as RDS, Lambda, S3, EventBridge, IAM, and CloudWatch
• Strong understanding of ORM technologies and how application design impacts database performance
• Ability to debug complex problems across applications, databases, and cloud infrastructure
• Strong understanding of software architecture and how data platforms support scalable application development
• Ability to work independently, prioritize competing work, and make sound technical decisions with minimal oversight
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and mentoring skills
• Passion for continuous learning and improving engineering practices
• Open to candidates residing in and legally authorized to work in the United States
• Not open to applicants residing in: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Washington D.C
• Experience with data warehousing technologies and modern analytical data platforms
• Experience with workflow orchestration tools such as Airflow, Dagster, dbt, or similar technologies
• Experience with event-driven architectures, streaming technologies, or messaging platforms
• Experience administering additional database technologies beyond PostgreSQL
• Experience supporting AI, machine learning, or large language model workloads through scalable data infrastructure
• Experience designing and supporting event-driven data architectures using technologies such as Redpanda, Apache Kafka, Debezium, or similar streaming and change data capture (CDC) platforms
• Familiarity with data governance, metadata management, and data cataloging
• Experience in AWS/RDS cost optimization
• Experience working in financial technology or other regulated industries
• Experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives or serving as a technical lead