Data Engineer (PostgreSQL)
Platform: PHP-Based Enterprise Application
Role Overview
We are seeking a Data Engineer to design, optimize, and scale data systems powering our PHP-based application platform.
You will be responsible for architecting and maintaining high-performance PostgreSQL databases, building data pipelines, ensuring data integrity, and enabling analytics and operational reporting across the system.
This role sits at the intersection of backend engineering, database architecture, and data infrastructure. You will work closely with PHP developers to ensure data models, queries, and pipelines are efficient, reliable, and scalable.
Key ResponsibilitiesPostgreSQL Architecture & Optimization
Design and maintain robust PostgreSQL database schemas aligned with business requirements.
Optimize complex queries, indexes, and execution plans.
Analyze and resolve performance bottlenecks.
Implement partitioning, replication, and scaling strategies where appropriate.
Ensure data consistency, integrity, and transactional reliability.
Data Modeling & System Design
Design normalized and denormalized schemas based on workload requirements.
Define data governance standards (naming conventions, indexing standards, migration strategies).
Collaborate with backend engineers to align database design with PHP application logic.
Improve schema evolution processes and migration safety.
Performance & Scalability
Monitor database performance metrics.
Implement caching strategies where appropriate (e.g., Redis integration).
Support horizontal scaling, read replicas, and failover strategies.
Plan capacity and forecast growth.
Data Pipelines & ETL
Build and maintain data pipelines for:
Reporting
Analytics
Operational dashboards
Design ETL/ELT processes using SQL and scripting languages.
Ensure data quality, validation, and monitoring.
Integrate with external APIs or third-party data sources when required.
Reliability & Operations
Implement backup, recovery, and disaster recovery strategies.
Automate routine maintenance tasks.
Improve database observability (monitoring, logging, alerting).
Support incident response related to data or performance issues.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with PHP backend engineers to:
Optimize ORM usage and query performance
Improve transaction design
Reduce N+1 query issues
Support product and analytics teams with data extraction and modeling needs.
Document data architecture and best practices.
Required Qualifications
4+ years of experience in Data Engineering or Database Engineering roles.
Strong expertise in PostgreSQL in production environments.
Deep knowledge of:
Indexing strategies
Query planning and optimization
Transaction isolation levels
Locking and concurrency control
Experience designing scalable relational data models.
Proficiency in SQL (advanced level).
Experience working with backend engineering teams in production systems.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting applications built in PHP (Laravel or Symfony).
Familiarity with ORMs and query builders.
Experience with:
Data warehousing concepts
ETL orchestration tools
Message queues
Cloud database experience (AWS RDS, Cloud SQL, etc.).
Experience implementing replication or high-availability setups.
Nice to Have
Experience building reporting pipelines.
Familiarity with BI tools.
Exposure to distributed systems concepts.
Experience improving legacy schema designs.
Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate:
Thinks deeply about data structure and performance.
Is proactive in identifying inefficiencies.
Balances normalization with pragmatic performance decisions.
Collaborates effectively with application engineers.
Takes ownership of reliability and long-term scalability.