Data Engineering Consultant - PostgreSQL Database Administrator

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
The Senior Data Engineering Consultant (PostgreSQL) leads architecture, operations, performance, and security for PostgreSQL across on prem and cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP). The role executes complex migrations and modernizations, manages escalations, enforces compliance, and advances engineering via Python automation, Terraform IaC, and AI enhanced monitoring. It includes PLM, on call, and proactive vulnerability management.
Primary Responsibilities:

• Architect, implement, and optimize PostgreSQL 12+ across on prem, hybrid, and multi cloud (AWS RDS/Aurora PostgreSQL, Azure DB for PostgreSQL, GCP Cloud SQL) with a focus on performance, reliability, and resiliency
• Plan and deliver major cloud and cross platform migrations using pg_dump/pg_restore, pg_upgrade, logical replication, FDW, WAL G/pgBackRest, pgloader, and ora2pg (for Oracle → PG)
• Design and operate HA/DR via physical streaming replication, logical replication, Patroni/repmgr, pgpool II/HAProxy, pgbouncer for connection pooling, and geo redundant failover
• Lead performance engineering using EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE, pg_stat_statements, VACUUM/autovacuum tuning, partitioning, indexing strategies (BRIN/BTree/GiST/GiN), and memory/IO tuning (work_mem, shared_buffers, effective_cache_size)
• Own escalation response: war rooms for replication lag/slots bloat, autovacuum debt, freeze age, checkpoint spikes, or WAL/archive saturation; partner with SRE/App teams
• Enforce security baselines: TLS, RLS (Row Level Security), pg_hba.conf hardening, auditing, secrets management; remediate vulnerabilities via patching and configuration
• Build automation in Python, Bash, and SQL; implement CI/CD for schema (Sqitch/liquibase equivalents) and provision infra via Terraform
• Integrate AI/ML for anomaly detection, capacity forecasting, and automated tuning suggestions
• Govern PLM: minor/major upgrades, extension lifecycle (PostGIS, pg_partman, etc.), deprecation, and documentation
• Participate in 24/7 on call, hitting SLAs and RTO/RPO
• Comply with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, company policies and procedures, and any and all directives (such as, but not limited to, transfer and/or re-assignment to different work locations, change in teams and/or work shifts, policies in regards to flexibility of work benefits and/or work environment, alternative work arrangements, and other decisions that may arise due to the changing business environment). The Company may adopt, vary or rescind these policies and directives in its absolute discretion and without any limitation (implied or otherwise) on its ability to do so

Job Duties:

• Lead customer facing incident triage and RCA; communicate clearly with leadership
• Implement backups and verified recovery using pgBackRest or WAL G, point in time recovery (PITR), and DR testing
• Manage routine maintenance: VACUUM/ANALYZE, REINDEX, partition maintenance, statistics management.
• Operate and tune replication (slots, synchronous/asynchronous modes); manage failovers with Patroni/repmgr
• Enforce least privilege roles, schema/object ownership patterns, and secrets rotation
• Optimize cloud spend (instance classes, storage/IOPS, snapshots, cross region replication)

Professional Development:

• Stay current on PostgreSQL 16+ features, logical decoding, partitioning, extensions, and security
• Pursue EDB/PostgreSQL and major cloud certifications; deepen Terraform, Python, and AI for Ops skills

Required Qualifications:

• Master's in CS/IT or related; 10+ years as PostgreSQL DBA/Data Engineer at enterprise scale
• Senior experience handling P1 incidents, replication topologies, and performance triage
• Demonstrated success with cloud migrations, large scale upgrades, and complex transformations
• Proven solid documentation and operational standardization

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certifications: EDB/Professional PostgreSQL, AWS/Azure/GCP, Terraform, Python
• Experience with Aurora PostgreSQL, Citus/sharding strategies, and adjacent RDBMS (MySQL/Oracle/MSSQL)

Technical Skills:

• Core: streaming & logical replication, Patroni/repmgr, pgbouncer/pgpool II, pg_stat_statements, VACUUM/autovacuum, partitioning, extensions (PostGIS, pg_partman)
• Tooling: pgBackRest, WAL G, pg_dump/pg_restore, pg_upgrade, EXPLAIN, auto_explain
• Cloud: RDS/Aurora PostgreSQL, Azure DB for PostgreSQL, Cloud SQL; VPC/security controls
• Automation: Python, Bash, Terraform, GitOps/CI CD for DB
• Security: TLS, RLS, pg_hba hardening, auditing

Knowledge & Skills:

• Solid leadership and team management abilities
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams
• Detail-oriented and able to work with a high level of accuracy
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment
• Solid analytical and decision-making skills

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.