Principal Database Administrator (PostgreSQL) - Site Operations

Tripadvisor - Needham, MA

Full-time - Principal

Needham, MA

Administrative and Support Services

About the position

The Principal Database Administrator (DBA) position within the Site Operations team at Tripadvisor is a critical role responsible for maintaining and enhancing the core systems that power the tripadvisor.com website. This includes managing both on-premise data centers and a multitude of accounts in AWS, ensuring that the systems are reliable, scalable, and efficient. The SiteOps team is the go-to resource for understanding the interface boundaries between the legacy systems and the cloud-based infrastructure, making it essential for the DBA to have a comprehensive understanding of both environments. As a Principal DBA, you will be a key player in optimizing and automating the infrastructure and deployment processes surrounding our databases. With over 600 on-premise logical databases running on more than 100 database hosts, your role will involve significant responsibilities in ensuring high availability and reliability of data maintenance and delivery. You will be involved in various system migrations, including transitioning from on-premise to AWS and between different AWS data centers. This role requires a proactive approach to designing and implementing migration strategies, testing them thoroughly, and executing them with a focus on minimizing disruptions in production. In addition to technical expertise, this position demands strong leadership and communication skills, as you will be collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance development and deployment processes. Your contributions will not only impact day-to-day operations but also shape the future evolution of Infrastructure and Engineering at Tripadvisor. The role is designed for passionate engineers with deep experience in Postgres and AWS technologies, who are eager to make a significant impact in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain automated infrastructure provisioning and configuration management using Python, Ansible, and Typescript CDK.
• Set up monitoring and logging systems to proactively detect and address potential issues, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
• Manage hundreds of on-prem PostgreSQL databases, including performance tuning, backups, disaster recovery strategies, and their active/passive counterparts in AWS.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, system administrators, and technical managers, to improve overall development and deployment processes.
• Assist in identifying and resolving operational issues and participate in on-call rotations.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of expertise in database operations with a focus on building and maintaining scalable infrastructures around data, with at least 5 years directly with Postgres.
• At least 5 years of experience in leadership and communicating with the business.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced, agile environment.
• Strong proficiency in Python for scripting and automation tasks and with CDK for AWS deployments.
• Solid understanding of AWS-based data management technologies.
• Experience in configuration management using Ansible.
• Experience with infrastructure as code using CDK.
• Understanding of CI/CD tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, and GitHub Actions.
• Understanding of networking concepts such as load balancing and DNS is a plus.
• Knowledge of containerization technologies like Docker and container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes.
• Familiarity with networking concepts like load balancing and DNS.

Benefits

• Opportunity to work with a dynamic team and contribute to the future evolution of Infrastructure & Engineering.
• Access to a collaborative work environment that values unique perspectives and experiences.
• Potential for career growth and learning best practices in engineering methodologies.