Principal Database Engineer

Principal Database Engineer, Bangalore

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Principal Database Engineer to lead our database infrastructure initiatives with a primary focus on Microsoft SQL Server environments. This senior-level position requires deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership capabilities to drive database architecture decisions across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Database Architecture & Design

Design, implement, and maintain enterprise-scale SQL Server database solutions

Develop database architecture standards, best practices, and design patterns

Lead database capacity planning and scalability initiatives

Architect high-availability and disaster recovery solutions using SQL Server Always On, failover clustering, and replication technologies

Help with strategy, architecture and implementation of data warehouse across all of our products

Performance & Optimization

Conduct advanced performance tuning and query optimization across SQL Server instances

Work with DBA to understand the database monitoring solutions and performance baselines

Design and implement indexing strategies for optimal query performance

Analyze and optimize database storage, memory allocation, and I / O patterns

Leadership & Strategy

Provide technical leadership and mentorship to database engineering team members

Collaborate with application development teams on database design and integration

Lead database technology evaluations and migration projects

Participate in architectural review boards and technical decision-making processes

Operations & Maintenance

Oversee database backup, recovery, and business continuity strategies

Implement database security policies, access controls, and compliance measures

Establish and maintain database documentation and operational procedures

Data Management

Design and implement data governance frameworks and data quality initiatives

Lead ETL / ELT process design and optimization

Oversee data archival, retention, and purging strategies

Support business intelligence and analytics initiatives

Required Qualifications

Technical Skills

10+ years of hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server

Expert-level knowledge of T-SQL programming, stored procedures, functions, and triggers

Extensive experience with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and related tools

Deep understanding of SQL Server internals, query execution plans, and performance optimization

Proficiency with SQL Server Always On Availability Groups, failover clustering, and replication

Experience with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Reporting Services (SSRS), and Analysis Services (SSAS)

Strong knowledge of database security, encryption, and compliance requirements

Development & Automation

Proficiency in PowerShell scripting for database automation and administration

Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools and practices

Knowledge of CI / CD pipelines and database deployment automation

Familiarity with monitoring tools (SQL Monitor, SolarWinds, Nagios, etc.)

Hands-on experience with a data warehouse implementation

Preferred Qualifications

Additional Technologies

Experience with cloud platforms (Azure SQL Database, AWS RDS for SQL Server)

Knowledge of other database platforms (Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL) for comparison and migration projects

Familiarity with big data technologies and modern data platforms

Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) for database workloads

Leadership Experience

Previous experience leading database engineering teams

Project management experience with large-scale database initiatives

Experience with vendor management and technology procurement

Education & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field

10+ years total experience in database engineering and administration

5+ years experience in senior or lead database engineering roles

Experience in enterprise environments with high-availability requirements

Key Competencies

Strategic Thinking : Ability to align database strategies with business objectives

Problem Solving : Strong analytical skills for complex database troubleshooting

Communication : Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences

Leadership : Proven ability to mentor team members and drive technical initiatives

Adaptability : Willingness to learn new technologies and adapt to changing requirements

Work Environment

Hybrid work environment with flexibility for remote work

Occasional on-call responsibilities for critical database issues

May require travel for system implementations or disaster recovery exercises

Fast-paced environment with multiple concurrent projects