Staff Software Engineer

Summary

Join ActBlue's Database Platform team as a Staff Engineer/Architect and become a technical lead in designing and implementing modern data architectures. You will be responsible for all phases of the data architecture lifecycle, from planning and design to implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. This role requires 10+ years of experience in software engineering and architecture, strong knowledge of AWS and cloud database services, and expertise in scaling PostgreSQL databases. ActBlue offers a remote, salaried position with generous benefits, including flexible work schedules, unlimited time off, fully paid health insurance, and a comprehensive retirement plan. The salary range is $191,679 - $241,452, depending on experience. This is a bargaining unit position subject to a collective bargaining agreement.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering and architecture
• Strong knowledge of AWS and cloud database services (specifically multi-region), with the ability to evaluate both technical and cost implications of various database solutions
• Proven experience in scaling PostgreSQL databases effectively in high-volume, mission-critical environments
• Expertise in evaluating and implementing architectural changes, including potential solutions such as sharding or other scaling techniques
• Strong understanding of optimizing database performance, including: Offloading materialized views to external systems. Refactoring and moving business logic out of the database. Driving the adoption of PostgreSQL as a simple key-value store where appropriate
• A strategic eye for improving database architecture to support scalability and performance
• Collaborative skills to work cross-functionally and drive organizational alignment on database strategy
• Expertise in relational databases, document stores, in-memory databases, and big data solutions
• Proficiency in database replication, monitoring, and troubleshooting
• Passion for automation and repeatable configuration management
• Experience with Linux system administration
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Ability to lead and inspire a team, fostering collaboration and innovation
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• The ability to leverage your technical expertise not just to tackle the most challenging problem in sight but to empower, teach, and build systems of support that allow others to succeed
• Experience making recommendations for system-level improvements related to infrastructure. Comfort acting as a go-to consultant for other team engineers
• Fluency moving between design and implementation

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with stakeholders, including other engineering teams, to gather and define business requirements
• Develop quarterly roadmaps that guide the strategic direction of data architecture, ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals
• Architect a robust and comprehensive data infrastructure that supports diverse use cases, including Machine Learning and AI, transaction processing, application development, and optimized app caching strategies with in-memory databases like Redis and ElastiCache
• Lead the Database Platform team through the implementation of the modernized data architecture, striving for high standards of scalability, reliability, and security
• Design and execute tests to validate the performance, security, and reliability of the data architecture
• Oversee the seamless deployment of database solutions across various environments, ensuring smooth and efficient transitions from development to production
• Manage the automation of critical database processes, including backups, data transformations, and provisioning, across various database technologies
• Ensure continuous monitoring and maintenance, utilizing metrics and alerting systems like Datadog to uphold optimal performance and proactively address potential issues
• Ensuring robust disaster recovery planning, documentation, and testing
• Troubleshooting complex performance issues and implementing tuning solutions
• Managing security and access control policies, ensuring compliance and monitoring
• Mentoring and guiding team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement
• Staying abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, recommending and implementing best practices
• Contributing to supplementary projects as assigned, delivering timely and efficient work aligned with organizational objectives and standards

Benefits

• Flexible work schedules and an unlimited time-off policy
• Fully paid and trans-inclusive health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families; plus fully-paid health reimbursement arrangement to use for out of pocket expenses and fully-paid short- and long-term disability
• Fully paid basic and AD&D life insurance and a voluntary supplemental life insurance option
• Dependent and health care flexible spending account options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits for employees
• Automatic 2% Employer-paid 401K contribution, plus up to an additional 6% match on employee contributions
• A minimum of three months paid medical, family and parental leave (for all new parents, adoptions included)
• Commuter or home-office benefits, including a $1,000 home-office setup allowance for all new full-time remote employees
• Additional perks including quarterly snack deliveries and digital subscriptions to the Boston Globe & New York Times