At a Glance
- Tasks: Own and optimise CockroachDB infrastructure for reliability and performance.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company focused on innovative database solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive rewards, flexible remote work, and a health and wellness budget.
- Other info: Great opportunities for professional development and a supportive work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by enhancing mission-critical database systems and mentoring others.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in database management with advanced CockroachDB skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Job Responsibilities
- Own the reliability, scalability, latency, and performance of mission‑critical CockroachDB infrastructure.
- Promote operational efficiency by developing automated systems and tools, significantly reducing operational toil.
- Act as a technical mentor and subject‑matter expert within the team and consulting partner to customer teams.
- Serve as a primary technical consultant, partnering with customer teams for project‑based and long‑term CockroachDB support.
- Design, document, and implement the new L1/L2 support channel and operational workflow, including ticket triage, escalation paths, and SLA adherence.
- Act as an escalation point for complex, time‑sensitive production support and troubleshooting within distributed database environments.
- Ensure data security, integrity, and quality by adhering to internal standards and industry best practices (TLS/certificate management, RBAC, secrets management, audit logging).
- Own Backup, Restore, and Disaster Recovery operations, including scheduled full/incremental backups, point‑in‑time restore, restore drills, RPO/RTO definition, and failover testing.
- Manage the full CockroachDB cluster lifecycle, including node add/remove/decommissioning, rolling upgrades, patch validation, capacity planning, and downgrade/rollback planning.
- Develop readable, reusable code to streamline provisioning, management, and monitoring of CockroachDB clusters.
- Collaborate with development teams to define and implement relevant observability metrics, enhancing application reliability.
- Direct incident response, root cause analysis, and post‑mortem processes for critical database outages.
- Create and maintain clear documentation, runbooks, and operational guides to reduce business risk and operational costs.
- Define the technical strategy and roadmap for CockroachDB adoption and management across customer engagements.
- Proactively manage technical debt and identify scaling bottlenecks, ensuring infrastructure remains robust for future growth.
- Achieve billable and effective utilization targets of 85% (subject to modification).
- Perform other duties as assigned by your Manager.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience as a Database Administrator (DBA) or Site Reliability Engineer (SRE).
- Advanced experience with CockroachDB and intermediate‑level experience with a secondary relational database (e.g., PostgreSQL or MySQL).
- Proven experience migrating legacy databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) to a distributed SQL system like CockroachDB.
- Advanced SQL and optimization knowledge: query tuning, schema/index design, identifying hotspots, managing transaction contention and retry errors, using EXPLAIN ANALYZE/table statistics for diagnostics.
- Tool stack proficiency: Terraform, AWS (high skill in networking for multi‑region deployment), Vault, Gitlab, and deep production experience with Kubernetes/Helm/Operator.
- Deep scripting and automation skills (Python, Go, Bash).
- Expertise in analyzing CockroachDB‑specific observability metrics, including hands‑on experience with Prometheus/Grafana/Alertmanager, Datadog or CloudWatch, DB Console, and SLO/SLI reporting.
- Excellent customer service and consulting focus with proven ability to manage client expectations and priorities.
- Exceptional logical and systematic analysis for problem‑solving and root cause analysis.
- Proactive individual who identifies process gaps and enhances improvements across systems and structures.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills for delivering technical and strategic information to diverse audiences.
Benefits
- Competitive total rewards package (including paid vacation, sick days, and a day off to volunteer for your favourite charity).
- Flexible remote work: work from home with stable internet; no daily travel required.
- Professional development: substantial training allowance, professional development days, and opportunity to become certified.
- Updated equipment: laptop with chosen OS and annual budget to personalise home workspace.
- Health and wellness budget for gym memberships, massages, fitness, and more.
Hiring Disclaimer
The successful applicant will need to fulfil requirements necessary to obtain a background check. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in any aspect of the selection process.
Database Consultant, CockroachDB employer: Pythian
As a Database Consultant for CockroachDB, you will thrive in a dynamic work environment that prioritises innovation and professional growth. Our commitment to employee well-being is reflected in our competitive rewards package, flexible remote work options, and substantial training allowances, ensuring you have the resources to excel in your role. Join us to be part of a collaborative culture that values your expertise and fosters meaningful contributions to cutting-edge database solutions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Database Consultant, CockroachDB
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend meetups, and engage in online forums. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those related to CockroachDB or database management. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do beyond your CV.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and scenarios related to database management. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms to get comfortable with the format.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step to connect with us directly.
We think you need these skills to ace Database Consultant, CockroachDB
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Database Consultant role. Highlight your experience with CockroachDB and any relevant projects you've worked on. We want to see how your skills match up with what we're looking for!
Show Off Your Skills:In your application, don’t just list your skills—show us how you've used them! Share specific examples of how you've tackled challenges in database management or automation. This helps us see your problem-solving abilities in action.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how you can contribute to our team. We love seeing enthusiasm and a good fit for our culture.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Pythian
✨Know Your CockroachDB Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your CockroachDB knowledge before the interview. Understand its architecture, features, and how it differs from other databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL. Be ready to discuss your past experiences with migrations and optimisations, as this will show your expertise.
✨Showcase Your Automation Skills
Since the role involves developing automated systems, be prepared to talk about your experience with tools like Terraform, Kubernetes, and scripting languages such as Python or Go. Bring examples of how you've streamlined processes in previous roles to demonstrate your ability to reduce operational toil.
✨Prepare for Technical Scenarios
Expect to face technical scenarios during the interview. Practice explaining your approach to troubleshooting complex database issues, managing backups, and ensuring data integrity. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses effectively.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
As a consultant, your communication skills are crucial. Practice articulating technical concepts in a way that’s easy to understand for non-technical stakeholders. Be ready to discuss how you've managed client expectations and provided excellent customer service in past roles.
