Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Modernise and scale our database systems while ensuring reliability and performance.
- Company: Join Starling Bank, the UK's leading digital bank on a mission to revolutionise banking.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, competitive salary, and a culture of collaboration and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Expertise in PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, and a passion for coding and systems thinking.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team committed to inclusion and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 ÂŁ per year.
Starling Bank is the UK's first and leading digital bank on a mission to fix banking. We build a new kind of bank powered by fast technology, fair service, and honest values, all available at the tap of a phone. With a flat, collaborative structure, we empower our technologists to take full ownership of everything from building and designing to sharing knowledge and ensuring efficient, productive processes that deliver the best possible results for our customers.
Hybrid Working
We prefer you to be located within a commutable distance of one of our offices so we can collaborate in person. In Technology, we ask that you attend the office a minimum of one day per week.
Our Data Environment
Our Data teams are aligned to divisions covering Banking Services & Products, Customer Identity & Financial Crime, and Data & ML Engineering. They aim to deliver meaningful, impactful insights to the business and our customers.
What you’ll be doing
- Modernize and Scale the RDS Fleet: ensure the reliability of our existing RDS footprint, architect automated strategies for seamless, multi‑version upgrades and proactive performance tuning.
- Architect Cross‑Cloud Portability: use CNPG and cloud‑native patterns to keep our database layer provider‑agnostic, enabling seamless deployment across AWS and GCP.
- Evolve Observability & Monitoring: build deep, proactive monitoring and alerting for our global database fleet to detect performance regressions and health issues before they impact customers.
- Support Replication & Mobility: support data streaming and 'Zero‑Downtime' migration strategies, ensuring data consistency and availability.
- Fortify Business Continuity (BCP): design and implement rigorous BCP and disaster‑recovery strategies, building automation that ensures data durability and rapid recovery across regions.
Requirements
- PostgreSQL & Kubernetes Expert: extensive experience with Postgres and a passion for running stateful workloads on Kubernetes, leveraging CNPG for persistence, high availability, and automated failover.
- Systems Thinker: prefer infrastructure managed entirely via code, using Terraform to provision the foundation and custom APIs to handle orchestration.
- Distributed Systems Enthusiast: excited by the challenge of multi‑tenant, multi‑region, and multi‑cloud environments while ensuring rigorous data integrity and mobility.
- A Security & Observability Mindset: prioritize security and build deep observability with Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, Humio, and automated guardrails.
- Engineering via Code: deliver primarily through code, using Java to build robust, testable backend services that orchestrate our data layer with clean relational modeling and performant DDL.
Starling Bank is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity & inclusion in the workplace.
Database Reliability Engineer employer: Starling
Contact Detail:
Starling Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Database Reliability Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at Starling Bank on LinkedIn or other platforms. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for landing a role as a Database Reliability Engineer.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the technical interview by brushing up on your PostgreSQL and Kubernetes skills. We recommend setting up a mini-project to showcase your expertise in managing stateful workloads and automating processes.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your problem-solving skills! During interviews, be ready to discuss how you've tackled challenges in distributed systems or data integrity. Real-world examples will make you stand out.
✨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, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our mission to fix banking.
We think you need these skills to ace Database Reliability Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Database Reliability Engineer role. Highlight your expertise in PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, and any relevant projects you've worked on that showcase your systems thinking.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're passionate about fixing banking and how your background makes you a great fit for Starling Bank. Be sure to mention your experience with cloud-native patterns and your approach to observability and monitoring.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: In your application, don't shy away from diving into the technical details. We want to see your understanding of multi-cloud environments, data integrity, and how you've implemented disaster recovery strategies in past roles.
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 gives you a chance to explore more about our culture and values!
How to prepare for a job interview at Starling
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your PostgreSQL and Kubernetes knowledge. Be ready to discuss your experience with stateful workloads and how you've leveraged CNPG for high availability. They’ll want to see that you can talk the talk and walk the walk!
✨Showcase Your Systems Thinking
Prepare examples of how you've managed infrastructure as code, especially using Terraform. Think about specific projects where you’ve implemented custom APIs for orchestration. This will demonstrate your ability to think critically about systems and processes.
✨Emphasise Security and Observability
Familiarise yourself with tools like Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry. Be ready to discuss how you’ve built observability into your previous projects and why it’s crucial for maintaining data integrity and security in a multi-cloud environment.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that ask you to solve real-world problems related to database reliability and performance tuning. Think through scenarios involving zero-downtime migrations or disaster recovery strategies, and be prepared to explain your thought process clearly.