Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for Database Engineer
A database engineer is a professional who is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining databases and data management systems. They monitor and maintain database security and database software and perform perform database backups, restores, log shipping, mirroring and replication. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Database Engineers.
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Main Responsibilities of Database Engineer
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Database Engineer:
Analyze
Analyze business requirements and create / participate in designing solution architecture.
Analyze existing SQL / ETL Scripts and improving them to achieve better performance and reliability.
Analyze, solve, and correct issues in real-time.
Architect
Architect, engineer and deploy low latency network infrastructure.
Architect internal data solutions as part of the full stack of Infrastructure.
Assist in
Assist developers with query tuning and schema refinement.
Assist in planning and performing database upgrades and migrations.
Assist in planning and performing NoSQL database upgrades and migrations.
Assist in the design of user interface and business application prototypes.
Assist with monthly server security audits.
Author
Author solutions and services artifacts and initiate ideation, strategy, and future design.
Author training material and documentation to be provided to clients.
Automate
Automate replication of production databases to development and reporting environments.
Backup
Backup and restore the database as required.
Backup, restore and recovery operations.
Build
Build algorithms and prototypes.
Build database systems using Microsoft products and cloud based applications.
Build data systems and pipelines.
Build windows, screens and reports.
Code
Code complex programs and derive logical processes on technical platforms.
Collaborate with
Collaborate with application / development partners to address performance reported issues.
Collaborate with developers on database design, query tuning, and schema refinement.
Collaborate with other DBAs, participates in internal projects, and leads some initiatives.
Collaborate with other teams as needed to see changes through to completion.
Collaborate with Technology partners to help define and understand target strategies.
Collaborate with the engineering teams to optimize the database usage.
Combine
Combine raw information from different sources.
Communicate
Communicate clearly and effectively while demonstrating ownership.
Conduct
Conduct cost analyses and presents alternative recommendations to senior management.
Configure
Configure, administer, manage and support Cassandra cluster nodes in bigdata ecosystem.
Configure and maintain database servers and processes.
Configure and manage cassandra nodes.
Configure and manage PostgreSQL replication.
Configure and manage replication.
Configure and manage replication using Golden Gate and Streams Replication technology.
Contribute to
Contribute to open source projects.
Contribute to the review and analysis of business requirements.
Contribute / write / maintain OS level scripts (i.e., UNIX shell) for system DB maintenance.
Coordinate
Coordinate interaction with vendors in critical database problem situations.
Create
Create, alter, delete, grant permissions, indexing, updating.
Create complex SQL statements, stored procedures for software development.
Create ETL jobs using Java / Python to automate Data Transfers.
Create, maintain, and present technical documentation to different audiences and levels.
Define
Define and create database queries for production deployment along with abstracted database APIs.
Define and resolve data design, flow, content, and quality issues.
Define solution design and services.
Define / Supports application SLAs from Database solutions perspective.
Design
Design a data validation and scrubbing process.
Design and develop database objects, stored procedures, views, functions, tables, and triggers.
Design and develop tables, views, triggers, indexes, constraints, and stored procedures.
Design and execute effective test procedures on deployed database prototypes.
Design Databases Create and Optimize SQL queries / Stored Procedures for high traffic website.
Design data pipelines using Azure, Google cloud services, python.
Design information management structures and workflows for loading and processing source data.
Design standards for monitoring, backup, recovery, and alerting.
Determine
Determine appropriateness of data for storage and optimum storage organization.
Develop
Develop analytical tools and programs.
Develop and demonstrate the technical design of the data warehouse or reporting products.
Develop architectures to migrate data and entire databases.
Develop framework for cloud implementations.
Develop procedures for the synchronization between different database environments.
Develop reusable and scalable ETL processes.
Develop technical documentation for use in future incident resolution.
Document
Document data infrastructure.
Document and communicate database design.
Drive
Drive process improvements through the use of automation.
Engage
Engage directly with all groups within Technology.
Ensure
Ensure accurate documentation exists for all services and solutions.
Ensure database optimization, integrity, consistency, security and privacy of data.
Ensure department or project is adequately staffed.
Ensure established RPO and RTO metrics are met or exceeded, with supporting reports or dashboards.
Ensure high levels of performance, availability, sustainability, and security.
Ensure that projects build successfully in a continuous integration environment.
Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed.
Establish
Establish and follow data gathering organization and delivering practices.
Evaluate
Evaluate and installs database management systems.
Evaluate data management technologies and recommend data strategies.
Evaluate new technologies and processes that enhance our service capabilities.
Exlore
Exlore ways to enhance data quality and reliability.
Follow
Follow and assist in creating all departmental policies and best practices.
Handle
Handle multiple responsibilities with rapidly changing priorities and deadlines.
Help
Help people managers spot internal and external talent.
Help the development team set up a test environment for database applications.
Help to develop other team members into senior levels and leaders in the team.
Identify
Identify and select appropriate technologies.
Identify and mentor technical talent for the future.
Identify and recommend emerging technologies as they relate to team objectives.
Identify, develop, test, document and transition data protection solution to Operations.
Identify inefficiencies in current databases and implement improved solutions.
Identify opportunities and execute the automation of the platform operations.
Identify opportunities for data acquisition.
Identify strategic learning needs in a technical domain and lead the creation of learning journeys.
Impact
Impact application performance or user experience.
Implement
Implement and deliver on the architecture migrating databases.
Implement and maintain production databases.
Implement backups / restores.
Implement backup strategies and performs upgrades and patching.
Install
Install and configure Opscenter and setup performance monitoring and maintenance using the same.
Integrate
Integrate internal and external product design into a cohesive user experience.
Interface
Interface directly with the customer, sponsors and ensure contractual requirements are met.
Interpret
Interpret trends and patterns.
Involve
Involve off-hours deployments as members of staggered work-shift teams.
Lead
Lead a multi-disciplinary diverse global database team within Mastercard© Operations.
Lead and set direction for MasterCard's use of best practices and application database solutions.
Lead incident, security and performance analysis.
Maintain
Maintain ability to quickly identify trends and issues, recommends possible solutions.
Maintain best practices for handling, storing, and using data.
Manage
Manage and evolve observability tools and documentation used by engineers.
Manage database code consistency between dev, QA, and production for all regions.
Manage Oracle physical standby database.
Mentor
Mentor and develop database engineers and database administrator.
Migrate
Migrate databases to new hardware as required.
Mitigate
Mitigate risks in the database infrastructure by developing the best in class tools and processes.
Monitor
Monitor and maintain database security and database software.
Monitor and troubleshoot performance issues on the enterprise data pipelines and the Data Warehouse.
Monitor database performance parameters to provide fast query responses to front-end users.
Network
Network and build lasting relationships with students from diverse backgrounds from across Canada.
Oversee
Oversee data mapping and data architecture for the company.
Oversee the resolution of chronic complex problems to prevent future database performance issues.
Participate in
Participate in development process improvements of our continuous integrations services.
Participate in some engineering duties and the on-call rotation.
Perform
Perform Capacity planning and evaluate database growth.
Perform database backups, restores, log shipping, mirroring and replication, etc..
Perform database performance and query tuning.
Perform database self-audit.
Perform production level support and be part of the on-call rotation when required.
Perform scheduled maintenance and release deployment activities.
Perform unit testing and full systems testing, ensuring results meet customer requirements.
Plan
Plan capacity, scale performance and make the databases highly available.
Plan and coordinate data migrations between systems.
Produce
Produce a Forward Schedule of Changes for the Database Engineering team.
Produce high quality technical documentation of your work.
Propose
Propose and participate in adoption of new technologies and trends.
Provide
Provide advice / recommendations on database architecture, design and implementation.
Provide analysis of problems and recommends solutions.
Provide architectural and hands on assistance with scaling and improving our Database Engines.
Provide database administration support for business applications.
Provide input to the technical and strategic direction of Database Management.
Provide leadership by displaying mentoring abilities and project leadership.
Provide on-going support for data related issues.
Provide post‐implementation support, making system enhancements as needed.
Provide primary support for critical, complex production Oracle databases.
Provide problem management and resolution for repeat issues.
Provide reliable and efficient DBA services as part of the database team.
Provide resource estimates, budgets, timelines and scope of work for different projects.
Provide rotational on-call support outside of regular business hours.
Provide SQL Server RDBMS support for MasterCard Applications.
Provide work estimates using fact / metrics based model with supporting assumptions.
Provide world-class support and expertise to all of MasterCard's Database environments.
Provide world-class support and expertise to all of MasterCard's MySQL database environments.
Provide world-class support and expertise to all of MasterCard's NoSQL database environments.
Redesign
Redesign daily job check and build in loops to jobs to ETLs to handle late finishes by IT.
Resolve
Resolve database incidents (dead locks, database outages, ...).
Resolve complex issues and conflicts (including architectural direction vs project constraints).
Retrieve
Retrieve information from the My SQL database using VBA Script in Excel.
Review
Review all ETLs to validate code updates aren't needed.
Review, analyze, and evaluate business systems and user needs.
Set up
Set up and test a robust backup methodology.
Support
Support and develop new and existing Data Warehouse and OLTP design with dev teams.
Support assigned regional projects, which include responsibility for planning.
Support DevOps and good software engineering standards delivering quality software products.
Support Forecasting and Capacity Planning for cloud infrastructures.
Support of production systems by providing timely fixes.
Support performance testing and application benchmarking activities.
Support the installation and configuration of Cassandra cluster for high availability.
Support the installation and configuration of Databases for high availability.
Support the operations team with data reports / statistics / queries.
Track
Track record designing, building, shipping, and maintaining distributed SQL systems.
Troubleshoot
Troubleshoot database related issues such as latency and record blocking.
Troubleshoot production issues related to data and SQL code.
Tune
Tune stored procedures and T-SQL queries to improve performance and sustainability.
Update
Update existing queries, create new ones to manipulate data into a master file.
Work
Work across support teams to gather information, determine and implement resolutions.
Work as an SME, providing guidance for the best utilization of the database.
Work effectively with a distributed team in multiple geographic locations and time zones.
Work on hardening gold image updates for database instantiations.
Work on maintaining database security (roles, privileges, authentication).
Work on maintaining Oracle database security (roles, privileges, authentication).
Work on maintaining PostgreSQL database security (roles, privileges, authentication).
Work with DB2 and 3rd-party vendor support when required.
Work with members of various teams to optimize data and information usage.
Work with NoSQL vendors and their respected support channels when required.
Work with other development, architecture, and product development teams.
Work with Product Analyst and Back-end Engineers to enable and support various product features.
Work with RDBMS vendors and their respected support channels when required.
Work with UX / UI to improve and refine product visual design and consistency.
Write
Write and maintain shell scripts.
Write and review Infrastructure as a code, create and maintain database documentation.
Write and reviews clear technical specifications and documentation.
Write / design database objects such as stored procedures, functions, packages, triggers, views etc..
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Database Engineer:
SQL Server
Information Systems
Recovery
Backup
Java
Linux
Database Technology
DB2
Scripting Skills
Infrastructure Automation
Troubleshooting
Partitioning
Design
Postgres
Database Technologies
Perl
Redis
Cassandra
Dataguard
Supporting Business Processes
Ansible
Automation
Data Architecture
Database Management
Jenkins
OEM
Oracle Rac
Performance Tuning
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Database Engineer:
Written and oral communication skills
Collaborative
Analytical ability
Problem-solving attitude
Multi-task
Facilitate cross-functional teams
Identifying tasks associated with responsibilities
Interpersonal skills
Work with team members located in multiple geographies
Multitask and prioritize
Team player
Work with minimal supervision seeking direction
Organizational capacity
Collaborate with others in support of responsibilities
Self-motivated
