Senior Platform Engineer – Database Administration (AWS Focus)

Our Purpose Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. Title and Summary Senior Platform Engineer – Database Administration (AWS Focus) Overview The Senior Platform Engineer – Database Administration is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing scalable, secure, and highly available database platforms on AWS Cloud, supporting critical business applications. This role emphasizes PostgreSQL as the primary database platform, with Oracle expertise as a strong advantage. The position focuses on cloud-native database engineering, automation, platform reliability, and operational excellence, ensuring modern, resilient data platforms in a 24x7 enterprise environment. Role Responsibilities Cloud & Platform Engineering • Design, implement, and manage AWS-based database solutions, including Amazon RDS, Aurora PostgreSQL, EC2-hosted databases, and hybrid architectures. • Build and maintain cloud-native, scalable, and highly available database platforms aligned with enterprise standards. • Collaborate with architecture teams to design secure and resilient cloud database architectures. Database Administration • Administer and support PostgreSQL databases (primary focus) in production environments. • Support Oracle database environments (on-prem / cloud) as an additional skillset. • Manage database lifecycle activities including provisioning, patching, upgrades, and migrations. Performance & Reliability • Monitor database performance using AWS CloudWatch, Performance Insights, and native tools. • Perform query tuning, indexing strategies, and performance optimization. • Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) for performance and availability incidents. • Implement capacity planning and scaling strategies for cloud-based workloads. Automation & DevOps • Build and maintain automation for database provisioning, patching, backups, and failover using tools such as: o Terraform / CloudFormation (IaC) o Ansible / scripting (Python, Bash) • Enable CI/CD pipelines for database changes and schema deployments. • Drive standardization and process automation across environments. High Availability & DR • Implement and manage high availability configurations: o Aurora multi-AZ, RDS Multi-AZ o PostgreSQL replication and failover • Design and execute backup, recovery, and disaster recovery strategies in AWS. • Validate DR through regular testing and failover drills. Security & Compliance • Implement AWS and database security best practices, including IAM, encryption (KMS), and network isolation (VPC, SGs). • Ensure compliance with organizational and regulatory policies. • Proactively identify and mitigate risks related to database security and access. Collaboration & Operations • Collaborate with application, analytics, and infrastructure teams to optimize data solutions. • Support release and deployment activities, including schema changes and validations. • Participate in incident management, on-call rotation, and continuous improvement initiatives. • Provide technical guidance and mentoring to team members. Required Skills AWS & Cloud Platforms (Primary) • Hands-on experience with: o Amazon RDS (PostgreSQL) o Aurora PostgreSQL o EC2-based database deployments • Strong understanding of: o VPC, networking, security groups o IAM roles and policies o CloudWatch, CloudTrail monitoring • Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform / CloudFormation) Database Platforms • Strong expertise in PostgreSQL DBA (mandatory) • Experience in Oracle DBA (add-on / good to have) • Database platform engineering and lifecycle management Performance & Reliability • Query optimization and performance tuning • Monitoring and alerting • Troubleshooting and RCA • High availability and resilience design • Backup and disaster recovery strategies Automation & Engineering • Scripting: Python, Bash • Automation frameworks and tooling • CI/CD integration for database deployments • Configuration management Systems & Infrastructure • Linux/Unix administration • Networking fundamentals • Virtualized and distributed environments Security & Risk • Database and cloud security best practices • Encryption, access control, auditing • Risk mitigation and compliance adherence Ways of Working • Agile methodology • Cross-functional collaboration • ITSM practices (incident, change, problem management) • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills All About You Experience • 7+ years in database administration / platform engineering • Strong experience with PostgreSQL in AWS environments • Experience managing production database systems in 24x7 environments • Hands-on experience with AWS database services and cloud-native architecture • Experience with database migrations (on-prem → AWS) Good to Have • Oracle DBA experience (RAC, Exadata, OEM) • Experience with PostgreSQL on Aurora vs self-managed comparison • Exposure to multi-cloud or hybrid environments • Experience with Redis / caching technologies • Knowledge of data replication and distributed database systems • Experience driving standardization, compliance, and operational excellence initiatives Preferred Qualifications • Experience architecting large-scale AWS database platforms • Advanced PostgreSQL performance tuning • Experience with database observability tools • Strong background in automation and DevOps practices • Understanding of microservices and cloud-native application architecture Mastercard is a merit-based, inclusive, equal opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We hire the most qualified candidate for the role. In the US or Canada, if you require accommodations or assistance to complete the online application process or during the recruitment process, please contact reasonable_accommodation@mastercard.com and identify the type of accommodation or assistance you are requesting. Do not include any medical or health information in this email. The Reasonable Accommodations team will respond to your email promptly. Corporate Security Responsibility Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices; Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed; Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines. In line with Mastercard’s total compensation philosophy and assuming that the job will be performed in the US, the successful candidate will be offered a competitive base salary and may be eligible for an annual bonus or commissions depending on the role. The base salary offered may vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Mastercard benefits for full time (and certain part time) employees generally include: insurance (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, disability, life insurance); flexible spending account and health savings account; paid leaves (including 16 weeks of new parent leave and up to 20 days of bereavement leave); 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time, 25 days of vacation time and 5 personal days, pro-rated based on date of hire; 10 annual paid U.S. observed holidays; 401k with a best-in-class company match; deferred compensation for eligible roles; fitness reimbursement or on-site fitness facilities; eligibility for tuition reimbursement; and many more. Mastercard benefits for interns generally include: 56 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time; jury duty leave; and on-site fitness facilities in some locations. Pay Ranges O'Fallon, Missouri: $96,000 - $163,000 USD