Database Infrastructure Engineer, Engine by Starling
1-5 days a week in office
Digital banking platform
Open for applications
Digital banking platform
101-200 employees
Open for applications
1-5 days a week in office
101-200 employees
Company mission
To radically reshape banking in markets around the world.
Role
Who you are
- Our preference is that you're located within a commutable distance of one of our offices so that we're able to interact and collaborate in person
- People with a broad ability to apply themselves to a multitude of problems and challenges, who can work across teams do great things here at Engine, to continue changing banking for good
- Ideally, you will be an inquisitive Engineer, with an aptitude for finding clean and simple solutions to technical problems
- You will be passionate about running observable and reliable database infrastructure that underpins the entire Engine technology platform
- We are also on the lookout for Database Engineers - we will be starting to hire for these roles in the near future
- The ideal candidate will have experience with:
- Database design and architecture
- Performance tuning
- Backup and recovery
- Security
- Cloud database infrastructure management on AWS/GCP using Infrastructure as Code
- Managing large database environments, preferably with Postgres
- Monitoring and alerting
- A proven track record of working closely with software engineers
- An aptitude for thinking out of the box
- Experience with AWS, GCP or other cloud environments
- Understanding of database monitoring, analysis, disaster recovery and performance tuning
- Proven experience working as a DBA from a performance tuning and optimisation perspective
- Built and deployed PostgreSQL clusters into production (would consider Oracle/MySQL and similar technologies)
- Experience working with AWS RDS Postgres or GCP Cloud SQL databases
- Knowledge of Postgres configuration settings
- An understanding of Postgres’ vacuum/MVCC process
- Worked within high availability, scalable environments
- Ability to engage with all levels of the business to understand user needs
- Strong ability to solve complex technical issues
What the job involves
- We are looking for engineers at all levels to join the team
- We value people being engaged and caring about customers, caring about the code they write and the contribution they make to Engine
- We have built our entire banking platform in house and mostly in Java. We are looking for people who want to work on building the tooling that is used by our engineers on a daily basis
- Monitor and optimise the performance of our ever growing PostgreSQL database estate by working closely with our technology teams to understand the workloads
- Keep our database estate up to date - both from a vulnerability management and supported Postgres version point of view
- Managing and monitoring data replication
- Lead regular disaster recovery testing initiatives
- Own and improve technical documentation and processes for database tasks - enabling teams to self help with e.g. allocating system storage and planning storage needs; performing upgrades; optimising database queries
- Own and improve monitoring dashboards and alerts
- Contribute to the development of our in-house developed database manager tooling that’s responsible for performing all DBA related tasks without ever having to log into a database via the command line in production
- Own cost optimisation - reviewing and proposing recommendations for optimising database footprint, including reserved instance lifecycle management
- Embrace automation and be reluctant for manual implementation
- Implement security best practices
- Demonstrate knowledge of new technologies and changes in the industry
- Ensure platform compliance with ISO27001, SOC2 and PCI-DSS
Application process
- Nterviewing is a two way process and we want you to have the time and opportunity to get to know us, as much as we are getting to know yo
- Our interviews are conversational and we want to get the best from you, so come with questions and be curious
- In general you can expect the below, following a chat with one of our Talent Team:
- Stage 1 - 30 mins with an Engineer
- Stage 2 - 120 mins technical interview with two team members
- Stage 3 - 45 min final with an executive
Salary benchmarks
Our take
Engine by Starling emerges as a solution to the age-old challenge plaguing traditional banking systems: outdated infrastructure. The banking landscape is littered with legacy systems, hindering innovation, agility, and customer-centricity. Engine steps in to disrupt this by offering a cloud-native banking platform.
Firstly, it provides a suite of technology that forms the backbone of digital banking, enabling clients to pick solutions tailored to their needs. Secondly, Engine adopts a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, diverging from conventional banking strategies. This move democratises access to cutting-edge banking technology, cutting through geographical barriers and fostering global financial inclusivity.
Engine's trajectory is poised for expansion and dominance in the financial technology arena, with the CEO claiming it can be bigger than Starling. As it continues to catalyse digital transformation across traditional banking institutions, Engine is set to become a pivotal player in the industry.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Few candidates hear
back within 2 weeks
Company
Company benefits
- 33 holiday days: Including public holidays which you can take when works for you
- Generous family-friendly policies
- Private Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care. Partner Benefits include discount with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peleton
- Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasing
- 16 hours paid volunteering time a year
- Salary sacrifice, company enhanced pension scheme
- 4x life insurance: Life insurance at 4x your salary & group income protection
- Perkbox membership, giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks
- An extra day’s holiday for your birthday
Company values
- Listen: We listen to each other and our clients – because everyone has something different to teach us, and diversity of thought makes our work better.
- Aim for greatness: In everything we do, we strive to deliver the best possible outcome. If something’s worth making, it’s worth making it great
- Own it: Smart people thrive when they’re given freedom. Our people like to get their hands dirty, figure things out and take ownership
- Keep it simple: There’s beauty (and speed) in simplicity. From the way we speak to the tech we build, we want to be simple and clear in everything we do
- Do the right thing: Ethics aren’t an afterthought – they’re our driving force. Doing what’s best for our communities and the planet is central to our mission
Company HQ
Spitalfields, London, UK
Articles
Leadership
Sam Everington
(CEO)Has worked at Starling Bank for the past 7 years in various roles before becoming the CEO of Engine by Starling in 2022. Previously a Senior Consultant/Manager & Technical Architect at Alfa.
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