Requirements

Deep PostgreSQL expertise (essential): A genuine track record of designing, optimizing, and scaling PostgreSQL for high-throughput storage and serving.
Data-store service experience: Experience building data storage and serving systems as a core responsibility.
Correctness-critical experience: Demonstrated experience designing reliable services with high correctness requirements.
Strong programming foundations: Deep experience in languages such as Kotlin, Java or similar.
Architectural judgement with a bias for simplicity: Strong instincts for reliable and efficient solutions.
A systems-and-people perspective: Ability to connect the data layer to the wider picture.
Cross-team technical leadership: Track record of anchoring long-running initiatives across multiple teams.

Nice to Have

Experience with temporal or history-tracking data models.
Operational ownership of critical infrastructure in an SRE or SRE-like capacity.
Background in fintech, payroll or another regulated, financially sensitive domain.

Own the data foundation: Set the architecture and patterns for the storage and serving system at the heart of payroll processing.
Go deep where it counts: Design, optimize, and scale a PostgreSQL-based data service for high loads.
Solve the hardest problems simply: Find robust solutions to complex challenges around correctness, reliability, and performance.
Keep money-critical systems trustworthy: Ensure payroll data is stored and served accurately and reliably.
Drive complex initiatives end to end: Lead technical efforts that span team boundaries within payroll.
Raise operational excellence: Set the standard for the reliability, performance, and maintainability of the critical service.
Collaborate across boundaries: Partner with teams to ensure system coherence.
Coach and elevate engineers: Mentor engineers through design feedback and example setting.