Database Engineer · Scale

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:03:06 GMT
Engineering

Scale · San Francisco, CA; New York, NY · $162,400-$203,000 USD · onsite

We're looking for a database engineer with deep experience building and scaling both structured and unstructured database platforms supporting distributed systems, data-intensive applications, and machine learning infrastructure.

As a member of the Platform team, you will build and mature database foundations for Scale, leveraging industry-standard platforms. You will collaborate with stakeholders across the organisation, including software developers, platform engineers, machine learning scientists, customer operations, etc.

Key responsibilities include:

Building and maintaining high-performance database systems Collaborating with cross-functional teams to design and implement scalable database solutions Developing and optimising database queries and indexing strategies Ensuring data consistency and integrity across multiple systems Mentoring junior engineers and contributing to the growth of the team Improving engineering standards, tooling, and processes Working directly with engineering and sales teams to create backend database solutions to meet their challenging data and security needs Working with the Security Team on security compliance, pen tests, and mitigations that improve security across Scale Building systems capable of handling millions of frames of data every day, making it available to both our workforce and our internal teams with high availability.

This role requires:

5+ years of industry experience as a database engineer post-graduation Engineering experience with building real-time and distributed system architecture Experience designing and self-hosting databases on industry-standard public cloud platforms Deep familiarity with design, architecture, optimisation, and tuning multiple database platforms such as MongoDB, Postgres, MySQL, DynamoDB, Redis Deep familiarity with SQL query optimisation, database indexing, scalability (partitioning/sharding), and replication Experience developing and optimising backup and restore functionality to meet RTO goals Intermediate experience in at least one coding language: Typescript, Python, Go, Java, C++ Experience working with Docker, Kubernetes, and Infra-as-Code (e.g. Terraform); bonus points for experience supporting GPU/ML workloads.

Nice to haves:

Prior startup experience to help us grow responsibly Experience with AWS, Datadog, ElasticSearch Experience with cloud-based data warehouse solutions like Snowflake or Databricks Experience with cost optimisation strategies and techniques for database platforms Experience developing and designing intermediary data abstraction layers Mentored and grown members of your team or been a tech lead on large projects.

Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position, determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity-based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process, and confirm whether the hired role will be eligible for equity grant. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additionally, this role may be eligible for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend.