Job description template

Database Developer

As a Database Developer, you design, implement, and optimize databases and data services that reliably support product and internal systems. You work independently on well-defined work, partner with engineers and analysts, and ensure database changes are secure, observable, and maintainable.

Responsibilities

Design and implement database schemas, indexes, and query patterns to meet performance and reliability requirements.
Develop and maintain stored procedures, functions, views, and scheduled jobs where appropriate.
Build and manage database migrations and schema change processes with safe rollout practices.
Monitor database health, investigate incidents related to performance or data correctness, and drive root-cause fixes.
Optimize slow queries and execution plans; improve throughput, latency, and resource usage.
Ensure data integrity and enforce security controls such as least-privilege access and safe handling of sensitive data.
Create and maintain documentation for data models, operational runbooks, and change rationale.

Must-have qualifications

Hands-on experience designing and optimizing relational databases in production
Strong SQL proficiency, including complex joins, window functions, and query plan optimization
Experience with database performance tuning (indexes, execution plans, query rewriting)
Working knowledge of database schema migrations and safe deployment practices
Experience ensuring data integrity using constraints, transactions, and appropriate isolation levels
Ability to diagnose and troubleshoot production issues using logs, metrics, and database tools

Nice to have

Experience with PostgreSQL or MySQL in a production environment
Familiarity with data modeling for analytics use cases (star/snowflake, dimensional modeling)
Experience integrating databases with application services or ETL/ELT workflows

What success looks like in 12 months

Database performance improves across critical workloads
Schema changes are deployed safely and consistently
Operational stability increases through faster diagnosis and resolution
Data correctness and integrity are strengthened
Documentation and runbooks are kept current for ownership areas

Logistics

Full-time (40 hours a week), remote from Latin America.
Working hours overlap with US business hours.

About the company

[About your company: what you build, your stage and team size]

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Interview scorecard

Score every candidate against the same bar

Deliver reliable, secure, and high-performing database capabilities that power product and internal systems through maintainable implementation and measurable improvements.

Outcomes to measure

What this hire should deliver in the first year. Replace [N] with your own targets.

Database performance improves across critical workloads. Measure: reduce p95 query latency by [X]% for [top N] critical queries OR workloads
Schema changes are deployed safely and consistently. Measure: achieve [X]% on-time migration success rate with rollback/forward plan validated in staging for [N] releases
Operational stability increases through faster diagnosis and resolution. Measure: reduce database-related incidents by [X]% and/or improve mean time to resolution (MTTR) by [X]% for [tracked incident type(s)]
Data correctness and integrity are strengthened. Measure: increase constraint/validation coverage by [X]%, and eliminate [X] recurring data correctness issues through root-cause fixes
Documentation and runbooks are kept current for ownership areas. Measure: publish/refresh [N] operational runbooks and data-model documents covering [scope] by end of month [M]

Competencies and weights

What to evaluate, how much it counts and what a strong answer looks like.

SQL optimization · 26%
The role requires strong SQL and the ability to improve performance through query rewriting and understanding execution plans. Evaluated in Round 1.

Weak: Writes basic SELECT queries but struggles with joins, window functions, or understanding why a query is slow.
Meets the bar: Can optimize queries by restructuring SQL and using appropriate indexes with explain/plan evidence.
Strong: Systematically improves query performance using execution plans, correct indexing strategy, and targeted SQL changes while preserving correctness.

Relational design · 21%
Well-defined work still requires correct data modeling, constraints, and schema decisions that scale and stay maintainable. Evaluated in Round 1.

Weak: Creates schemas without clear keys/constraints; data integrity relies mostly on application behavior.
Meets the bar: Designs normalized schemas with primary/foreign keys and constraints; uses appropriate data types and indexing basics.
Strong: Produces robust relational designs using constraints, transactions strategy, and indexing aligned to real query patterns.

Production troubleshooting · 21%
Database developers must diagnose performance and correctness issues quickly using real operational signals. Evaluated in Round 2.

Weak: Responds to issues with guesswork and limited use of logs/metrics/tools.
Meets the bar: Uses database tools/metrics/logs to identify likely causes and validates fixes with measurable results.
Strong: Leads systematic RCA by correlating symptoms with evidence (plans, locks, metrics), then prevents recurrence with targeted changes.

Migrations and rollout · 16%
Safe schema evolution is essential to avoid downtime and data issues during releases. Evaluated in Round 2.

Weak: Describes migrations but lacks a clear approach to backward compatibility, rollback, or validation.
Meets the bar: Uses a migration workflow with staged rollout, validation, and rollback considerations.
Strong: Plans and executes migrations with backward-compatible steps, minimal locking risk, and clear verification/rollback paths.

Integrity and security · 11%
The role must protect sensitive data and ensure transactional correctness and integrity constraints. Evaluated in Round 3.

Weak: Provides limited detail on constraints, transactions, or least-privilege access patterns.
Meets the bar: Implements constraints/transactions appropriately and applies least-privilege access with safe handling of sensitive data.
Strong: Demonstrates rigorous integrity/security practices: correct isolation/transactions, well-scoped roles/permissions, and safe credential/data handling.

Independent execution · 5%
Mid-level independence is required to deliver well-defined work without constant guidance. Evaluated in Round 3.

Weak: Needs frequent direction and struggles to finish scoped tasks end-to-end.
Meets the bar: Delivers assigned work reliably; asks clarifying questions early and completes defined scope.
Strong: Takes ownership of scoped work, anticipates risks, coordinates dependencies proactively, and delivers with minimal rework.

Interview questions

Questions for every interview round

Each round has an owner, a time box and questions that test the competencies above.

Round 1: SQL and Relational Foundations
Senior Database Engineer · 45 min

Walk through a slow SQL query you previously worked on: what evidence did you use (e.g., explain/plan), and what SQL/index changes did you make to improve performance?
How do you decide on schema structure (keys, foreign keys, normalization vs denormalization) for a new or evolving relational system? Describe tradeoffs you consider.
Give an example where window functions improved a solution versus alternative approaches. What was the performance or correctness impact?

Round 2: Migrations and Production Troubleshooting
Staff Engineer (Data Platform) · 45 min

Describe your approach to designing and deploying database migrations with minimal risk. How do you handle backward compatibility and rollback?
Tell us about a production database incident you investigated. What signals did you use (metrics/logs/locks), how did you narrow down the root cause, and how did you verify the fix?

Round 3: Integrity, Security, and Ownership
Engineering Manager · 45 min

Describe how you enforce data integrity in the database (constraints, transactions, isolation levels). How do you handle integrity issues discovered after deployment?
How do you implement least-privilege access and protect sensitive data in database roles and queries? Share a concrete example.
Describe a piece of well-defined work you owned end-to-end without much guidance. What did you do to manage risk and confirm success?

Red flags to watch for

Relies on application-side logic for integrity/security instead of database constraints and least-privilege access
Cannot explain how they use execution plans, metrics, or logs to validate performance or troubleshoot incidents
Has migration experience only in theory and cannot describe safe rollout/rollback strategies with evidence
Dismisses correctness tradeoffs (transactions/isolation/data validation) in favor of speed without mitigation
Struggles to deliver scoped work end-to-end and requires frequent direction to complete tasks

How much does it cost to hire a Database Developer in Latin America?

In 2026, a senior Database Developer in Latin America costs $6,750 to $7,750 a month all-in, versus $14,625 in the US: up to 54% less. Mid-level starts at $4,500.

Country

Mid-level

Senior

Argentina

$4,500

$6,750

Brazil

$5,000

$7,500

Colombia

$4,500

$6,750

Mexico

$5,250

$7,750

United States

$11,875

$14,625

Monthly cost in USD, all-in: the talent's salary plus Teilur's flat 20% fee, from our 2026 rates. The United States row shows what the same role typically costs there.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Database Developer do?

Typical responsibilities include: design and implement database schemas, indexes, and query patterns to meet performance and reliability requirements; develop and maintain stored procedures, functions, views, and scheduled jobs where appropriate; build and manage database migrations and schema change processes with safe rollout practices. The full list is in the template above.

How much does it cost to hire a Database Developer in Latin America?

In 2026, a senior Database Developer in Latin America costs $6,750 to $7,750 a month all-in, versus $14,625 in the US: up to 54% less. Mid-level starts at $4,500.

Can I customize this Database Developer job description?

Yes. Teilur's free Job Description & Scorecard Generator rewrites it for your stack, seniority, time zone and hiring urgency in about 15 seconds. No sign-up needed.

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Database Developer Job Description Template