Senior Database Engineer - Postgres
Posted Sep 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about the worst database outage you've been part of. What did you learn?
What they are checking: Composure in incidents and lessons that changed how they run databases afterward.
Tell me about a time you automated a routine DBA task. What did it save?
What they are checking: An automation mindset that reduces manual work and the errors that come with it.
What would you do
A developer wants to run a large schema change on a busy production table during the day. What do you do?
What they are checking: Protecting production availability while still helping teams ship their changes safely.
About the work
You'd support mission-critical PostgreSQL and Oracle environments. Walk me through how you'd set up high availability for a Postgres cluster.
What they are checking: Hands-on knowledge of replication, failover tooling and the tradeoffs between them in production.
A query that used to take 50 milliseconds now takes 10 seconds. How do you find out why?
What they are checking: A methodical tuning approach using query plans, statistics and indexes instead of guesswork.
How do you design backups and disaster recovery, and how do you prove they actually work?
What they are checking: Whether they test restores regularly, since untested backups often fail when they are needed most.
What's different about administering Oracle compared with Postgres, in your experience?
What they are checking: Real experience with both platforms the posting names, not just familiarity with one.
How do you secure database environments, from access control to encryption?
What they are checking: Security practices for sensitive financial data, which the posting lists as part of administration.
What do you monitor on a Postgres server, and what early warnings do you watch for?
What they are checking: Proactive monitoring of things like replication lag, bloat and connection limits before they cause outages.
How do you think about storage performance and planning for growing databases?
What they are checking: Understanding of the storage side, which the posting includes in this role's scope.
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As published by DRW.