If you care about databases that don’t wake people up at 3am, this role is for you.
What if you could help build Europe’s first Super App from the inside? Rebell is building something Europe has never had before: a Super App.
A single gateway where people can shop, pay, book, connect, and manage their daily lives across multiple countries, without switching between dozens of apps. In Asia, super apps like Alipay and WeChat have transformed the way hundreds of millions of people live and interact.
That means databases that are:
* secure by default,
* and designed for failure, not hope.
Rebell is already funded and staffed with senior leaders from Alipay, Twint, Scalapay, Glovo and Qonto. The launch is planned for late 2026, and the project is fully financed, no dependency on short-term fundraising.
We are now hiring a Senior Database Engineer / DBA to design, operate, and evolve the database layer that powers Rebell’s platform.
This is a role for someone who enjoys deep system thinking, automation, and understanding what actually happens under the hood when data scales.
The role
You will work at the intersection of database engineering, platform engineering, and automation.
Your job is to ensure Rebell’s databases are:
* highly available,
* observable,
* secure,
* and easy to operate through automation.
This is not a legacy “click-ops DBA” role. You will design systems, codify standards, automate aggressively, and collaborate closely with Platform, Security, AI, and Data teams.
What you’ll do
* Design and operate cloud-native database architectures on AWS, including RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, ElastiCache, and selected NoSQL systems.
* Choose the right database technologies based on workload characteristics, not trends.
* Design for high availability, fault tolerance, and predictable recovery.
Database as Code & automation
* Define and implement Database-as-Code (DBaC) principles using Terraform and automation pipelines.
* Automate database provisioning, scaling, patching, backups, and lifecycle management.
* Treat schemas, parameters, and changes as version-controlled artifacts.
Performance, reliability & HA/DR
* Own performance tuning, query optimization, and capacity planning for critical databases.
* Design and maintain HA/DR strategies, including replication, backups, and multi-region setups where needed.
* Lead root-cause analysis for performance degradation, replication issues, or data integrity problems.
Observability & operations
* Build strong database observability, integrating metrics, logs, and alerts using tools such as CloudWatch, Datadog, Prometheus, or equivalent.
* Make database behavior visible and understandable to engineers.
* Reduce operational surprises through instrumentation and automation.
Security & compliance
* Implement encryption at rest and in transit, auditing, and access controls across data layers.
* Integrate IAM-based access and follow least-privilege principles.
* Support compliance requirements such as GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 2 through engineering controls, not paperwork.
Data platforms & AI workloads
* Collaborate with AI, analytics, and data teams to optimize data models and pipelines for ML workloads.
* Support ETL processes, data lakes, and analytics platforms where relevant.
* Ensure databases scale with AI-driven and data-intensive use cases.
* Help engineering teams write better queries and data access patterns.
* Mentor engineers on SQL optimization, schema design, and data reliability.
* Raise the overall data maturity of the platform over time.
How we work at Rebell
* We only perform tasks that no-one else can do. If we can outsource a task that can be done by others in the same way we would, we do.
* We want an ultimately lean organization. We believe that large teams create complexity hinder innovation and adaptation.
* We believe in “better forgiveness than permission”, backed by solid engineering judgment.
* We simplify things as much as we can and automate whatever we can. We want to go hardcore on deletion and simplification.
* We hire for attitude; skills you can learn from the team.
* We value contribution, not seniority.
We’re an international team (10+ nationalities). English is the working language.
About you
* 10+ years of experience in Database Administration, Database Engineering, or Data Platform Engineering.
* Deep experience with AWS database services (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, ElastiCache).
* Strong proficiency in SQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, or MS SQL Server) and solid understanding of NoSQL systems.
* Hands-on experience with Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform or equivalent) for database provisioning.
* Strong scripting skills in Python, Bash, PowerShell, or similar.
* Deep understanding of performance tuning, replication, sharding, and indexing strategies.
* Experience designing and operating HA/DR solutions.
* Familiarity with DevOps practices for databases, including CI/CD for schema changes (Flyway, Liquibase, or similar).
* Strong understanding of data security, encryption, and compliance.
* Exposure to AI/ML data pipelines, ETL automation, or cloud data lakes is a plus.
* Certifications are a plus (AWS Certified Database – Specialty, PostgreSQL DBA, Oracle OCP), but systems you’ve actually run matter more.
We’re not looking for someone to babysit databases, but for someone who enjoys designing data systems that are fast, safe, and boring in production.
If that sounds like you, we should talk!
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