Senior NoSQL Database Engineer

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior NoSQL Database Engineer with deep expertise in Apache Cassandra and working knowledge of MongoDB. This role requires complete ownership of the Cassandra database lifecycle from initial provisioning and configuration to cluster expansion, upgrades, performance tuning, monitoring, backup, and security hardening.The ideal candidate is passionate about designing and maintaining resilient, high-availability, distributed data systems, and ensuring zero-downtime performance in production environments.

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Key Responsibilities

Installation & Provisioning:

• Plan, install, and configure new Cassandra clusters from scratch across different environments (dev, staging, prod).
• Automate provisioning using scripts or Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, Ansible).
• Validate prerequisites such as OS tuning, Java/JVM versions, port configurations, and security policies.
• Ensure high-availability design through proper replication and data partitioning strategies.

Cluster Management & Scaling:

• Create and manage multi-node Cassandra clusters with defined replication and consistency settings.
• Add or remove nodes without downtime; handle token assignment and ring balancing.
• Manage data distribution, repair operations, compactions, and read/write load balancing.
• Plan and execute cluster upgrades and patching (minor and major versions) while ensuring zero or minimal downtime.

Performance Tuning & Optimization:

• Monitor performance metrics such as latency, throughput, GC behaviour, and disk I/O.
• Perform schema and query optimization in collaboration with developers.
• Adjust JVM parameters, cache settings, and compaction strategies to enhance performance.
• Identify and mitigate bottlenecks using tools like node tool, JMX, and Grafana dashboards.

Backup, Restore & Disaster Recovery:

• Implement automated backup strategies using nodetool snapshot or third-party tools (e.g., Medusa).
• Verify backup integrity and perform routine recovery drills.
• Establish and maintain disaster recovery plans with tested RTO and RPO goals.

Monitoring & Maintenance:

• Set up continuous monitoring with Prometheus, Grafana, or OpsCenter.
• Track and alert on key health indicators node status, compaction, heap usage, disk space, and dropped mutations.
• Participate in on-call rotations to handle production issues and database incidents.
• Conduct root-cause analysis (RCA) and preventive maintenance for recurring issues.

Security & Compliance:

• Implement role-based access control (RBAC) and secure authentication mechanisms.
• Enable TLS/SSL encryption for data-in-transit and data-at-rest where applicable.
• Regularly audit database permissions, rotate credentials, and comply with organizational security standards.

Upgrades & Continuous Improvement:

• Plan and execute in-place Cassandra upgrades and migrations between major versions.
• Validate schema and data consistency post-upgrade.
• Stay updated on new Cassandra releases, features, and performance enhancements.
• Recommend improvements for architecture, automation, and reliability.

Collaboration & Documentation:

• Work closely with DevOps, application, and infrastructure teams to align database configurations with business needs.
• Document installation, upgrade, and recovery procedures thoroughly (runbooks, knowledge base).
• Mentor junior team members and share operational best practices.

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Required Skills

• At least 5 years of hands-on experience managing Cassandra in production environments.
• Strong knowledge of Cassandra internals gossip, token distribution, consistency, repair, and compaction.
• Proven experience with database provisioning, scaling, and upgrades.
• Proficient in Linux systems and scripting (Bash or Python).
• Experience with data replication, backup, and recovery automation.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure) for distributed Cassandra deployments.
• Good understanding of database security, encryption, and auditing.
• Effective communication and problem-solving skills.

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Preferred (Nice to Have)

• Experience with MongoDB as a complementary NoSQL database.
• Familiarity with Terraform, Ansible, or Kubernetes for automation and containerized deployments.
• Exposure to Elasticsearch, Kafka, or other distributed systems.
• Hands-on with CI/CD pipelines for database release management.
• Knowledge of Prometheus, Grafana, or OpsCenter for performance visualization.