Senior Database Engineer

About SHEIN 

SHEIN is a global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, offering SHEIN branded apparel and products from a global network of vendors, all at affordable prices. Headquartered in Singapore, with more than 15,000 employees operating from offices around the world, SHEIN is committed to making the beauty of fashion accessible to all, promoting its industry-leading, on-demand production methodology, for a smarter, future-ready industry. 

Position Summary

We are looking for a full-time Senior Database Engineer (Official name Senior Database Engineer I) for our San Diego-based corporate office with the option to work fully-remote. The Senior Database Engineer will be responsible for leading the development and management of SHEIN's databases and distributed systems. This role centers on MySQL and other database technologies, reporting directly to the Head of Database and with regular updates to the CTO.

The ideal candidate will have experience managing large-scale, mission-critical environments that require zero downtime. As part of the SHEIN DBRE team, you will play a key role in ensuring the reliability, performance, and security of our database infrastructure through automation and scalable solutions. Our team integrates DBA, SRE, and DBRE expertise to deliver highly available data services.

We design resilient architectures to meet evolving business and data processing demands, prioritizing efficiency and system reliability. While each team member may have their preferred technologies, a deep understanding of database fundamentals—and how different database systems interact with applications and operating systems—is essential for success. This role requires collaboration across multiple customer environments and global teams. 

Job Responsibilities

• Maintain scalable, reliable, and robust production database environments across various database systems, including MySQL, ClickHouse, and MongoDB.
• Continuously monitor database health, proactively diagnose issues, and implement resolutions as needed.
• Optimize database performance through query tuning, index optimization, and performance diagnostics.
• Develop and maintain database tools and automation scripts to streamline operations and reduce manual toil.
• Collaborate with development teams and engineers to provide guidance on database design, best practices, and architectural decisions.
• Manage database upgrades, migrations, and schema changes while ensuring minimal disruption and improved performance.
• Triage and resolve database issues, driving incidents to resolution and implementing preventative measures.
• Conduct capacity planning and benchmarking across multiple database technologies.
• Ensure data integrity, high availability, security, and privacy compliance across all database environments.
• Provide 24/7 escalated on-call support as part of a pager rotation.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
• 4 years of hands-on MySQL database management experience.
• 4 years of experience with Azure, AWS, or any other major cloud provider.
• Strong understanding of distributed and replicated database architectures.
• Proven troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Experience in monitoring and analyzing system performance, identifying bottlenecks, and improving database reliability and scalability.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting language (e.g., Golang, Shell); familiarity with Golang development is a plus.
• Passion for solving scalability and performance challenges in large-scale environments.
• Ability to remain calm and focused under pressure, especially during critical incidents.
• Strong expertise in Linux operating systems, storage, networking, and related system principles.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to collaborate effectively with remote, globally distributed teams.

Nice to have

• Bilingual fluency in Mandarin and English
• 5 years of experience managing MySQL at scale in high-performance environments.
• Experience with ClickHouse, MongoDB, or other distributed database systems.
• Deep knowledge of database internals, including the ability to independently deploy and optimize open-source tools like Percona or MySQL source code.
• Hands-on experience with Golang development or proficiency in other programming languages for automation.

Benefits and Perks 

• Bonus and RSU eligible
• Healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs) 
• Health Savings Account with Employer Funding 
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare and Dependent care) 
• Company-Paid Basic Life/AD&D insurance 
• Company-Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability 
• Voluntary Benefit Offerings (Voluntary Life/AD&D, Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, and Accident) 
• Employee Assistance Program 
• Business Travel Accident Insurance 
• 401(k) Savings Plan with discretionary company match and access to a financial advisor  
• Vacation, paid holidays, floating holiday and sick days   
• Employee discounts 
• Free weekly catered lunch 
• Dog-friendly office (available at select locations) 
• Free gym access (available at select locations) 
• Free swag giveaways 
• Annual Holiday Party 
• Invitations to pop-ups and other company events 
• Complimentary daily office snacks and beverages 

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