Principal Engineer for Database Platform

Postgres
UNITED STATES
October 25, 2026
Full Time
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Job Description

Company: Horizon3.ai
Location: Remote
Workplace Type: Remote
Employment Type: Full-time
Pay / Compensation: $255,000 – $290,000 annually + equity

About the Role

Horizon3.ai is looking for a Principal Engineer for Database Platform to serve as the technical anchor of NodeZero’s data infrastructure. This is a deeply hands-on individual contributor role where you will own consequential database architecture decisions, define standards for how data is stored, queried, and migrated at scale, and ensure the data layer supports rapid company growth without requiring proportional operational effort.

What You’ll Do / Key Responsibilities

  • Technical Strategy: Define and drive the technical roadmap for the Database Platform in partnership with the Senior Engineering Manager and broader Pentest Platform organization.
  • Architecture Leadership: Own complex database architecture decisions including schema design, partitioning strategies, migration patterns, and scalability approaches.
  • PostgreSQL Excellence: Act as the definitive expert on PostgreSQL at scale, handling query optimization, advanced indexing, partitioning, replication, and connection pooling.
  • Graph & Multi-model Data: Architect and guide the evolution of NodeZero’s graph-based asset model and relational graph-like query patterns.
  • Schema Governance: Own schema design review processes to ensure every migration is safe, reversible, and zero-downtime.
  • Mentorship & Bar Raising: Mentor engineering peers through code reviews, design reviews, and pairing to elevate database engineering standards across teams.

Requirements & Qualifications

  • Deep, production-proven PostgreSQL expertise: query planner internals, advanced indexing (partial, expression, GiST/GIN), partitioning strategies, logical replication, vacuuming at scale, and connection pool tuning.
  • Experience architecting multi-tenant databases at scale: row-level security, tenant isolation, and schema-per-tenant vs. shared-schema tradeoffs.
  • Experience with schema migration at scale in production systems: zero-downtime migrations, backwards-compatible schema evolution, and migration tooling (Flyway, golang-migrate, or equivalent).
  • Familiarity with graph data models and graph databases (Neo4j, AWS Neptune) or graph-like query patterns in relational systems (recursive CTEs, ltree, adjacency list).
  • Proficient in Go or Python for writing production application code alongside SQL.
  • Demonstrated track record of defining database architecture at scale from design doc to production across multiple companies or teams.

Preferred / Bonus Qualifications (if applicable)

  • Background in cybersecurity data: vulnerability databases, network scan schemas, or attack surface management data models.
  • Experience with time-series databases (TimescaleDB, InfluxDB) in addition to relational systems.
  • Familiarity with data platform compliance requirements: SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP data handling, or GDPR/CCPA.
  • Contributions to open-source database tooling or PostgreSQL ecosystem projects.

Benefits & Perks (if applicable)

  • Comprehensive health, vision, and dental care for you and your family
  • Flexible vacation policy and generous parental leave
  • Equity package in the form of stock options
  • 100% remote work flexibility

Horizon3 is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental principles of its culture and success.

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