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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal Database Engineer - SQL Server & AI Data Infrastructure - **Company:** WEX Inc. - **Location:** South Portland, ME, United States - **Salary:** $165,800.0 - $204,400.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Legacy Database, Artificial Intelligence, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems, Batch Processing, Business Software, C Sharp (Programming Language), Cloud Computing, Cloud Database, Code Review, Computer Programming, Databases, Continuous Integration, Data Infrastructure, Data Integration, Extract Transform Load (ETL), Data Systems, Cursor, Software Debugging, Python (Programming Language), PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQL Azure, Online Analytical Processing, NoSQL, Online Transaction Processing, Oracle SQL Developer, Performance Tuning, Query Optimization, Software Tools, Search Technologies, Software Engineering, SQL Stored Procedures, Data Streaming, Transact-SQL, Management of Software Versions, Data Processing, GitHub Copilot, Snowflake, Concurrency, Database Optimization, Database Performance, Change Data Capture, Indexer, Event Driven Architecture, Database Migration, Deployment Automation, Bicep, AWS Data Analytics, Apache Kafka, Cosmos DB, Data Management, Database Replication, Terraform, Code Restructuring, Software Version Control, Data Pipelines - **Published:** September 6, 2026 - **Apply:** https://jobs.localjobnetwork.com/apply/add/88259701/1 ## About the Role * 15+ years of experience in database engineering, data platform engineering, software engineering, or a related technical discipline. * Deep hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server and T-SQL, including complex stored procedures, query optimization, execution-plan analysis, indexing, and performance tuning. * Demonstrated experience modernizing or refactoring legacy database systems, not simply maintaining existing environments. * Experience working with large-scale, business-critical databases and high-volume data environments. * Strong programming skills in Python, C#, or a similar language for automation, tooling, and data processing. * Experience with data pipelines, ETL/ELT, data integration, batch processing, and/or event-driven architectures. * Strong understanding of database internals, transaction management, concurrency, locking, and performance optimization. * Experience working across engineering teams and independently driving complex technical initiatives. AI & Modern Data Technologies * Experience using AI coding assistants such as Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Augment, or similar tools. * Familiarity with embeddings, vector databases, semantic search, or RAG concepts. * Experience with or willingness to build AI-enabled data tooling and automation. * Exposure to technologies such as PostgreSQL, Snowflake, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, AWS data services, or similar platforms. Cloud & Engineering Practices * Experience with infrastructure-as-code such as Terraform, ARM/Bicep, or similar technologies. * Experience with CI/CD, source control, database migrations, schema versioning, and deployment automation. * Experience with event streaming technologies such as Kafka is a plus. * Familiarity with NoSQL and document databases is a plus. Preferred Experience * Experience in payments, financial services, healthcare, benefits, or other highly regulated environments. * Experience supporting highly available, customer-facing or business-critical systems. * Experience with Oracle PL/SQL in addition to SQL Server. * Hands-on experience with RAG, semantic search, vector databases, or AI-agent data infrastructure. * Experience building internal engineering tools or automation using AI. * ## Description WEX is looking for a highly experienced Database Engineer to help modernize and scale critical data platforms while supporting the next generation of AI-enabled applications. This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who brings deep expertise in SQL Server and T-SQL, combined with the ability to solve complex database performance, scalability, and modernization challenges at enterprise scale. You will work across large, business-critical data environments, partnering closely with application engineering, SRE, operations, and architecture teams. The role is highly technical and execution-oriented-you will be expected to independently identify problems, drive solutions, and take ownership from design through implementation and production. The team is also applying modern AI capabilities to database engineering, including AI-assisted development, automation, semantic search, embeddings, and vector-based data infrastructure. What You'll Do Database Engineering & Modernization * Design, develop, optimize, and modernize large-scale SQL Server databases and data platforms. * Analyze and refactor complex T-SQL, stored procedures, functions, and database logic. * Identify and resolve database performance bottlenecks through execution-plan analysis, indexing, query optimization, and database tuning. * Drive schema improvements and database modernization initiatives that improve scalability, maintainability, and reliability. * Develop migration strategies and automation that maintain data integrity and minimize disruption to business-critical systems. * Implement and improve data replication and synchronization patterns across transactional and analytical environments. * Apply event-driven database patterns such as Change Data Capture (CDC), outbox patterns, and event publishing. Enterprise-Scale Data Platforms * Engineer solutions for large, high-volume databases supporting critical business applications and partners. * Work with databases containing terabytes of data and complex data relationships. * Develop data pipelines and integration patterns across SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, and cloud data services. * Support both OLTP and OLAP environments and optimize data movement between systems. * Apply strong understanding of database internals, including indexing, locking, transactions, isolation levels, concurrency, and query optimization. AI-Enabled Database Engineering * Use modern AI coding assistants such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, or similar tools to accelerate development, analysis, debugging, and modernization. * Explore and implement AI-powered approaches for analyzing stored procedures, documenting schemas, and automating database engineering workflows. * Contribute to AI-native data infrastructure, including embedding pipelines, vector databases, semantic search, and retrieval systems. * Develop data and retrieval capabilities that support AI applications and agentic workflows. * Evaluate emerging AI tools and determine where they can improve engineering productivity and data platform capabilities. Technical Leadership & Ownership * Independently lead complex database engineering initiatives from problem definition through production implementation. * Serve as a technical resource for complex database and performance challenges. * Partner effectively with application engineering, SRE, operations, architecture, and AI/ML teams. * Provide technical guidance through code reviews, design discussions, and engineering standards. * Mentor other engineers and contribute to the development of database engineering practices. * Take ownership of outcomes rather than simply completing assigned tasks. Production & Problem Solving * Participate in resolving high-impact production issues involving critical database systems. * Diagnose complex problems using logs, database metrics, CPU/memory utilization, execution plans, and other observability data. * Quickly determine root cause, coordinate with the appropriate technical teams, and drive issues through resolution. * Balance immediate incident resolution with longer-term improvements that prevent recurrence. ## Related Videos - [".Net is too slow" was not an option](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100176-net-is-too-slow-was-not-an-option) - [Leveraging Real time data in FSIs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/806-leveraging-real-time-data-in-fsis) - [Back(end) to the Future: Embracing the continuous Evolution of Infrastructure and Code](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/440-back-end-to-the-future-embracing-the-continuous-evolution-of-infrastructure-and-code) - [Postgres in the Age of AI (and Devin)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1042-postgres-in-the-age-of-ai-and-devin) - [Developing the Rich Text Editor for DeepL.com](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1172-developing-the-rich-text-editor-for-deepl-com) - [Tomorrow's cloud data platforms - fully managed database-as-a-service (DBaaS)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/254-tomorrow-s-cloud-data-platforms-fully-managed-database-as-a-service-dbaas) ## Related Articles - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers) - [Making Data Warehouses Fast: A Developer’s Story](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/107-making-data-warehouses-fast-a-developer-s-story) - [Coffee with Developers - Maria Apazoglou - Making AI understandable for all in production](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/475-coffee-with-developers-maria-apazoglou-making-ai-understandable-for-all-in-production) - [How to Become an AI Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/331-how-to-become-an-ai-engineer)