Database Engineer III, Amazon Games

DESCRIPTION

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Amazon Games is seeking a talented Database Engineer III to support our live service games Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty. You'll design, build, and optimize database solutions that power millions of players' experiences, working with the latest technology at massive scale in a fast-paced gaming environment.

Key job responsibilities

Lead database architecture and design for Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty live game operations, ensuring high availability, performance, and scalability for millions of concurrent players

Own team-level database solutions spanning the full lifecycle: design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance

Solve complex database problems involving multiple constraints, making strategic trade-offs between performance, cost, and reliability

Work independently on database solutions where business problems are defined but technology implementation is not, bringing clarity through expert technical judgment

Collaborate with game developers, software engineers, and operations teams to optimize database performance and resolve production issues

Mentor other engineers on database best practices, code reviews, and architectural decisions

Drive operational excellence by identifying root causes of database issues and implementing permanent solutions

Use query languages (SQL, HiveQL), schema definition languages (DDL), and scripting languages (Python, Shell) to build robust database automation

A day in the life

You'll start your day reviewing database performance metrics and operational health for our live games. You might lead a design review for a new feature's data model, troubleshoot a complex query performance issue affecting player experience, or work with game teams to architect database solutions for upcoming content releases. You'll balance tactical execution with strategic planning, ensuring our database infrastructure scales to meet growing player demand while maintaining the highest standards of reliability and performance.

About the team

Amazon Games publishes and operates live service games including Lost Ark and Throne and Liberty, delivering engaging experiences to millions of players worldwide. Our Technical Operations team ensures these games run smoothly 24/7, building the infrastructure and tools that power player experiences. We value innovation, operational excellence, and customer obsession, working in a collaborative environment where your technical expertise directly impacts player satisfaction.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

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• Experience in Database Administration and strong troubleshooting skills (tuning and optimization, deadlocks, schema design) with any Relational Database Engines (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQLServer)
• Knowledge of writing and optimizing SQL queries in a business environment with large-scale, complex datasets
• Experience with automation or working with scripting languages like Python, Java, Perl, PHP, Ruby, Bash, Shell, or equivalent
• 5\+ years of database engineering experience
• Experience with database architecture, high availability, and scalability patterns
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot complex database issues

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

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• Experience in Games Industry (supporting title Development, Release, or Live Ops), or experience with interrupt service routines
• Experience with AWS database services (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift)
• Knowledge of database migration and replication technologies
• Experience with NoSQL databases and understanding of when to use them
• Familiarity with database monitoring, observability, and performance tuning tools

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life \& AD\&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, CA, San Francisco - 167,800\.00 - 227,000\.00 USD annually