Database Developer Job Description and Responsibilities

This Database Developer job description explains the role purpose and who should apply. It is intended for experienced database professionals and developers who build, optimise and maintain data stores, and for hiring teams seeking a clear, role-specific brief to recruit for technical database capability.

Database Developer Job Profile

The Database Developer is responsible for designing, developing and maintaining robust, efficient and secure database solutions that support business applications and reporting. The role focuses on data modelling, query performance, data quality and effective collaboration with application teams to deliver reliable data services.

The postholder will work across development and production environments to implement schema design, data integration and optimisation measures. Candidates should be comfortable analysing complex data requirements, producing technical documentation and applying best practice for data integrity and recoverability.

Database Developer Job Description

The Database Developer will translate business requirements into database designs and implement changes that ensure data is available, consistent and performant. This includes developing and reviewing schema changes, constructing efficient queries, creating stored routines and supporting data migration and ETL processes. The role requires regular collaboration with software developers, analysts and infrastructure teams to align database work with application releases and operational needs.

In day to day work the Database Developer will monitor performance metrics, investigate and resolve incidents, and propose improvements for capacity planning and scalability. The role expects disciplined version control of database artefacts, rigorous testing of changes and clear documentation of data models, procedures and recovery processes. The developer will also participate in reviews to ensure compliance with data governance and security standards.

Successful candidates will balance proactive optimisation with reactive troubleshooting, demonstrating strong analytical ability and effective communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Responsibilities include participating in continuous improvement activities to reduce query response times and improve overall system stability.

Database Developer: Duties and Responsibilities

• Design and implement database schemas, tables, indexes and relationships aligned to business requirements and data models
• Develop, test and optimise queries, stored procedures and functions to support application and reporting needs
• Analyse and resolve database performance issues through query tuning, index strategy and execution plan review
• Implement and maintain ETL and data integration processes to ensure timely, accurate data flow between systems
• Perform data modelling and logical to physical schema translation for new and existing applications
• Develop and maintain backup, recovery and retention procedures to support business continuity objectives
• Monitor database health, capacity and performance; produce reports and recommend scaling actions
• Ensure data integrity, validation and cleansing processes are in place and executed
• Support application development teams with schema changes, query optimisation and data access patterns
• Create and maintain technical documentation for schemas, processes, runbooks and change records
• Participate in code and design reviews to enforce standards and identify improvement opportunities
• Troubleshoot production incidents, perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions
• Coordinate and execute data migration and integration tasks during project delivery
• Apply security and access control principles to protect sensitive data and meet governance requirements
• Automate routine maintenance tasks and deployment processes to reduce manual intervention
• Work with stakeholders to define service level expectations and report on database availability

Database Developer: Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in computer science, information systems, engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience
• Proven experience in database development, schema design and query optimisation in production environments
• Strong understanding of relational database concepts and common NoSQL patterns where applicable
• Experience designing and implementing ETL or data integration solutions and migration strategies
• Solid skills in data modelling, normalisation and denormalisation to meet performance and reporting needs
• Knowledge of backup, recovery and high availability strategies and their operational implementation
• Ability to analyse execution plans and apply effective indexing and partitioning strategies
• Proficient scripting skills to automate tasks and support deployment and maintenance activities
• Understanding of database security, access control and data protection principles
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills with attention to detail and data accuracy
• Good communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with developers, analysts and operations teams
• Experience with version control, change management and testing of database changes
• Ability to produce clear technical documentation and follow governance and compliance requirements