Svitla Systems Inc. is looking for a Principal Database Engineer and Database Systems Architect for a full-time position (40 hours per week) in Costa Rica.
Our client is a company that provides AI-powered solutions designed to streamline legal work.
You'll own the database layer for a rapidly scaling SaaS platform. It is a hands-on, production-critical leadership role focused on stabilizing, optimizing, and evolving a PostgreSQL-based system under real-world load. As customer usage accelerates, the platform is encountering performance bottlenecks, observability gaps, and operational challenges that require deep technical expertise and decisive ownership. It is not a traditional DBA role. You will operate as both the technical authority and the escalation point, responsible for everything from real-time incident response to long-term database architecture strategy. This role is critical to the platform's stability and scalability. You will directly impact system reliability, developer velocity, and customer experience by transforming the database layer into a high-performance, observable, and scalable foundation.
This role has alignment and/or a large overlap with the Pacific Time Zone. High ownership with on-call expectations. Availability for critical incidents outside standard hours when required.
We need someone who can step into an environment where:
Systems are scaling faster than expected;
Observability is incomplete;
Production issues occur, but root causes are unclear.
External vendors are too slow to respond and bring immediate clarity, structure, and control.
