Database Platform Engineer

Own the administration and reliability of Proton's web-scale MySQL fleet, accessed via ProxySQL, including participating in a 24/7 on-call rotation

Design and implement automation that eliminates manual operational toil and measurably improves platform reliability

Write code and tooling to improve how we manage, monitor, and scale the database platform — treating infrastructure as software

Own performance tuning across the full stack — hardware, OS, storage, network, and query level — and resolve bottlenecks before they become incidents

Drive database best practices into product design reviews, providing clear guidance on architecture, data modeling, scalability, and system integration

Lead the planning and execution of database version upgrades and full stack updates with minimal service disruption

Shape Proton's long-term database strategy — evaluating emerging technologies like distributed databases and influencing cross-company engineering standards

3+ years of hands-on experience operating highly available MySQL databases at scale in production

Deep MySQL expertise: replication, query optimization, indexing, schema design, and performance tuning at the OS and application layers

Solid experience with ProxySQL and Linux in production environments

Strong automation background — you've meaningfully reduced operational toil through scripting or custom tooling (Python, Go, Bash, or equivalent)

Comfortable with observability stacks (Prometheus, Grafana, or comparable) and using data to diagnose and resolve complex infrastructure issues

Experience running databases on bare-metal or on-premise infrastructure (not cloud-managed DB services)

Nice to Have

Hands-on experience with distributed databases such as CockroachDB or YugabyteDB

Experience with Puppet or comparable configuration management systems

Prior exposure to high-traffic, multi-tenant ProxySQL deployments

Work that Matters: Millions of people trust Proton with their privacy. We answer only to our users — not advertisers, not investors with conflicting agendas, not governments.

A Great Team: Diverse, collaborative, and tight-knit, with people from MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Caltech, Cambridge, ETH, and more.

Technology: The right hardware and software to do your best work.

Learning & Development: We invest in your growth. Proton is one of the fastest ways to accelerate your career — real challenges, real ownership, from day one.

Employee Benefits: Strong health coverage, solid retirement options, generous leave, and wellness support.

Stock Options: From day one, you have a real stake in what we're building. When Proton wins, you win.

Salary Range: Paris - 50,000€ to 76,000€ - Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, skills, and previous experience.

In-Person Collaboration: Offices across Geneva, Zürich, Barcelona, London, Paris, and more. You'll spend most of your time collaborating face-to-face, with up to 30% remote flexibility.

Food: Lunch and snacks on us every day in the office.

Transport: We cover public transport, bike allowances, or parking — whichever works for you.

Flexible Working: You own your schedule. Outcomes matter more than clock-in times

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals — regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, or socio-economic background — feel valued and empowered.

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know.

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