Senior Database Designer

Seeking a Senior Database Designer to support the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in the ongoing modernization of the Defense Retired & Annuitant Pay System (DRAS-M). This role is critical to consolidating eight disparate legacy subsystems into a single, modernized Oracle database architecture that will serve 2.9 million military retirees and their beneficiaries. The candidate will contribute to building a secure, high-performance, cloud-native database environment that supports the transition to a government-own ed, government-operated pay system.

Clearance - Public Trust

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of a unified database structure that integrates data from eight distinct legacy systems into a single Oracle-based architecture
• Design comprehensive database schema's using Oracle technologies, creating detailed entity-relationship diagrams and defining normalization strategies
• Establish secure data architecture incorporating row-, column-, and cell-level access controls while supporting replacement of sensitive identifiers such as Social Security Numbers
• Collaborate with software engineers, DevSecOps teams, and government stakeholders to ensure database structure supports modular application development and seamless incremental deployment

Technical Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain Oracle 19c or newer database systems with advanced schema design techniques
• Implement relational database normalization, performance tuning, and indexing strategies that enable efficient real-time and batch processing
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including software engineers, DevSecOps teams, and government stakeholders
• Participate in Agile ceremonies including backlog refinement and sprint planning processes
• Define and maintain data mappings between legacy and modernized structures to support incremental migration
• Support test data generation and guide integration of secure data migration pipelines using ETL processes and tools
• Other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems, Database Management, or related field
• Minimum 7 years of experience in senior database design and architecture roles
• Experience supporting government or defense agency systems preferred
• Security + CE/ IAT Level II certification
• Public Trust / IT II Security clearance eligibility - Must be a US citizen.

Technical Skills

Database Technologies:

• Proficiency in Oracle 19c or newer database systems
• Advanced PL/SQL programming and optimization
• Strong experience with relational database normalization, performance tuning, and indexing

Data Management:

• Familiarity with data modeling, entity-relationship diagrams, and data dictionary creation
• Experience supporting or participating in ETL processes for data migration
• Understanding of data quality analysis and governance practices

Security & Compliance:

• Understanding of database access control, encryption, and data masking practices
• Knowledge of Zero Trust security principles and federal compliance frameworks
• Familiarity with DoD environments and security standards

Data Integration & Migration:

• Working knowledge of ETL processes and tools
• Experience with Oracle GoldenGate or other real-time data migration platforms
• Understanding of data mapping and transformation techniques

Soft Skills

• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking abilities for complex database architecture challenges
• Excellent communication skills to collaborate effectively across Agile teams
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams including government stakeholders
• Self-motivated with strong time management skills for managing multiple database deliverables
• Adaptability to changing priorities and evolving government requirements
• Detail-oriented approach to maintaining data governance and compliance standards

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degrees or professional certifications in database management or related fields
• CISSP Professional certifications
• Experience with government financial systems or defense contractor environments
• Knowledge of DFAS operations and military retirement/annuity systems
• Experience with cloud-based database architectures (Azure, AWS)
• Familiarity with disaster recovery and high availability database design
• Experience with FISMA, FedRAMP, and other federal compliance frameworks
• Background in data governance, classification, and retention policies
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies in government contracting environments
• Job Requirements (Education/Skills/Experience):