SQL developer job description template (2026)
A complete SQL developer job description you can copy, covering stored procedures, query tuning and reporting, plus seniority levels and hiring tips.
By the Ryz Labs team · Updated October 2026
A SQL developer job description should name the database engine and say where the person's work sits between application developers, data engineers and DBAs. A SQL developer writes and tunes the queries, stored procedures, views and reporting logic that live inside the database. That is different from a backend developer who calls an ORM, a data engineer who builds pipelines, or a DBA who manages backups, patching and high availability. Specify SQL Server, Postgres, Oracle or MySQL, the dialect (T-SQL, PL/pgSQL, PL/SQL), the data volumes involved in your own terms and whether reporting is part of the job. The template below targets a senior SQL developer on SQL Server and Postgres. Copy it, adjust the brackets and remove what does not apply.
SQL developer job description template
Job title
Senior SQL Developer (SQL Server and Postgres, Query Performance)
Employment type: full-time or contract. Location: remote, with at least four hours of overlap with US Eastern time.
About the role
We are hiring a senior SQL developer to own the database logic behind [product name / our reporting platform]. You will write and tune stored procedures, functions and views that [applications / analysts / finance and operations teams] depend on, improve slow queries before customers notice them, and help application engineers design schemas that hold up as data grows. Our main databases are [SQL Server 2022 / Azure SQL] and [Postgres 16], with reporting in [Power BI / SSRS / Looker]. You will work with a team of [number] engineers and analysts and report to [title].
Responsibilities
- Write, review and maintain stored procedures, functions, views and triggers in T-SQL and PL/pgSQL.
- Diagnose slow queries using execution plans, Query Store, pg_stat_statements and EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS).
- Design indexes, including covering, filtered and partial indexes, and remove ones that cost more than they help.
- Fix parameter sniffing, implicit conversions, bad cardinality estimates and other causes of unstable plans.
- Design normalized schemas for transactional data and dimensional models for reporting.
- Write set-based logic with window functions, CTEs and MERGE or upsert patterns instead of row-by-row cursors.
- Build and maintain ETL or ELT jobs with SSIS, Azure Data Factory, dbt or scheduled SQL Agent jobs.
- Support reports and dashboards by writing the queries and views behind them and validating the numbers with stakeholders.
- Manage database changes through version-controlled migration scripts (SSDT, Flyway or Liquibase) and code review.
- Investigate blocking, deadlocks and lock escalation, and choose appropriate transaction isolation levels.
- Partner with application developers to review ORM-generated SQL and data access patterns.
Requirements
- 5+ years of professional experience writing production SQL, with at least 3 years focused on database development.
- Expert T-SQL or PL/pgSQL, including stored procedures, error handling with TRY/CATCH or EXCEPTION blocks, and dynamic SQL written safely.
- Strong reading of execution plans and a working model of how the optimizer chooses joins, scans and seeks.
- Deep knowledge of indexing strategy, statistics and how they affect plan quality.
- Fluency with window functions, recursive CTEs, pivoting and set-based problem solving.
- Understanding of transactions, isolation levels, MVCC in Postgres and locking in SQL Server.
- Experience with data modeling for both OLTP and reporting workloads.
- Experience keeping database code in source control and deploying it through CI/CD.
- Clear written English for documenting logic, explaining query changes and working with non-technical stakeholders.
Nice to have
- Oracle PL/SQL or MySQL experience alongside SQL Server and Postgres.
- Table partitioning and columnstore indexes for large fact tables.
- Cloud data warehouses such as Snowflake, BigQuery or Azure Synapse.
- Reporting tools such as Power BI, SSRS or Tableau, including DAX or semantic models.
- Migrating databases between engines, for example SQL Server to Postgres.
- Scripting in Python or PowerShell for data validation and automation.
Tech stack
SQL Server 2022, Azure SQL, Postgres 16, T-SQL, PL/pgSQL, SSMS, Azure Data Studio, Query Store, pg_stat_statements, SSIS, dbt, Flyway, Git, Azure DevOps, Power BI. Replace this with your actual engines and tools; SQL developers care most about the database versions.
What success looks like in 6 months
- You have tuned the slowest queries or procedures on a known pain list and can show before-and-after execution plans.
- All database changes for your area go through version control and review instead of being run by hand.
- You have redesigned at least one report or data model so stakeholders trust the numbers and it runs in reasonable time.
- Application engineers ask you to review schema and query designs before they ship.
How to apply and interview process
Send your resume or LinkedIn profile and a short note about a query or database you made faster and how you found the problem. Our process has four steps: a 30-minute intro call, a technical conversation about databases you have worked on, a practical exercise on writing and tuning SQL against a realistic dataset, and a final conversation with the team you would join. We aim to give feedback within a few days of each step.
Junior vs mid vs senior SQL developer
Almost every engineer writes some SQL, so the level difference is about depth: how well someone understands the optimizer, concurrency and data modeling when things go wrong.
| Level | Scope | Typical experience | Key skills |
|---|
| Junior | Writing queries and simple procedures for defined reports and features, with review | 0-2 years | SELECT, joins, GROUP BY, basic indexes, simple stored procedures, reading table structures |
| Mid-level | Owning procedures, views and reports for an area, including tuning common issues | 2-5 years | Window functions, CTEs, execution plan basics, index design, ETL jobs, error handling |
| Senior | Database design and performance for a system, standards for database code, guidance for engineers | 5+ years | Optimizer behavior, parameter sniffing, locking and isolation, partitioning, data modeling, migration strategy |
Tips for writing a SQL developer job description that attracts senior talent
- Name the engine and version. T-SQL on SQL Server 2022 and PL/SQL on Oracle 19c are different specialties. "SQL experience" alone attracts every engineer who has written a join.
- Separate the role from DBA work. If the person will handle backups, patching, failover clusters and security, that is a DBA or hybrid role. Say so explicitly, or say it is not part of the job.
- Describe the performance problems. A real example, such as a month-end procedure that runs too long or a dashboard that times out, is the strongest hook for a senior SQL developer.
- Say how database code is managed. Version control, code review and automated deployment for database changes signal a mature team. Hand-run scripts in production signal the opposite, and that is worth admitting if fixing it is part of the role.
- Clarify the reporting share. If much of the job is building Power BI or SSRS reports, say so. Some SQL developers love that work, and others want to focus on the engine.
- Describe data size in your own terms. Mention table sizes or row counts from your environment rather than vague words like "big data", which mean different things to everyone.
- Mention who the consumers are. Applications, analysts, finance teams or external customers each set different expectations for correctness and latency.
Skip the job post: hire a vetted senior SQL developer
Strong SQL developers are hard to identify from a resume, and screening them can take months. If you need senior database capacity sooner, Ryz Labs can match you with senior SQL developers from Latin America who work on your team, work in your repos and join your standups within an hour of US time zones. Only the top 1% of the engineers we interview make it through our vetting, which covers query tuning, execution plans, data modeling and concurrency.
Through staff augmentation you can add one SQL developer or a group of database and data engineers as your needs change. Ryz engineers join your team and report to your leads. Talk to us to scope your team. If you are interviewing on your own, our SQL interview questions cover the topics we test and what strong answers sound like.
FAQ
What should a SQL developer job description include?
A clear title with seniority, the database engines and versions, the SQL dialect, where the role sits relative to DBAs and data engineers, specific responsibilities, realistic requirements, reporting tools if relevant, what success looks like in the first months and the interview steps.
What is the difference between a SQL developer and a DBA?
A SQL developer writes and tunes the logic inside the database: queries, procedures, views and data models. A DBA keeps the database server running: backups, restores, patching, high availability, security and capacity. Many people have done both, but your post should say which one you need.
Should a SQL developer job description list multiple databases?
Require the engine you run in production and list others as a plus. Core skills transfer, but procedural dialects, optimizer behavior and tooling differ enough that deep experience with your engine saves months of ramp-up for a senior hire.
Questions we didn't answer? Email info@ryzlabs.com.