Senior Database Engineer Jobs in Valencia, CA (NOW HIRING)

The Senior Data Engineer owns and modernizes WME Enterprise IT's SQL data estate — the databases behind the custom applications the product and engineering teams build, the legacy SQL environment those applications run on, and the pipelines that turn that data into trusted, query-ready information for analytics and reporting. This role does not inherit a modern, greenfield data platform; it inherits a working legacy SQL environment and helps set and drive the strategy to stabilize and modernize it. The role manages and supports the databases behind the custom product and engineering applications, keeps that data highly available with sound disaster-recovery planning, and builds the pipelines and analytics-ready data that reporting and BI are built on. It brings deep SQL and SQL Server expertise, works within the enterprise data architecture standards set by the Principal Enterprise Architect, partners with the Senior DBA on the database estate — developing toward broader database ownership over time — and partners with the Sr Manager, GRC on data governance and privacy. WME operates across a global footprint spanning the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, so the role must know how to operationalize data‑privacy and regulatory requirements — GDPR, CCPA, and regional equivalents — at the data layer. The data it delivers serves analytics, reporting, and — increasingly — AI.

• Legacy SQL Estate — Support, stabilize, and maintain the legacy SQL databases behind the custom product / engineering applications — performance, reliability, and availability. Help set and drive the strategy to modernize the legacy SQL environment — consolidation, upgrades, and migration toward a governed, better‑managed data estate. Partner with the Principal Enterprise Architect on the database and data side of legacy modernization.
• Data Pipelines & Integration (ELT) Build and modernize pipelines from source systems — the custom applications, SAP, and business systems — into a governed data store. Own pipeline orchestration and scheduling; engineer resilient, observable pipelines with clear failure handling and recovery. Integrate SAP as a major source, in partnership with the SAP program.
• Data Modeling & Analytics‑Ready Data Build the data models and analytics‑ready datasets that BI, reporting, and analytics are built on. Provide well‑structured, trustworthy data so the business and analysts can build their own reports — deliver the data behind the reports, not the reports themselves. Serve analytics, reporting, and AI consumers of the data.
• High Availability & Disaster Recovery Ensure the databases and data estate are highly available — redundancy, failover, and resilience matched to each system's criticality. Own database backup, restore, and disaster‑recovery planning and testing. Set and meet recovery objectives (RTO / RPO) for critical data, in partnership with infrastructure and BCDR.
• Data Governance, Privacy & Regulatory Operationalization Contribute at a foundational level to data governance — quality, classification, lineage, and stewardship — in partnership with the GRC function. Operationalize data‑privacy and regulatory requirements at the data layer — GDPR, CCPA, and regional equivalents — across WME's global footprint: data residency, retention, minimization, and support for data‑subject rights. Implement the data controls GRC defines, including SOX‑relevant controls, and produce the supporting evidence.
• Database Depth & DBA Succession Bring deep SQL Server administration to the estate — T‑SQL, tuning, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Develop database‑administration depth through structured mentorship from the Senior DBA, growing toward broader database ownership over time. Maintain runbooks, documentation, and knowledge transfer; apply AI‑assisted engineering where it adds value.

• 7+ years in data and/or database engineering, with progressive responsibility.
• Deep SQL and SQL Server administration — T‑SQL, query optimization, maintenance, and troubleshooting of application databases.
• Experience modernizing legacy SQL / database environments — consolidation, upgrades, and migration.
• Database high availability and disaster recovery — Always On / clustering, backup and restore, and recovery planning (RTO / RPO).
• ELT / pipeline engineering and integration from multiple source systems, including databases behind custom applications.
• Data modeling and analytics‑ready datasets; Power BI semantic models / datasets (the data layer behind reports) a plus.
• Foundational data governance, and experience operationalizing data‑privacy regulation — GDPR, CCPA, or equivalents — at the data layer (residency, retention, subject rights).

• Microsoft certifications — Azure Database Administrator (DP‑300), Azure Data Engineer (DP‑700 / DP‑203), or SQL Server administration.
• Data‑privacy certification (e.g., IAPP CIPP/E or CIPP/US) or hands‑on GDPR / CCPA operational experience.
• Database HA/DR technologies (Always On, log shipping, replication) and backup / recovery tooling.
• SAP data integration experience; data catalog / governance tooling (Microsoft Purview or equivalent).
• Background in media, entertainment, or other high‑confidentiality, multi‑region environments.

WME is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

• Hiring pay rates are based on a number of factors, including location and may vary depending on job‑related qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience.
• Hiring Rate Minimum: $127,500 annually (minimum will not fall below the applicable state/local minimum salary thresholds)
• Hiring Rate Maximum: $170,000 annually