Val Spahta
Miami
Summary
Accomplished PostgreSQL Database Engineer with over 19 years of professional experience, including 15 years as a dedicated Database Consultant. Expertise in designing and optimizing relational databases such as PostgreSQL, Oracle supported by a strong foundation in application and database tuning, performance analysis, diagnostics, and security. Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced environments with a focus on root cause analysis and problem-solving. Strong communicator adept at collaborating with end clients, users, functional teams, and offshore developers, seeking a challenging opportunity within a reputable organization.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sr. PostgreSQL Database Engineer / Contractor
VillageMD
02.2022 - Current
- Installation & Configuration: Perform expert-level installation, configuration, and tuning of PostgreSQL instances on Linux servers, tailored to specific hardware and workload requirements.
- High Availability & Disaster Recovery (HA/DR):
Architect, implement, and maintain robust HA solutions using streaming replication,
Design and rigorously test Disaster Recovery strategies, including WAL archiving, PITR (Point-in-Time Recovery), and standby promotion procedures.
Manage logical replication setups for data distribution, reporting offloading, or zero-downtime upgrades. - Capacity Planning & Scalability:
Monitor database growth and forecast future storage, memory, and CPU needs.
Plan and execute vertical and horizontal scaling strategies, including table partitioning and connection pooling . - Encryption: Manage encryption for data at rest and ensure encryption for data in transit (SSL/TLS).
- Access Control & Authorization: Implement and manage roles, privileges, and row-level security (RLS) using the principle of least privilege.
- Backup & Recovery planning.
Sr. PostgreSQL Database Engineer / Contractor
PennyMac Loan Services, LLC
07.2021 - 12.2021
- Daily support and management of RDS PostgreSQL, MySQL databases and Aurora clusters
- Performance tuning of database instances to ensure optimal functionality.
- Assessment of technology and security needs and strategic planning for
- Participation in application development projects and collaboration with offshore teams
- Upgrade of RDS PostgreSQL and Amazon Aurora using AWS CloudFormation provisioning.
- Integrate RDS PostgreSQL authentication with MS Active Directory using AWS Directory services
- Experience of build automation and CI/CD pipelines, database code deploys and version control.
- Experience with Docker and AWS EKS services.
- Implement Python backend programming, automation, and deployment libraries.
- Achievements: Reduced database latency by 30% by optimizing queries and indexing, resulting in faster application
- Performance: Implemented AWS security best practices, resulting in a 25% reduction in security incidents.
- Environment: AWS RDS, Aurora, PostgreSQL 9.6, 12, 13, MySQL 5.7 8.0, DynamoDB, Snowflake, EC2, S3,
- CloudWatch Logs, Aurora Database Activity Streams, Lambda, Glue, Data Pipeline Boto3, Cloud Formation, CLI,
- GitLab, New Relic.
Sr. Lead DBA
Infosys
01.2021 - 07.2021
- Provided daily support for PostgreSQL databases in AWS RDS/Aurora, ensuring high availability and security compliance.
- Led efforts to design and implement database enhancements to improve efficiency and scalability.
- Developed automation scripts using Python for database management tasks.
- Upgrade RDS and Amazon Aurora using AWS CloudFormation provisioning.
- Integrate RDS PostgreSQL authentication with MS Active Directory using AWS Directory services.
- Working knowledge of build automation and CI/CD pipelines
- Hands-on DevOps experience building solutions from AWS components using Cloud Formation,
- CLI, GitLab, Jenkins and Python troposphere, boto3.
Sr. Oracle Application DBA / Service Manager
Velocity Technology Solutions (former Mercury Technology Group)
06.2014 - 02.2018
- Provided managed services as an Oracle Application DBA, focusing on proactive management of database systems.
- Implemented data migration projects across different operating systems to enhance system interoperability.
- Performed critical data recovery operations to ensure business continuity during outages.
Sr Oracle Application DBA / Oracle Cloud DBA
C3 Business Solutions
03.2006 - 07.2014
- Technical project lead, I performed multiple (10's) upgrades and migration projects for clients in Southern California.
- Supported Oracle E-business Suite and other Oracle products with a focus on database upgrades and migrations.
- DBA maintenance and support of over 20 Oracle instances. Including: Oracle EBS 10.7,11.0, 11.5.10, R12.0, R12.2
Oracle Developer, DBA
Amden Corporation
03.2005 - 03.2006
- Maintained Oracle 9i environments with a focus on database support and custom application development using Oracle Forms 10g.
- Developed PL/SQL programs to enhance core business software functionality.
Education
Master of Science - Software Engineering
California State University Fullerton
01.2009
Associate degree - Computer Programming
Santa Monica College
01.2003
Bachelor of Science - Engineering
Riga Aviation University
01.1994
Skills
- PostgreSQL administration
- Performance Optimization
- Replication Strategies
- Backup & Recovery
- SQL & PL/SQL
- Python Scripting
- Linux System Administration
- AWS RDS & Aurora
- CI/CD Tools
- Oracle Database Administration
- Effective communication
- Version control systems
- Data integration
- Data modeling
- NoSQL databases
- Data migration
Websites
Accomplishments
- Connection Pooling: Integrated PgBouncer to efficiently manage database connections, reducing connection overhead and supporting a 5x increase in concurrent users without adding database resources.
- Benchmarking: Conducted systematic performance benchmarking using pgbench and custom scripts to validate hardware choices and identify performance bottlenecks before production deployment.
- Cloud Migration: Led the migration of a multiple 10 TB + on-premise PostgreSQL databases to AWS
- Performance Tuning: Improved critical query performance by over 100% through strategic query optimization, index redesign, and vacuum/analyze tuning, reducing application latency by 40%.
Certification
- AWS Database Specialty
- Snowflake: SnowPro Core Certified
- Python Programmer [PCAP-NP-31-02] PCAP
- Oracle Database Cloud Administrator Certified Professional
- Oracle Database Administrator 12c OCP
- Oracle Database Administrator 11g OCP
- Oracle PL/SQL Developer 10g OCA
Timeline
Sr. PostgreSQL Database Engineer / Contractor
VillageMD
02.2022 - Current
Sr. PostgreSQL Database Engineer / Contractor
PennyMac Loan Services, LLC
07.2021 - 12.2021
Sr. Lead DBA
Infosys
01.2021 - 07.2021
Sr. Oracle Application DBA / Service Manager
Velocity Technology Solutions (former Mercury Technology Group)
06.2014 - 02.2018
Sr Oracle Application DBA / Oracle Cloud DBA
C3 Business Solutions
03.2006 - 07.2014
Oracle Developer, DBA
Amden Corporation
03.2005 - 03.2006
Associate degree - Computer Programming
Santa Monica College
Bachelor of Science - Engineering
Riga Aviation University
Master of Science - Software Engineering
California State University Fullerton
PROFILES
www.linkedin.com/in/valspahtha
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