About Affinity Affinity is pioneering new frontiers in AdTech: developing solutions that push past today’s limits and open new opportunities. We are a global AdTech company helping publishers discover better ways to monetize and enabling advertisers to reach the right audiences through new touchpoints. Operating across the US, Europe and Asia Markets with teams of 575+ experts, we are building privacy-first ad infrastructure that opens up opportunities beyond the walled gardens. Role: Manager Database Work Location: Mumbai (Malad) Work Type: Full Time About Role We are seeking a Database Manager who is not just a manager, but a hands-on technologist and architect. This role demands a leader who loves to code and will actively participate in the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)—from architecture and design to coding, testing, deployment, combining with strong people and architectural leadership, working closely with Product, Publisher Partnerships, and Commercial teams. We are looking for a seasoned Database Manager to lead the design, management, and optimization of mCanvas’s database infrastructure. This role requires deep expertise across database architecture, performance tuning, reliability, security, and team leadership. Roles & Responsibility Database Management & Architecture Architect Scalable Systems: Design, implement, and maintain scalable, high-performance database systems supporting mCanvas’s high-volume AdTech platform. Empowering the Data Journey: Lead data modelling, schema design, and database architecture decisions across transactional and analytical workloads Lead Innovation: Evaluate and implement new database technologies, cloud platforms, and tools to optimize performance and scalability. Performance, Reliability & Security: Monitor, analyse, and optimize database performance (query tuning, indexing, caching strategies). Ensure high availability, disaster recovery, and backup strategies are in place for critical systems. Implement robust database security practices, including access controls, encryption, and compliance standards. Own the delivery pipeline. Ensure rigorous coding standards, automated testing, and seamless CI/CD processes are in place and followed. Make critical technology choices. Maintain a deep, hands-on understanding of Data Stack, SQL(MySQL, PostgreSQL), Bigdata(Apache Spark, Flink, Clickhouse, AWS RDS/Aurora, BigQuery, BigTable or equivalent), Streaming(Kafka, Amazon Kinesis, RabbitMQ, Google Pub/Sub,) and NoSQL(MongoDB, Redis). Think Data & AI Spearhead the integration of AI/ML to automate analytics and data visualization. Oversee the data pipeline ensuring GDPR/CCPA compliance and privacy-first targeting methodologies. Think Collaboration Work closely with the Product, Sales, Operations teams to translate business requirements into technical specifications, define database requirements and support data-driven initiatives Act as the technical point of contact for database-related issues and projects. Think Leadership With Hands-on programming and daily commits, Lead By Example. Provide guidance on database best practices to engineering teams. Hire, mentor, and retain top engineering talent. Foster a "builder" culture where every engineer, including yourself, is close to the code. Manage the technology budget, optimize cloud costs, and ensure 99.9% system uptime. Required Skills Experience 8-10+ years of total database management experience, with at least 3+ years in a technical leadership role (Engineering Manager+). AdTech Domain: Deep understanding of the AdTech ecosystem is mandatory (DSP, SSP, DMP, RTB OpenRTB protocols, VAST/VPAID, Header Bidding). Technical Expertise Expert in Database administration: 8–10+ years of hands-on experience in database management, architecture, and administration. Expert Programmer: Strong expertise in SQL(MySQL/PostgreSQL) databases; experience with performance tuning, indexing, query optimization, and data modeling. You must be able to pass a live coding interview. High-Scale Systems: Experience designing low-latency, high-throughput distributed systems (handling QPS in the thousands/millions). Cloud Data infrastructure: Deep knowledge of AWS/GCP, Bigdata(Apache Spark, Flink, Clickhouse, AWS RDS/Aurora, BigQuery, BigTable or equivalent), Streaming(kafka, Amazon Kinesis, RabbitMQ, Google Pub/Sub,) and NoSQL(MongoDB, Redis). AI/ML Exposure: Hands-on experience or strong familiarity with integrating AI models (TensorFlow, PyTorch, or OpenAI APIs) into software products, production workflows. AI for SDLC: Hands-on experience with vibe coding/spec-driven coding and high proficiency in utilizing AI tools to optimize the development lifecycle. Leadership & Soft Skills Player-Coach Mindset: Willingness to roll up sleeves and debug a production issue at 2 AM if needed. Strategic Vision: Ability to define a long-term tech vision while executing short-term sprints. Communication: Excellent ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders (CEO, Sales, Clients). Education B.Tech / M.Tech / B.E / M.E from a premium institute (IITs, NITs, IIITs, or other reputed engineering institutes preferred) What We’re Looking For Strong problem-solving and system-thinking skills Ability to balance hands-on coding with people and stakeholder management High ownership, accountability, and bias for action Excellent communication and collaboration skills
