September 8, 2023 · 6 min read

SQL developer job description sample

Now more than ever, companies rely on databases.

Databases typically store things like sales transactions, customer data, and financial statements, often coded using SQL.

This reliance means SQL developers are in high demand.

The good news is that help is at hand. Here at Gun.io, we’ve helped hundreds of companies hire talented developers, and this blog’s SQL developer job description sample can help you attract highly skilled engineers.

So what should a SQL developer job description do?

SQL developer job description template

This blog’s SQL developer job description sample will do three things:

It will introduce candidates to your company’s culture and values
It will help candidates understand what the role will entail
It will get candidates excited about the possibility of working for your company!

You’re welcome to copy and edit this template as you see fit.

Okay, so let’s start with a detail that’s easy to overlook: The job title.

Job title

Think of your job title like a newspaper headline. It’s the first thing candidates see before reading your SQL developer job description, so it must capture their attention. After all, you want to attract candidates and get them to click through.

So how do you do this?

You want to keep the title short, but there’s a line. Make it too short, and you won’t capture a candidate’s attention. For example, a broad title like “SQL Developer” won’t stand out on a job board.

Instead, you should thread in qualifiers. Qualifiers can be things like seniority level and the type of SQL developer you’re looking for (front-end or back-end).

Other technical qualifiers can also help, like required languages or frameworks. So can non-technical qualifiers, such as whether the role is full-time, part-time, or freelance. The role’s location (remote or office-based) is also worth mentioning.

An example of a good job title is “Senior SQL Developer – Full-Time – Back-End (Remote)”. It details the seniority level, type of work, and location.

Now that you’ve got your job title, it’s time to start crafting your job description for SQL developer.

About the company

You want to make a strong first impression with your job description. One way to do this is by talking about your company in a way that gets candidates excited about what you do. Paint your company in its best light and highlight what makes it a great workplace.

This section can highlight key information about your company’s culture, size, mission, goals, and perks. These include benefits, office hours, or remote working possibilities. Anything that makes your company stand out.

Unlike most companies, we also try to inject humor into our job descriptions when recruiting at Gun.io. We’ll let you judge whether that’s working for us! (See below.)

Here’s one we made earlier:

About Gun.io

Gun.io is a technology company that connects great companies and proven software engineers who are the world’s best-hired guns. Our mission is to create joy through connection, collaboration, and achievement for the world’s professional class.

We believe that the current system for hiring and being hired as a software engineer isn’t working. For hirers, the process is long and time-intensive, typically requiring a developer from their team to pause their other work and manage technical vetting. On the other side, job seekers must wade through recruiter spam, repetitive interviews, code tests, and cryptic job descriptions just to answer the question: is this a job I want and would be good at?

Gun.io’s vetting and matching are designed and run by a team of developers passionate about fixing technical hiring. Each job posted to the Gun.io platform is vetted by a senior developer, and each new job seeker who joins the platform has a 1-1 conversation with a member of the team so we can personally pitch them to clients they’d love.

We believe in excellence, taking risks, and speaking the truth, and we take a talent-first approach to everything we do. Our fully-remote team is highly collaborative and indulgently nerdy. You’ll love working with Gun.io if:

You’re passionate about making talent and opportunity more accessible for all, especially those outside of the Silicon Valley bubble.
You have exceptional follow-through and organizational skills, and value teammates with the same.
You love chasing big ideas, pitching them to stakeholders, and taking the initiative to implement and test them.
You consider yourself to be a linchpin, not a cog.
You’re very nerdy about something. Star Wars, a particular subreddit, Web3, backyard chickens, famous guitar history, anything.
Career growth and financial success are core motivations for you.
You thrive in remote office environments.
You’re looking for a team culture that is curious, respectful, supportive, and at least once a day, hilarious.

About this role

You’re hiring a SQL developer (or three), and these devs know what a SQL job entails. They’ve done it before. But what does the role mean for you?

You want to get to the point on your SQL developer job description. State what you’re looking for and what tasks a successful applicant will do when they join your company. One or two sentences should do the trick.

Here’s a sample:

To help drive our mission, our Programming team is looking for a Junior SQL developer. This developer will combine design and programming skills to upgrade existing systems and build new ones from scratch.

SQL developer responsibilities

This section is arguably the most important part of the SQL developer job description.

You want to be clear about the responsibilities associated with the role, so list them all. Be concise and clarify what you expect from a candidate if they join your company.

Here’s how it might look:

Help create efficient database queries using MySQL, MSSQL, and PostgreSQL
Ensure performance, security, and availability of databases
Manage standard database tasks, including upgrades, backups, recoveries, and migrations

Diagnose and resolve issues using JavaScript and various programming languages
Maintain and back up databases regularly
Perform SQL database sharding and indexing procedures as required to handle heavy traffic loads
Develop, implement and optimize stored procedures and functions using T-SQL
Use database analytical tools to analyze performance and generate reports
Suggest new queries
{{Add other responsibilities here that are relevant}}

SQL developer requirements

Alright, it’s time for the nitty-gritty details. What will your SQL developer do for you?

This section lists all the professional qualifications a candidate needs to apply for this role. It also includes mandatory technical skills.

Try not to go over the top here. For example, only include skills or years of experience if it’s a dealbreaker. Also, be realistic. Most candidates don’t have 20+ years of experience, so asking for this will significantly reduce your talent pool.

Here’s a sample:

3 years of experience as a SQL Developer or similar role
Knowledge of one or more SQL variant, such as MySQL, MSSQL, and PostgreSQL
Excellent understanding of T-SQL programming
Knowledge of programming languages like Python, JavaScript, and PHP
Understanding of best practices when using relational databases
Capable of troubleshooting common database issues
Knowledge of popular cloud computing services like AWS
Proficient understanding of code versioning tools such as Git, Mercurial, and/or SVN
{{Mention other frameworks, libraries, or technology related to your development stack}}

Benefits of this role for SQL developers

It’s time to seal the deal!

In this section of your SQL developer job description, you can list the additional benefits/perks a candidate will receive by joining your company.

Here’s a sample:

{{Career & growth opportunities}}
{{Attractive salary and 401k matching}}
{{Medical Insurance}}
{{Remote working opportunities}}
{{Incentives and perks, such as the office’s location and flexible vacation allowance}}