📍 Job Overview

• Job Title: Senior Site Reliability Engineer
• Company: ClickHouse
• Location: United Kingdom (remote)
• Job Type: Full-time
• Category: DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering
• Date Posted: 2025-08-08
• Experience Level: 10+ years
• Remote Status: Remote (any country ClickHouse has a hiring presence)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the development and implementation of scalable, secure, and highly available systems for ClickHouse Cloud
• Establish and manage service level objectives (SLOs) and service level agreements (SLAs)
• Ensure all infrastructure components have monitoring and alerting in place for timely incident detection and resolution
• Enhance and refine incident response processes and post-mortem analysis for ClickHouse Cloud
• Continuously improve the reliability and performance of ClickHouse services
• Plan, enable, and drive Chaos initiatives across engineering teams based on internal priorities
• Manage on-call processes to respond to performance and reliability issues and establish best practices for coordinating escalation

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in Site Reliability Engineering and a deep understanding of distributed databases, particularly ClickHouse. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in designing and implementing scalable, secure, and highly available systems in a cloud environment.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Engineering Teams: Work closely with various engineering teams to design and implement scalable, secure, and highly available systems for ClickHouse Cloud
• Establish and Manage SLOs and SLAs: Define and maintain service level objectives and agreements to ensure high service availability and performance
• Monitor and Alert Infrastructure: Ensure all infrastructure components have monitoring and alerting in place to enable timely detection and resolution of incidents
• Enhance Incident Response: Improve incident response processes and post-mortem analysis to minimize downtime and learn from incidents
• Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement improvements to enhance the reliability and performance of ClickHouse services
• Chaos Engineering: Plan, enable, and drive Chaos initiatives across engineering teams to proactively identify and address system weaknesses
• On-Call Management: Manage on-call processes and establish best practices for coordinating escalation to resolve issues and minimize downtime

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong problem-solving mindset and excellent production debugging skills. The ideal candidate will be passionate about efficiency, availability, scalability, and data governance.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field

Experience: At least 8 years of experience in Site Reliability Engineering or a related field

Required Skills:

• Strong knowledge of cloud computing platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
• Excellent understanding of distributed databases and SQL, particularly ClickHouse
• Hands-on experience with container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes or Docker Swarm
• Strong experience with automation and configuration management tools such as Ansible, Terraform, or Puppet
• Previous experience using ClickHouse in production
• Coding experience with Go and/or Python

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Chaos Engineering tools and methodologies
• Familiarity with ClickHouse Cloud and its infrastructure components
• Knowledge of infrastructure as code (IaC) principles and tools
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation

📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly required, experience with ClickHouse Cloud and its infrastructure components would be highly beneficial for this role. The ideal candidate will also have a strong understanding of infrastructure as code (IaC) principles and tools, as well as experience with CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• System Design: Include examples of system design documents (SDDs) or architecture diagrams showcasing your ability to design scalable, secure, and highly available systems
• Incident Response: Highlight your incident response process improvements and post-mortem analysis examples, demonstrating your ability to learn from incidents and drive continuous improvement
• Chaos Engineering: Provide examples of Chaos initiatives you have planned, enabled, or driven, showcasing your understanding of proactive system testing and improvement

Technical Documentation:

• Documentation Standards: Include examples of well-documented code, system design documents, and incident response reports, demonstrating your commitment to clear and concise technical communication
• Version Control: Showcase your experience with version control systems, such as Git, and how you have used them to manage and track changes in your projects
• Deployment Processes: Provide examples of deployment processes, including CI/CD pipelines, and discuss how you have optimized them for efficiency and reliability

📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly required, including examples of your experience with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, such as Terraform or Ansible, would strengthen your portfolio for this role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The typical starting salary range for this role in the United States is $180,000 - $250,000 per year, depending on the specific location and candidate experience. For roles based outside the United States, the salary range may vary based on regional market conditions and cost of living.

Benefits:

• Flexible Work Environment: ClickHouse is a globally distributed company and remote-friendly, with employees currently operating in 20 countries
• Healthcare: Employer contributions towards your healthcare
• Equity in the Company: Every new team member who joins ClickHouse receives stock options
• Time Off: Flexible time off in the US, with generous entitlement in other countries
• Home Office Setup: A $500 home office setup if you’re a remote employee
• Global Gatherings: Opportunities to engage with colleagues at company-wide offsites

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on factors such as race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Please see here for ClickHouse's Privacy Statement.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: ClickHouse is a leading open-source column-oriented database system provider, empowering users to generate real-time analytical reports through SQL queries

Company Size: ClickHouse has a global presence, with employees in 20 countries, providing ample opportunities for collaboration and growth

Founded: ClickHouse was established in 2009, with a mission to become the fastest OLAP database globally

Team Structure:

• Site Reliability Engineering: This role will lead the Site Reliability Engineering team, collaborating with various engineering teams, such as Control Plane, Dataplane, Core, Security, Support, and Operations
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with designers, marketers, and stakeholders to ensure the reliability, availability, scalability, and performance of ClickHouse Cloud

Development Methodology:

• Agile/Scrum: ClickHouse follows Agile methodologies, with regular sprint planning and code review processes
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): ClickHouse leverages IaC principles and tools to manage and provision infrastructure in a declarative and automated way
• Chaos Engineering: ClickHouse embraces Chaos Engineering to proactively identify and address system weaknesses, ensuring high service availability and performance

Company Website: ClickHouse

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse values efficiency, availability, scalability, and data governance, providing a challenging and rewarding work environment for Site Reliability Engineers.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior Site Reliability Engineer - Lead the development and implementation of scalable, secure, and highly available systems for ClickHouse Cloud, driving continuous improvement and ensuring high service availability and performance

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Engineering Manager and collaborates with various engineering teams, such as Control Plane, Dataplane, Core, Security, Support, and Operations

Technical Impact: As a Senior Site Reliability Engineer, you will have a significant impact on the reliability, availability, scalability, and performance of ClickHouse Cloud, ensuring high service availability and performance for our global customer base

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Leadership: As one of the first joiners to the Reliability Engineering Team at ClickHouse, you will have ample opportunities to grow and develop your technical leadership skills, guiding other engineers in designing and implementing scalable, secure, and highly available systems
• Emerging Technologies: ClickHouse is at the forefront of open-source column-oriented database systems, providing ample opportunities to learn and work with emerging technologies in the database and cloud computing domains
• Global Impact: With employees in 20 countries, ClickHouse offers global growth opportunities, allowing you to work with and learn from diverse teams and cultures

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse's global presence and commitment to open-source technologies provide a unique opportunity for Senior Site Reliability Engineers to grow both technically and professionally, working with cutting-edge technologies and collaborating with diverse teams.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: ClickHouse is a globally distributed company, with employees working remotely from various countries

Office Location(s): ClickHouse has employees in 20 countries, with no physical office locations

Workspace Context:

• Remote Work: As a remote employee, you will have the flexibility to work from home or any other location with a reliable internet connection
• Home Office Setup: ClickHouse provides a $500 home office setup to ensure remote employees have the necessary equipment to work comfortably and efficiently
• Collaboration Tools: ClickHouse uses various collaboration tools, such as Slack, Google Workspace, and GitHub, to facilitate communication and collaboration among remote teams

Work Schedule: ClickHouse offers flexible working hours, with a focus on results and delivery. The core working hours are typically between 9 AM and 5 PM in the employee's local time zone

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse's commitment to remote work and flexible hours provides a unique opportunity for Senior Site Reliability Engineers to balance their professional and personal lives while working with a global team.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

• Screening: A brief phone or video call to discuss your background, experience, and interest in the role
• Technical Deep Dive: A detailed technical conversation focused on your experience with Site Reliability Engineering, cloud computing, distributed databases, and other relevant technologies
• System Design: A system design exercise or case study, assessing your ability to design scalable, secure, and highly available systems
• Behavioral and Cultural Fit: A conversation to assess your cultural fit with ClickHouse and your ability to work effectively in a remote, global team

Portfolio Review Tips:

• System Design Examples: Highlight your experience with system design, including examples of system design documents (SDDs) or architecture diagrams
• Incident Response Improvements: Showcase your incident response process improvements and post-mortem analysis examples, demonstrating your ability to learn from incidents and drive continuous improvement
• Chaos Engineering Initiatives: Provide examples of Chaos initiatives you have planned, enabled, or driven, showcasing your understanding of proactive system testing and improvement

Technical Challenge Preparation:

• System Design: Brush up on your system design skills, focusing on designing scalable, secure, and highly available systems for cloud environments
• Incident Response: Review your incident response processes and post-mortem analysis techniques, ensuring you can effectively learn from incidents and drive continuous improvement
• Chaos Engineering: Familiarize yourself with Chaos Engineering tools and methodologies, such as Chaos Monkey or ChaosKube, and prepare examples of Chaos initiatives you have worked on

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse values candidates who can demonstrate a strong problem-solving mindset, excellent production debugging skills, and a passion for efficiency, availability, scalability, and data governance.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Cloud Computing Platforms:

• AWS: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a popular choice for ClickHouse Cloud, providing a wide range of services for building, deploying, and scaling applications
• Azure: Microsoft Azure offers a comprehensive set of cloud services, including compute, storage, and networking capabilities
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP): Google Cloud Platform provides a range of infrastructure services, such as compute, storage, and big data processing, for building and deploying applications

Distributed Databases:

• ClickHouse: ClickHouse is an open-source column-oriented database system, designed for real-time analytics and fast data processing
• PostgreSQL: PostgreSQL is a popular open-source relational database system, often used in combination with ClickHouse for transactional workloads

Container Orchestration Tools:

• Kubernetes: Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform, enabling automated deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications
• Docker Swarm: Docker Swarm is a clustering and orchestration tool for Docker containers, providing a simple and efficient way to create, deploy, and manage scalable applications

Automation and Configuration Management Tools:

• Ansible: Ansible is a simple, agentless automation and configuration management tool, enabling the automation of repetitive tasks and the deployment of consistent environments
• Terraform: Terraform is an open-source infrastructure as code (IaC) software tool that enables the provisioning and management of cloud resources in a declarative and efficient way
• Puppet: Puppet is a configuration management tool that enables the automated management of system configurations and the enforcement of policies and standards

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse values candidates with strong experience in cloud computing platforms, distributed databases, container orchestration tools, and automation and configuration management tools. Familiarity with ClickHouse and its infrastructure components would be highly beneficial for this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

• Efficiency: ClickHouse values efficiency in all aspects of its operations, from system design to incident response and continuous improvement
• Availability: ClickHouse is committed to ensuring high service availability and performance for its global customer base
• Scalability: ClickHouse designs and implements scalable systems to meet the growing demands of its customers and the market
• Data Governance: ClickHouse prioritizes data governance, ensuring the security, privacy, and integrity of customer data

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: ClickHouse encourages collaboration between different teams, such as engineering, design, marketing, and business stakeholders, to ensure the reliability, availability, scalability, and performance of ClickHouse Cloud
• Code Review Culture: ClickHouse values code reviews as an essential aspect of its development process, ensuring code quality, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement
• Knowledge Sharing: ClickHouse fosters a culture of knowledge sharing, with regular team meetings, workshops, and training opportunities to drive continuous learning and development

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse's commitment to efficiency, availability, scalability, and data governance provides a challenging and rewarding work environment for Senior Site Reliability Engineers.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

• Scalability: Design and implement scalable, secure, and highly available systems for ClickHouse Cloud, ensuring high service availability and performance for a growing customer base
• Performance Optimization: Continuously optimize the performance of ClickHouse Cloud, leveraging emerging technologies and best practices in cloud computing and distributed databases
• Incident Response: Develop and refine incident response processes and post-mortem analysis techniques to minimize downtime and learn from incidents
• Chaos Engineering: Plan, enable, and drive Chaos initiatives across engineering teams to proactively identify and address system weaknesses, ensuring high service availability and performance

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Technical Leadership: As one of the first joiners to the Reliability Engineering Team at ClickHouse, you will have ample opportunities to grow and develop your technical leadership skills, guiding other engineers in designing and implementing scalable, secure, and highly available systems
• Emerging Technologies: ClickHouse is at the forefront of open-source column-oriented database systems, providing ample opportunities to learn and work with emerging technologies in the database and cloud computing domains
• Global Impact: With employees in 20 countries, ClickHouse offers global growth opportunities, allowing you to work with and learn from diverse teams and cultures

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse's commitment to innovation, continuous improvement, and global growth provides a unique opportunity for Senior Site Reliability Engineers to grow both technically and professionally, working with cutting-edge technologies and collaborating with diverse teams.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

• Cloud Computing Platforms: Demonstrate your strong knowledge of cloud computing platforms, such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform, and their relevant services and features
• Distributed Databases: Showcase your deep understanding of distributed databases, particularly ClickHouse, and their architecture, design, and optimization techniques
• System Design: Prepare for system design questions, focusing on designing scalable, secure, and highly available systems for cloud environments
• Incident Response: Be ready to discuss your incident response processes and post-mortem analysis techniques, demonstrating your ability to learn from incidents and drive continuous improvement
• Chaos Engineering: Familiarize yourself with Chaos Engineering tools and methodologies, such as Chaos Monkey or ChaosKube, and prepare examples of Chaos initiatives you have worked on

Company & Culture Questions:

• ClickHouse Culture: Research ClickHouse's company culture, values, and mission, and be prepared to discuss how you align with them
• Remote Work: Prepare for questions about your experience with remote work, collaboration, and communication in a global team environment
• Technical Leadership: Be ready to discuss your experience with technical leadership, guiding other engineers in designing and implementing scalable, secure, and highly available systems

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• System Design Examples: Highlight your experience with system design, including examples of system design documents (SDDs) or architecture diagrams
• Incident Response Improvements: Showcase your incident response process improvements and post-mortem analysis examples, demonstrating your ability to learn from incidents and drive continuous improvement
• Chaos Engineering Initiatives: Provide examples of Chaos initiatives you have planned, enabled, or driven, showcasing your understanding of proactive system testing and improvement

📝 Enhancement Note: ClickHouse values candidates who can demonstrate a strong problem-solving mindset, excellent production debugging skills, and a passion for efficiency, availability, scalability, and data governance.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Site Reliability Engineer position at ClickHouse:

1. Customize Your Portfolio: Tailor your portfolio to showcase your experience with system design, incident response, and Chaos Engineering, highlighting your ability to design scalable, secure, and highly available systems for ClickHouse Cloud
2. Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your relevant experience with cloud computing platforms, distributed databases, container orchestration tools, and automation and configuration management tools, ensuring your resume is optimized for web development and server administration keywords
3. Prepare for Technical Interviews: Brush up on your system design skills, incident response processes, and Chaos Engineering methodologies, ensuring you can effectively demonstrate your technical expertise and problem-solving skills
4. Research ClickHouse: Learn about ClickHouse's company culture, values, and mission, and be prepared to discuss how you align with them and contribute to their success

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.