Full-Time
Staff Database Engineer and AI Orchestrator
Coupang
5,001-10,000 employees
E-commerce platform delivering goods rapidly
Compensation Overview
$164k - $282k/yr
Seattle, WA, USA + 1 more
More locations: Mountain View, CA, USA
In Person
 Software Engineering |
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- Bachelor's degree in computer science, Electrical Engineering, Math, or a closely related field
- 6 years of experience in backend software development
- Proficiency in Java and the Spring Framework
- Experience working in cloud environments, particularly AWS
- Demonstrated experience in building and maintaining highly available, distributed systems
- AI Automation
- Generate AI Skills and Context prompts to automate storage engine and code and configuration generation across storage technologies.
- Database Operations & Management
- Manage and operate large-scale Amazon Aurora MySQL and Aurora PostgreSQL clusters in production environments.
- Perform database maintenance tasks including version upgrades (minor/major), patching, and parameter tuning.
- Execute Blue/Green Deployment (BGD) based upgrades and migrations with minimal downtime.
- Performance Optimization
- Monitor and analyze database performance using AWS CloudWatch, Performance Insights, and internal monitoring tools.
- Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks through query optimization, index tuning, and configuration adjustments.
- Conduct capacity planning and provide recommendations for scaling strategies.
- Reliability & Availability
- Ensure high availability and reliability of database services through proactive monitoring and incident response.
- Participate in on-call rotations and respond to database-related incidents in a timely manner.
- Design and implement failover strategies and validate recovery procedures.
- Automation & Tooling
- Develop and maintain automation scripts and tools (Python) for database operations, reducing manual intervention.
- Create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all database operations.
- Contribute to internal tooling and operational frameworks.
- Collaboration
- Partner with application development teams to provide database architecture guidance and support.
- Collaborate with infrastructure and security teams on database-related projects (e.g., SPIRE-based DB authentication).
- Participate in change management processes and conduct thorough reviews of database changes.
- Experience 10+ years of hands-on experience as a Database Engineer.
- AI Automation: 2+ years of creating AI Automation for your own or company workflows, storage, or code.
- Aurora / RDS: 5+ years of experience managing Amazon Aurora MySQL and/or Aurora PostgreSQL in production environments.
- MySQL: Strong expertise in MySQL 8.0+ including replication, InnoDB internals, query optimization, and troubleshooting.
- PostgreSQL: Working knowledge of PostgreSQL including extensions, vacuuming, and major version upgrade procedures.
- AWS: Proficiency with AWS database services (Aurora, RDS) and related services (CloudWatch, IAM, VPC, Parameter Groups).
- Scripting: Proficiency in Python or similar scripting languages for automation.
- Operations: Experience with database operations in large-scale, high-traffic environments (10,000+ TPS)
Coupang operates an online shopping platform and marketplace in South Korea, offering a wide range of products and services to individual consumers and small businesses. It uses a large, tech-enabled logistics network to handle ordering, warehousing, and fast delivery, often within hours. Customers browse and purchase items online, and Coupang earns revenue from direct product sales, commissions on third-party seller items, and subscription services like Rocket WOW that provide exclusive benefits. Compared with other e-commerce players, Coupang combines extensive product selection with very rapid delivery through its own logistics capabilities and a membership program that incentivizes returning customers. Its goal is to simplify daily life by making shopping, eating, and living easier through a fast, convenient online experience.
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
Founded
2010
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Rocket Now surpassed 6M downloads and 10K restaurants in Japan within 1.5 years
- Wall Street sees over 50% share upside from successful overseas pivot and diversified revenue
- Japan expansion to Kansai and Taiwan logistics scaling offset domestic market saturation
What critics are saying
- $409M PIPC fine for 33.7M-record breach and illegal 11M-user data collection in June 2026
- US-Korea diplomatic friction may trigger Section 301 tariffs and halt security talks by 2027
- Customer trust collapse could drive 3.2M Rocket WOW subscribers to Naver Shopping or Yes24
What makes Coupang unique
- Coupang dominates South Korea with hour-delivery logistics and Rocket WOW membership
- Rocket Now uses zero delivery fees and 22% restaurant fees to beat Uber Eats in Japan
- Unified platform combines product commerce, cloud computing, video streaming, and food delivery
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Paid Vacation
Paid Parental Leave
Paid Holidays
401(k) Company Match
401(k) Retirement Plan
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) program
Pre-tax commuter benefits
MTV - [Free] Electric Car Charging Station
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↑ 1%2 year growth
↑ 1%S. Korea, U.S. Aim to 'stably' manage Coupang controversy: Seoul envoy. Washington: South Korea and the United States share the understanding that they should "stably" manage a thorny issue involving U.S.-listed e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. in a way that does not "burden" bilateral relations, Seoul's top envoy to Washington said Wednesday. Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha made the remarks at a press briefing, after a House Judiciary Committee report and a White House official recently criticized South Korea's regulatory probes into Coupang's massive data leak in the Asian country as "discriminatory." According to Yonhap News Agency, the House Judiciary Committee issued an interim staff report accusing the South Korean government of "discriminatory attacks" on Coupang and other American-owned businesses, claiming that Coupang has been its "consistent target." Following the committee report, a White House official said Coupang is being "singled out" by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration, expressing concern over what he called "discriminatory" targeting of the company. Seoul's foreign ministry expressed regret over the committee report, stating it appears to reflect Coupang's claims in a "one-sided" manner and fails to include Seoul's position and the "factual information" it has offered to the committee. Ambassador Kang emphasized the importance of continued consultations with the U.S. side to explain South Korea's position and manage the issue without straining relations between the two countries. Commenting on U.S. trade investigations under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, which could result in new tariffs on South Korea and other countries, Kang said her embassy will continue close consultations with the U.S. to minimize any potential negative impact. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has conducted Section 301 trade investigations into 60 countries over forced labor concerns, proposing 12.5 percent tariffs on South Korea and other economies. Section 301 allows the USTR to investigate unfair foreign trade practices on a country-by-country basis. The investigations were launched in March as the administration is pushing to replace the invalidated country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court in February. Search. July 9, 2026 August 2, 2024 June 30, 2026 August 16, 2024
South Korean government discriminated against Coupang, U.S. companies, House report finds. Jul 1, 2026 - 19:17 The New York Stock Exchange welcomes executives and guests of Coupang on March 11, 2021, in celebration of the company's initial public offering. The South Korean government has used its regulatory authority to discriminate against U.S. companies and has waged an unprecedented campaign against online retailer Coupang, according to a House Judiciary Committee report released Wednesday. The report is the result of an investigation opened by the committee in February. It highlights the treatment of Coupang, which is based in the U.S. but is known as the "Amazon of Asia," and other U.S. companies going back decades. "South Korea's conduct is part of a broader attempt by foreign governments to weaponize their laws and regulations in an effort to harm American companies and limit their ability to compete in the global economy," the committee, which is chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, reported. Read more CNBC politics coverage. The South Korean embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. The committee said in the report that Coupang has been the target of discriminatory pressure from the South Korean government that intensified in 2025 after a data breach perpetrated by a disgruntled former employee. The company apologized for the breach and its CEO, Park Dae-jun, resigned as a result of the incident. But according to testimony given to the committee by Coupang's acting CEO Harold Rogers - who took over in December after Park resigned - South Korean officials were informed by the company that same month that the scale of the breach was smaller than initially expected and "that the leak was limited in nature," according to the House Judiciary report. Despite that information, the committee found that the South Korean government launched a campaign against Coupang that included dozens of investigations, thousands of document requests, excessive fines and threats of criminal charges against Rogers, who is a U.S. citizen. According to the committee, the South Korean National Intelligence Service compelled Coupang to send divers on a covert mission to retrieve a laptop used by the disgruntled former employee and that had been discarded in a river in Shanghai, then lied to the public about its involvement in the recovery operation. "We regret the circumstances that led to the House Judiciary Committee's investigation and we remain committed to finding a constructive resolution so Coupang can once again serve as a bridge to strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance, accelerating trade and investment that benefits both countries," the company said in a statement. The result of South Korea's campaign against Coupang has been a more than 40% drop in Coupang's market capitalization, according to the committee, and could have a negative effect on its investors. "South Korean regulators have consistently targeted Coupang and subjected the company to hostile regulatory treatment, unfair enforcement practices, and disproportionately large penalties not faced by their Korean competitors," the Judiciary report states. The U.S. and South Korea have had a free trade agreement since 2012. South Korea has been a crucial trade partner for the U.S. in Asia, according to Demetrios Marantis, former acting U.S. trade representative under President Barack Obama, told CNBC. But the relationship has at times been strained, and other digital companies based in the U.S. - like Google and Netflix - have also at times struggled with South Korean regulators, according to Marantis. "Korea has had a long history of discriminating against foreign companies, just generally, and being protectionist, and a little bit inward looking," he said. "But the situation with Coupang - I have never seen anything this intense. This much of a whole-of-government assault on one company." The U.S.-South Korea trade deal was renegotiated in 2025 as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs. South Korea negotiated a lower tariff rate with Trump in exchange for investments in U.S. shipbuilding and national security, as well as regulatory rollbacks for American companies. In its report, the House Judiciary Committee argued South Korea's actions against Coupang violate the deal. "South Korea's discriminatory treatment of American-owned businesses directly violates its recent trade agreement with the United States," the report states.
Coupang receives historic billion-won fine following data leak in South korea. Image from when Coupang rang the stock market bell in 2021 Leaked millions of personal data. The South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has been sentenced to a record fine of 624.68 billion won (approximately 3.9 billion kronor) following a massive data leak. The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) accuses the company of inadequate security and late notification to consumers, while Coupang announces that it will take the case to court. According to the authority's investigation, deficiencies in authentication keys and access controls led to the exposure of personal information belonging to approximately 37.5 million users. Coupang, on the other hand, claims that only 3,000 accounts were affected. The company is also found guilty of collecting and storing online activity from 11.17 million users via third-party apps without legal basis. The authority's chairman, Song Kyung-hee, criticizes the e-commerce retailer for not informing those affected within the prescribed 72 hours: As a result, these individuals were unaware of the breach and deprived of the opportunity to take measures to prevent secondary damage. Financial hit and political tensions. The fine amount is the highest in South Korean history for a data leak and corresponds to the majority of Coupang's operating profit from last year (721.1 billion won). The company has apologized for the situation but adds in a statement: After receiving the commission's official decision, Ehandel expect the facts to be clearly established through legal proceedings. Since Coupang is listed and registered in the USA, the legal process has created diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Washington. American politicians have accused the investigation of being discriminatory towards American companies, while nearly 100 South Korean members of parliament have protested what they consider to be external pressure on the country's authorities. Previous compensation met with criticism. The data leak was discovered in November last year and is suspected to have been caused by a former employee. No passwords or payment details are said to have been leaked. Coupang launched in early 2026 a compensation package in the form of value vouchers worth approximately 11 billion Swedish kronor. However, the initiative received criticism from South Korean consumer organizations who argued that the setup primarily functioned as a marketing trick to drive more sales on its own platform. Editorial Staff
Coupang, a US technology company, has invested over $84 million in US and global AI tech startups since 2023. The company is collaborating with Texas-based robotics startup Contoro to expand AI-powered autonomous robots globally, exploring pilot programmes at Coupang logistics sites in Korea and other locations. Contoro's robotic arms unload boxes from shipping containers and truck trailers with a 99% success rate. The partnership aligns with the recent US-Korea Tech Prosperity Deal focusing on technology ties between the two countries. Coupang recently invested $50 million in the SBVA Korea Sovereign AI Fund, matched by Korea's government-backed venture investment agency. The company has also invested billions in AI technologies across its global operations, enabling US companies to sell over $5 billion in goods to Korean customers in 2025.
Coupang tests self-driving trucks for Rocket Delivery scale. Coupang has begun testing autonomous driving systems for trucks moving cargo between logistics centers in South Korea. Working with local firms including RideFlux as it explores middle-mile automation amid the absence of a standardized system for autonomous freight. The project covers cargo transport between facilities as well as automated loading work. The tests come after South Korea expanded autonomous driving pilot programs on expressways last year, and as Coupang pushes to expand Rocket Delivery nationwide by 2027. Coupang operates 228 logistics centers in Korea, making it the country's largest warehouse operator among major logistics firms. Food for thought. Implications, context, and why it matters. South Korea expanded autonomous freight-truck highway trials nationwide. * Coupang's trials follow a government move that widened autonomous freight-truck pilot zones from parts of four highway routes to all 44 national highway routes in March 2025, increasing coverage from 332 to 5,224 kilometers 1. * The wider access covers test runs. Paid autonomous cargo delivery on highways is expected after more safety checks plus permit approvals 2. * The government is funding autonomous driving with about 3 billion won (US$2.08 million) to grow self-driving services plus pilots, including new freight trials meant to speed commercial rollout over the next few years 3. Autonomous trucking steers AV firms toward logistics. * Coupang is testing middle-mile automation and working with local firms, including RideFlux, a South Korean autonomous driving startup, according to industry sources. The work continues amid a lack of a standardized system for autonomous freight 4. * RideFlux's CEO said the company plans to move its revenue model to business-to-business (B2B) to build a sustainable revenue structure 4. * Highways offer a more predictable setting than regular roads since they lack pedestrians or traffic signals, which helps keep trial conditions consistent 1. * South Korea's transport ministry says autonomous freight fits middle-mile routes with repetitive driving patterns, where truck drivers face a higher risk of fatigue 3. Recent Coupang developments. Stay updated on the go with our mobile app. Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app. How would you feel if you could no longer use Tech in Asia? Share, tag us, and land on our Wall of!