DevOps Engineer Needed: Self-Host Supabase on Ubuntu VPS

Project Summary

I’m looking for an experienced DevOps / Backend Engineer to set up and configure a self-hosted Supabase instance on my Ubuntu VPS.
Docker is already installed, but it should be verified and properly configured.
The goal is a secure, production-ready Supabase stack running locally (Postgres, Auth, REST, Realtime, Storage, Kong Gateway, and optional Studio), behind an HTTPS reverse proxy with automatic backups and full documentation.

Scope of Work
Docker & Environment Setup

Verify existing Docker installation (version, permissions, network stability).

Create dedicated Docker network (supabase_net).

Prepare directory structure under /opt/supabase/.

Supabase Stack Installation

Deploy Supabase components using Docker Compose:

Postgres

GoTrue (Auth)

PostgREST (REST API)

Realtime

Storage API

Kong Gateway

(Optional) Supabase Studio

Configure .env and docker-compose.yml following best practices:

No public database ports.

All services communicate over internal Docker network.

Security & Networking

Set up Nginx reverse proxy for HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt certificates.

Configure UFW firewall (only ports 22, 80, 443 open).

Add security headers and enforce HTTPS redirects.

Keep all credentials and secrets outside version control.

Backups & Monitoring

Implement automated daily PostgreSQL backups (with 30-day retention).

Include a tested restore script.

Add basic monitoring and health checks (Docker health, HTTP status).

(Optional) S3-compatible offsite backup upload.

Testing & Validation

Verify user sign-up, login, and password reset via GoTrue (SMTP).

Confirm REST endpoints respond via HTTPS.

Validate Storage uploads/downloads.

Test Realtime subscriptions.

Run at least 3 negative RLS access tests.

Documentation

Provide a short runbook (README) including:

Install, deploy, and rollback steps.

Backup and restore instructions.

Secrets handling.

Service management commands.

Include .env.example with comments.

Deliverables

Fully running self-hosted Supabase stack on Ubuntu VPS.

docker-compose.yml, .env.example, and Nginx config files.

Verified TLS certificate (Let’s Encrypt) and working HTTPS.

Working Auth, REST, Storage, and Realtime endpoints.

Automated daily database backup + successful restore test.

Clean and concise documentation/runbook.

Technical Environment

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Docker & Docker Compose v2

Nginx with Let’s Encrypt

Domain & DNS already configured

SSH access available

Acceptance Criteria

HTTPS active, A-grade SSL config, forced redirect HTTP→HTTPS

PostgreSQL not publicly accessible

Auth, REST, Storage, and Realtime endpoints all operational

Backups run daily; restore script verified

Logs rotate properly, disk usage monitored

Only ports 22/80/443 open (UFW enabled)

Documentation and .env.example delivered

No hardcoded secrets in any file under version control

Timeline & Deliverables

Estimated workload: 1–2 working days setup, +1 day for testing and documentation.

Deliverables pushed via Git repository and deployed on my VPS.

Required Skills

Docker & Docker Compose (production environments)

Supabase or similar stacks (Postgres, GoTrue, Kong, Realtime)

Linux server administration (Ubuntu)

Nginx + Let’s Encrypt TLS setup

Bash scripting (for backup/restore)

PostgreSQL and basic SQL/RLS understanding

Additional Notes

Docker is already running but needs verification.

Domain and DNS are fully configured.

No Supabase cloud integration — this must be 100% self-hosted.

Open to small improvements if you can make the setup more robust or secure.