Summary:
We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled SQL Server Database Administrator with 5+ years of experience to join our 24x7 operations team. In this role, you will take ownership of the health, performance, security, and availability of mission-critical SQL Server environments. You will play a key role in designing, implementing, and managing high availability and disaster recovery solutions, with a strong focus on Always On Availability Groups (AG). Additionally, you will act as a technical mentor and drive continuous improvements across database platforms.
Responsibilities:
- Administer, manage, and optimize SQL Server databases across on-premises and Azure environments.
- Design, implement, and manage Always On Availability Groups (AG) and other HADR solutions for enterprise-scale systems.
- Lead troubleshooting of complex database performance issues, outages, and critical incidents with RCA ownership.
- Participate in and lead 24x7 on-call support, ensuring SLA adherence and incident resolution.
- Perform advanced performance tuning at query, index, and server levels.
- Collaborate with development, infrastructure, and cloud teams to design scalable and resilient database solutions.
- Drive automation initiatives using scripts (PowerShell/T-SQL) to improve operational efficiency.
- Define and enforce database security standards, including encryption, access control, and auditing.
- Manage backup, restore, and disaster recovery strategies, including DR drills and validation.
- Plan and execute SQL Server upgrades, migrations, and patching with minimal downtime.
- Perform capacity planning, forecasting, and cost optimization (especially in Azure environments).
- Create and maintain detailed technical documentation, SOPs, and knowledge base articles.
- Mentor junior DBAs and provide technical guidance to the team.
- Work with monitoring tools to proactively identify and resolve issues before business impact.
Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience as a SQL Server Database Administrator.
- Strong expertise in SQL Server architecture, internals, and troubleshooting.
- Hands-on experience with Always On Availability Groups (AG) and HADR configurations.
- Experience working in Azure (IaaS/PaaS – Azure SQL, Managed Instance) environments.
- Strong experience in performance tuning, query optimization, and indexing strategies.
- Experience with automation (PowerShell, T-SQL scripting).
- Hands-on experience with monitoring tools such as SentryOne, LogicMonitor, AppDynamics, or similar.
- Good understanding of database security, compliance, and best practices.
- Experience handling production-critical environments with 24x7 support model.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication skills with ability to interact with cross-functional teams.
Preferred / Good to Have:
- Azure certifications (AZ-900, AZ-104, DP-300).
- Experience with cloud migrations and modernization projects.
- Exposure to DevOps practices (CI/CD for database deployments).
- Knowledge of other database platforms (PostgreSQL, MySQL) is a plus.