Senior MS SQL DBA

This role is for a true database leader — someone who has designed, scaled, and maintained mission-critical MS SQL Server environments that handle terabytes of data and thousands of concurrent users. You'll own every aspect of the SQL Server stack — from core engine tuning and HA/DR setup to schema optimization and security hardening. This is a pure on-premises DBA role, built for those who understand the cost of downtime and the value of precision.

You’ll work closely with engineering, DevOps, support, and business teams to ensure our data layer is fast, available, secure, and future-ready.

Architecture & Design

• Design, implement, and support enterprise-scale SQL Server infrastructure (SQL Server 2014 through 2022)
• Architect and maintain Always On Availability Groups, clustering, log shipping, and replication across data centers
• Build fault-tolerant database clusters optimized for low-latency and high-throughput use cases
• Evaluate and recommend hardware, disk I/O strategies, and storage tiers for OLTP and OLAP workloads

Performance & Optimization

• Analyze execution plans and wait stats to optimize server, query, and index performance
• Implement and refine indexing, partitioning, and compression strategies for very large databases (1TB+)
• Tune system-wide performance across tempdb, memory grants, parallelism, and disk subsystems
• Automate performance monitoring and anomaly detection

Operations & Automation

• Own and manage all backup, restore, and recovery strategies using native tools and scripting
• Automate maintenance plans using SQL Agent, PowerShell, and in-house tooling
• Implement robust alerting and health checks across 24x7 production environments
• Lead patching, version upgrades, and schema deployments with zero downtime

Security & Compliance

• Define and enforce least-privilege access, authentication protocols, and encryption policies
• Implement row-level security, auditing, data masking, and compliance controls (HIPAA, GDPR, ISO)
• Conduct periodic vulnerability scans and participate in audit reviews

Incident Management & Troubleshooting

• Lead RCA efforts on slowdowns, deadlocks, blocking, I/O contention, and unplanned outages
• Coordinate escalation with vendors and internal teams for resolution and knowledge sharing
• Document incident runbooks and create preventive SOPs

Collaboration & Mentorship

• Act as the primary DBA resource for application development, DevOps, and infrastructure teams
• Guide developers on query design, execution plans, indexing, and transaction control
• Mentor junior DBAs and create a knowledge-driven culture of continuous improvement

• 10+ years in hands-on SQL Server DBA roles in high-volume, on-prem environments
• Expertise in HA/DR solutions: Always On AGs, failover clustering, log shipping, replication
• In-depth understanding of SQL Server internals: memory architecture, query engine, locking, wait types
• Proficiency in T-SQL, dynamic SQL, and procedural development
• Strong in performance troubleshooting using DMVs, Extended Events, Query Store, Profiler
• Advanced PowerShell scripting for task automation and orchestration
• Proven experience with backup tools (native, Redgate, Quest) and enterprise monitoring solutions
• Experience managing databases over 1TB with more than 1000 concurrent sessions
• Solid understanding of Windows Server, Active Directory, and storage subsystems
• Strong documentation, incident reporting, and change management discipline

• Experience with SSIS, SSRS (maintenance and troubleshooting)
• Familiarity with SAN/NAS storage tuning
• Basic understanding of DevOps pipelines for DB changes (Liquibase, Redgate, etc.)

• Competitive pay with bonus structure linked to uptime, performance, and ownership
• A chance to lead high-availability database systems with real impact
• Work with senior engineering and infrastructure teams in a flat, collaborative culture
• Clear promotion paths and quarterly reviews
• Training budget and paid certifications to stay ahead in SQL Server and automation
• An environment that values accountability, craftsmanship, and clarity