About ETS
ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization enabling lifelong learners worldwide to be future-ready. For more than 75 years, we've been advancing the science of measurement to build benchmarks for fair and valid skill assessment across cultures and borders. Our worldwide impact extends through our renowned assessments including TOEFL®, TOEIC®, GRE® and Praxis® tests, serving millions of learners in more than 200 countries and territories. Through strategic acquisitions, we've expanded our global capabilities: PSI strengthens our workforce assessment solutions, while Edusoft, Kira Talent, Pipplet, Vericant, and Wheebox enhance our educational technology and assessment platforms across critical markets worldwide.Through ETS Research Institute and ETS Solutions, we're partnering with educational institutions, governments, and organizations globally to promote skill proficiency, empower upward mobility, and unlock opportunities for everyone, everywhere. With offices and partners across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, we deliver nearly 50 million tests annually. Join us in our journey of measuring progress to power human progress worldwide.
Position Summary
The Lead SQL Server Database Administrator provides project and team leadership as well as day-to-day support of the production, QA, test, and development mid-range database environments. The incumbent leads project teams including operations, application developers and vendors to improve technical infrastructure, security, reliability and cost. This role also performs database space management, performance monitoring, database and system and database tuning, backup and recovery, database software installation, upgrades, and infrastructure management.
- Provide technical expertise to design business solutions related to DBMS “Internals”, DBMS tools and utilities usage, database backup and recovery, database performance, and overall database performance monitoring and tuning
- Ensure that data access and database designs are as efficient as possible by coordinating transaction access path analysis sessions with application developers and analyzing specifications and code
- Fully utilize CASE tools to develop, or modify, physical database designs from logical designs
- Perform database structure migrations
- Trouble-shoot database and/or software problems as they apply to design, implementation, or installation activities.
- Act as the bridge between database and system level integration issues and set clear direction for others to follow.
- Assure quality of database analysis and design across projects, thus enabling company-wide data reusability
- Schedule and coordinate infrastructure and database maintenance activities including such items as database reorganizations and restructure
- Coordinate and/or participate in database stress tests, analyze results, and make recommendations for design or coding changes based upon those results.
- Participate in on-call and overnight production support and problem resolution activities
- Develops and maintains DBMS related standards and procedures to facilitate the identification and implementation of quality improvement initiatives
- Research, evaluate, and test new software and DBMS related tools and facilities as they pertain to the existing DBMS environment, database designs, procedures, and applications
- Assume responsibility for the security of company information through secure databases and monitoring environment to identify improper access and ensure compliance with all ETS security and audit standards
- Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the hardware, operating system, network and database arenas and provide consultation and knowledge transfer as needed
- Monitors current DBMS performance and capacity and develops procedures to improve the DBMS environment
- Lead and mentor teams of other Infrastructure or application DBA staff to solve technical database and system challenges
- Collaborate with other application DBA staff, senior infrastructure DBA staff, developers, and other technical staff to ensure that best practices are followed for relational database design, database configurations, and installation options
- Directs and mentors’ teams of DBA staff
- Functions autonomously on a regular basis, seeking direction from senior management in atypical situations
- Issues direction to both technical and non-technical staff and monitors security of ETS data
- Frequently looked to for innovative or inventive business solutions
- Adhere to ethical standards and comply with the laws and regulations applicable to your job function
Minimum Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in computer science with extensive coursework in an information processing curriculum, or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and abilities can be acquired is necessary
- 5 to 10 years of progressively responsible system and SQL Server Database administration experience
- Experience with hybrid cloud environments and multi-cloud strategies.
- Knowledge of other database platforms (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle).
- Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools (e.g., CI/CD pipelines, Git).
Certifications (Preferred)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP-300).
- AWS Certified: Database – Specialty (DBS-C01).
- Microsoft Certified: Data Management and Analytics (optional).
Required Knowledge/Skills
- Extensive experience administering SQL Server 2014–2022: installation, upgrades (service packs, patches), migrations, backups, recovery, and optimizing for high availability (Always-On AG, clustering, replication, log shipping).
- Experience with monitoring performance and tuning databases using SQL Profiler, Database Engine Tuning Advisor, SMS, SCOM/OEM, index/query optimization, and TempDB management.
- Skilled in T-SQL development and familiar with SSIS, SSRS, and SSAS for ETL, reporting, and analytical processing.
- Proficient in designing and managing cloud database architectures on AWS (EC2, RDS, Redshift, DMS, S3, CloudWatch, IAM/KMS) and Azure (Azure SQL DB, Managed Instances, VMs, Blob Storage, Azure Monitor, Azure AD); includes cost optimization and cross-platform migrations.
- Strong scripting and automation skills with PowerShell, Python, T-SQL, employing IaC tools like Terraform, ARM templates, CloudFormation; experienced in CI/CD workflows using Ansible, Jenkins, Git (branching, pull/push), Liquibase, Maven.
- Solid knowledge in Windows system administration, network and storage performance tuning, and infrastructure support aligned with database scalability needs.
- Enforces database security: access control, encryption (TDE), auditing, patch management—and ensures compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, SOC.
- Reliable 24/7 operational support: monitoring with SSMS, Azure Monitor or similar, advanced troubleshooting, incident response, and participating in on-call rotations.
- Strong analytical/problem-solving capabilities; excellent communication and teamwork—able to effectively explain technical issues across diverse stakeholder groups.
ETS is mission driven and action oriented
- We are passionate about hiring innovative thinkers who believe in the promise of education and lifelong learning.
- We are energized by cultivating growth, innovation, and continuous transformation for the next generation of rising professionals as leaders. Â In support of this ETS offers multiple Business Resource Groups (BRG) for you to learn and advance your career growth!
- As a not-for-profit organization we will encourage you to lean in to your passion for volunteering. Â At ETS you may qualify for up to an additional 8 hours of PTO for volunteer work on causes that are important to you!
ETS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe in creating a work environment where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.
