Microsoft SQL Server Database Administrator

Role Overview :

We are looking for an  Expert SQL Database Administrator  with strong ownership of  enterprise-grade database platforms , capable of architecting, securing, optimizing, and supporting  mission-critical database environments . The ideal candidate brings  deep hands-on expertise , strong troubleshooting ability, and a  proactive mindset  toward performance, availability, and data protection.
This role requires close collaboration with  application, cloud, infrastructure, and security teams , along with the ability to guide junior DBAs and influence database best practices across the organization.

Core Responsibilities

1. Enterprise Database Administration & Architecture
Design, install, configure, upgrade, and maintain  enterprise database platforms  across production, staging, and development environments.
Architect and manage  database instances, schemas, objects, table spaces, indexes, and users  based on performance and scalability requirements.
Own database lifecycle management including  capacity planning, growth forecasting, and storage optimization .
Ensure seamless and secure  database connectivity  with applications and middleware layers.
Perform  vendor patching, cumulative updates, and version upgrades  with minimal downtime and risk mitigation.

2. Performance Engineering & Optimization
Proactively monitor database health, workload patterns, and system bottlenecks.
Perform advanced  query tuning, index optimization, and execution plan analysis .
Diagnose and resolve  complex performance issues  involving locks, waits, I/O, memory, and CPU contention.
Partner with application teams to influence  database-aware application design  and SQL best practices.
Establish baseline performance metrics and capacity thresholds.

3. Backup, Recovery, High Availability & DR
Design and implement  robust backup and recovery strategies  aligned with RPO/RTO requirements.
Architect and manage  high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR)  solutions (clustering, replication, failover).
Conduct  regular DR drills, restore validations, and failover testing  to ensure operational readiness.
Act as the  primary escalation point  during database outages or data loss incidents.

4. Security, Compliance & Risk Management
Implement  database security frameworks  including encryption, auditing, and data protection controls.
Manage  role-based access control (RBAC) , least-privilege access, and privileged account governance.
Ensure compliance with  organizational, regulatory, and audit requirements .
Collaborate with security teams on vulnerability remediation and secure configuration baselines.
Support compliance initiatives such as  SOX, ISO, GDPR, HIPAA , or similar (where applicable).

5. Operations, Support & Technical Leadership
Provide  Level 2/Level 3 production support  for database-related incidents and problems.
Lead root cause analysis (RCA) and implement  preventive measures .
Create and maintain  detailed documentation , SOPs, and runbooks.
Mentor junior DBAs and act as a  technical advisor  to engineering teams.
Drive standardization, automation, and continuous improvement of database operations.

Mandatory Technical Expertise
8+ years  of hands-on experience as a Database Administrator in enterprise environments.
Deep expertise in one or more of the following:
Microsoft SQL Server
MySQL / MariaDB
PostgreSQL
Strong knowledge of:
Database internals and architecture
Performance tuning and troubleshooting
Backup, restore, HA, and DR strategies
Solid experience working in  Linux/Unix and/or Windows-based environments .

Preferred / Value-Add Skills
Experience managing  cloud-based databases :
Azure SQL Database / Managed Instance
Automation and scripting using:
Shell, Power Shell, Python, or similar
Exposure to  Dev Ops practices , CI/CD pipelines, and Infrastructure as Code.
Experience supporting  large-scale, high-transaction, or 24x7 production environments .
Prior involvement in  database migrations, consolidations, or cloud transformations .

Behavioral & Professional Attributes
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ownership mindset with high accountability.
Ability to work under pressure in production-critical scenarios.
Exc…