Sr Database Administrator

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.

Originally posted on Himalayas