BigQuery DBA

Location: Chicago, IL – Onsite

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced BigQuery DBA to manage, support, optimize, and secure Google BigQuery environments. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in BigQuery administration, SQL performance tuning, GCP security, data integration, automation, and production support.

The role will provide L1 and L2 support and requires flexibility to work in rolling shifts.

Key Responsibilities

BigQuery Administration

• Manage BigQuery datasets, tables, views, and authorized views.

• Implement data retention, partitioning, and clustering strategies.

• Monitor slot allocation and manage reservation configurations.

• Support BigQuery Omni and multi-cloud deployments when required.

• Manage data replication, backup, and disaster recovery strategies.

Performance & Cost Optimization

• Optimize SQL queries using partitioning and clustering.

• Analyze query execution plans and eliminate unnecessary full table scans.

• Monitor and optimize GCP slot utilization and BigQuery costs.

• Implement materialized views and search indexes to improve query performance.

• Troubleshoot complex SQL queries and data-loading issues.

Security & Governance

• Manage GCP IAM roles and permissions.

• Implement row-level and column-level security.

• Monitor and audit data access using Cloud Logging and related tools.

• Support compliance with data privacy and security requirements.

Data Integration & Automation

• Collaborate with Data Engineering teams to optimize Dataflow and Datastream pipelines.

• Automate administrative activities using Python, Bash, or Terraform.

• Support CI/CD processes and infrastructure automation.

• Troubleshoot data ingestion and integration issues.

L1 & L2 Production Support

L1 Support

• Receive and respond to requests through phone, email, or chat.

• Log and track incidents and service requests.

• Follow predefined SOPs, scripts, and SLAs.

• Perform initial troubleshooting and issue resolution.

• Escalate unresolved or complex issues to L2 support.

L2 Support

• Perform in-depth technical analysis of BigQuery and GCP issues.

• Conduct complex troubleshooting and system configuration.

• Analyze logs and use diagnostic tools to identify root causes.

• Resolve performance, data-loading, security, and configuration issues.

• Work as a bridge between end users, L1 support, and L3 engineering/development teams.

Required Skills

• Strong knowledge of Google BigQuery architecture and administration.

• Advanced SQL optimization and query tuning.

• Proficiency with GCP CLI (gcloud) and BigQuery CLI (bq).

• Experience with Terraform / Infrastructure as Code.

• Strong understanding of data warehousing concepts, including Star and Snowflake schemas.

• Experience with GCP data services such as Dataflow and Datastream.

• Experience with Python and/or Bash scripting.

• Experience with CI/CD tools such as GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins.

• Strong troubleshooting and production support experience.

• Ability to work in L1/L2 rolling shifts.

Required Experience & Education

• 3+ years of hands-on BigQuery administration experience.

• 5+ years of overall Database Administration or Data Engineering experience.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field preferred.

Preferred Certifications

• Google Cloud Certified Professional Data Engineer.

• Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect.

Core Skills

BigQuery | GCP | SQL | Query Optimization | BigQuery Administration | GCP IAM | Dataflow | Datastream | Terraform | Python | Bash | Cloud Logging | Data Warehousing | CI/CD | L1/L2 Production Support | Incident Management | Performance & Cost Optimization