Senior Database Administrator SQL Server & Azure

Position: Senior Database Administrator (DBA)
Work Schedule: Monday Friday, 8:00 AM 4:30 PM
Work Arrangement: Remote
Location Preference: Candidates local to the Harrisburg, PA area preferred
Contract: Long-term contract opportunity

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Database Administrator (DBA) to provide advanced technical support across database administration, development support, data migration, database operations, security, performance optimization, and cloud database environments.

The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL, along with experience supporting production databases, data warehouses, data migration initiatives, and business intelligence environments.

This role requires the ability to work independently with limited supervision while collaborating effectively with developers, business stakeholders, vendors, and technical teams.

Key Responsibilities

Database Administration & Operations

• Provide database administration and operational support for critical production systems.
• Monitor the health, availability, performance, and reliability of SQL Server databases.
• Perform database health checks and provide recommendations for performance improvements.
• Monitor and troubleshoot database performance, availability, and capacity issues.
• Install, configure, maintain, and support SQL Server software and service packs.
• Support database security, access controls, and overall data protection.
• Ensure databases meet established operational and security standards.
• Support backup and restore activities in coordination with appropriate infrastructure teams.

SQL Server Migration & Upgrades

• Perform migrations and upgrades of SQL Server databases between legacy and modern server environments.
• Support migration from on-premises SQL Server environments to Azure SQL.
• Plan and execute database migration activities while minimizing service disruption.
• Validate data and database functionality following migrations and upgrades.
• Assist with data cleanup, transformation, and validation activities.

Azure SQL Administration

• Deploy, configure, secure, and maintain Azure SQL database solutions.
• Monitor and optimize Azure SQL performance and availability.
• Secure Azure SQL resources, databases, and associated data.
• Integrate Azure SQL resources with other Azure services to support enterprise applications and data solutions.
• Support cloud-based database architecture and deployment activities.

Data Migration & Data Management

• Design and develop processes to extract, cleanse, transform, and load data between multiple sources.
• Support data migration and validation initiatives.
• Ensure migrated data is accurate, complete, and consistent.
• Assist with data cleanup and quality assurance activities.
• Apply appropriate database management and data analysis techniques.

Database Design & Development Support

• Design and develop databases based on business and technical requirements.
• Develop and maintain database schemas, tables, relationships, and other database structures.
• Apply normalization and database design principles to improve data integrity and reduce redundancy.
• Develop and maintain logical and physical data models.
• Review and validate data models and data dictionaries against organizational standards.
• Collaborate with developers and stakeholders to determine appropriate database architectures and configurations.
• Deploy and maintain database schema changes across development, testing, and production environments.

Data Warehouse & Business Intelligence Support

• Provide technical database support for data warehouses and data marts.
• Support business intelligence and reporting environments in collaboration with BI administrators and technical teams.
• Assist with database performance, data availability, and integration requirements for analytics platforms.
• Support Power BI environments where required.

Collaboration & Technical Support

• Work with developers, business stakeholders, vendors, and technical teams to gather requirements.
• Provide database architecture and configuration recommendations.
• Coordinate with vendors and service providers to resolve technical issues.
• Assist with software release and deployment activities.
• Identify and track technical issues, risks, dependencies, and action items.
• Provide regular status updates on assigned activities.
• Participate in ongoing process improvement initiatives.
• Complete assigned work with minimal direct supervision.

Required Qualifications

Desired / Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with business systems analysis and design.
• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server High Availability / Always On.
• Experience administering Power BI environments.
• Experience supporting large-scale enterprise database environments.
• Experience with cloud database architecture and Azure services.
• Experience with database migration and modernization projects.

Core Technical Skills

• Microsoft SQL Server
• SQL Server Database Administration
• Azure SQL
• Azure Database Services
• Database Security
• Database Performance Tuning
• Database Backup & Recovery
• SQL Server High Availability / Always On
• Data Migration
• ETL / Data Transformation
• Data Warehousing
• Data Modeling
• Data Quality & Validation
• Power BI
• Database Monitoring
• Production Database Support

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a highly experienced DBA who can independently manage complex database administration activities while working collaboratively with application developers, data teams, vendors, and business stakeholders.

Strong problem-solving ability, attention to detail, communication skills, and experience working with production SQL Server and Azure SQL environments are essential.