Azure SQL DBA

Apptoza Inc.; Montreal; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptoza Inc. is seeking an expert Database Administrator to lead and optimize SQL Server environments across on-premises and Azure. You will drive performance tuning, HA/DR, migrations, and automation using PowerShell, T-SQL, and Azure CLI, while mentoring L1/L2 teams and ensuring security and compliance.

The ideal candidate has 8-14 years in MSSQL/Azure DBA and a proven record of minimizing outages and improving capacity planning.

Qualifications

• 8-14 years of relevant database administration experience, with strong L3 MSSQL and Azure DBA expertise.
• Advanced hands‑on experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines.
• Deep knowledge of Query Store, performance monitoring, execution‑plan analysis, T‑SQL optimization, indexing, blocking, deadlocks, and capacity management.
• Proven experience with Always On, replication, clustering, backup and recovery, database migrations, upgrades, and patching.
• Automation capability using PowerShell, T‑SQL, Azure CLI, and infrastructure‑as-code practices.
• Strong production incident, outage, root‑cause analysis, change management, and stakeholder communication experience.
• Experience with Azure SQL automatic tuning, Database Advisor, elastic pools, geo‑replication, and cost optimization.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Entra authentication, managed identities, encryption, auditing, vulnerability remediation, and compliance evidence.
• Ability to mentor support teams, improve runbooks, and reduce recurring incidents through preventive engineering and automation.
• Good communication skills and experience working through major outage situations.

Skills

MSSQL expertise

Azure DBA

Query Store

T-SQL optimization

Always On

Replication

Indexing

Incident management

Tools

PowerShell

T-SQL

Azure CLI

Infrastructure as Code

Job description

Administer and support SQL Server across on-premises, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines.

Lead performance diagnostics and tuning using Query Store, execution plans, Dynamic Management Views, Extended Events, wait statistics, PerfMon, SQL Profiler, and Azure monitoring.

Optimize complex T‑SQL, stored procedures, indexing, statistics, partitioning, memory, TempDB, parallelism, locking, blocking, deadlocks, CPU, storage I/O, and transaction logs.

Detect query‑plan regressions and workload bottlenecks, establish performance baselines and capacity forecasts, and validate measurable improvements.

Govern Azure SQL automatic tuning and Database Advisor recommendations, including production safeguards and rollback readiness.

Design and support high availability and disaster recovery using Always On availability groups, failover groups, clustering, replication, log shipping, backup, restore, and point‑in‑time recovery.

Plan and execute database migrations, upgrades, patching, consolidation, modernization, and cloud adoption with minimal disruption.

Manage Azure SQL service tiers, elastic pools, scaling, geo‑replication, private connectivity, firewall rules, and cost‑performance optimization.

Implement least‑privilege access, Microsoft Entra authentication, managed identities, encryption, auditing, vulnerability remediation, secrets management, and compliance controls.

Automate provisioning, configuration, health checks, maintenance, backup validation, and reporting with PowerShell, T‑SQL, Azure CLI, and infrastructure‑as‑code practices.

Own P1/P2 incidents, outages, root‑cause analysis, corrective actions, vendor escalations, and stakeholder communications.

Maintain standards, runbooks, recovery procedures, dashboards, and knowledge articles; mentor L1/L2 teams and support change and release readiness.

Your Profile

Essential skills/knowledge/experience:

8-14 years of relevant database administration experience, with strong L3 MSSQL and Azure DBA expertise.

Advanced hands‑on experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines.

Deep knowledge of Query Store, performance monitoring, execution‑plan analysis, T‑SQL optimization, indexing, blocking, deadlocks, and capacity management.

Proven experience with Always On, replication, clustering, backup and recovery, database migrations, upgrades, and patching.

Automation capability using PowerShell, T‑SQL, Azure CLI, and infrastructure‑as‑code practices.

Strong production incident, outage, root‑cause analysis, change management, and stakeholder communication experience.

Experience with Azure SQL automatic tuning, Database Advisor, elastic pools, geo‑replication, and cost optimization.

Knowledge of Microsoft Entra authentication, managed identities, encryption, auditing, vulnerability remediation, and compliance evidence.

Ability to mentor support teams, improve runbooks, and reduce recurring incidents through preventive engineering and automation.

Good communication skills and experience working through major outage situations.