Senior SQL Server Database Administrator

TEEMA; Calgary; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

TEEMA in Calgary, Alberta is seeking a Senior SQL Server Database Administrator to own and optimize enterprise SQL Server environments. You will lead complex operations, manage HA/DR, and drive automation and documentation while collaborating with application and infrastructure teams.

The role requires 8+ years of hands-on SQL Server experience, strong troubleshooting skills, and expertise across AGs, clustering, and security. Expect to contribute to on-call rotations and modernization efforts.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of hands-on SQL Server DBA experience in enterprise environments.
• Independent administration and troubleshooting of production SQL Server environments.
• Deep knowledge of SQL Server 2016+ administration and architecture.
• Strong understanding of SQL Server memory, storage, and query processing.
• Advanced performance troubleshooting using DMVs, execution plans, and Wait Stats.
• Design and support for backup, restore, and DR strategies including AGs and log shipping.
• Experience with Always On, clustering, replication, and disaster recovery.
• Security, authentication, authorization, encryption, and least-privilege principles.
• Automation of DBA tasks using PowerShell or scripting.
• Experience with enterprise monitoring (SolarWinds, SCOM) and vulnerability management.
• ITIL-aligned incident/change management and On-call involvement.
• Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance experience.
• Migration of workloads between on-prem and Azure SQL platforms.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior-level administration and operational support for enterprise SQL Server environments.
• Join and supplement the DBA on-call rotation and escalate as needed.
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize SQL Server health, performance, and reliability.
• Administer HA/DR, backup, recovery, and replication technologies (Always On, clustering, log shipping).
• Lead installations, patching, upgrades, migrations, and configuration changes.
• Maintain security controls and support vulnerability remediation and access management.
• Collaborate with application and infra teams on deployments and changes.
• Develop automation and standards for repeatable DBA processes (PowerShell).
• Produce documentation, runbooks, and knowledge transfer to the team.

Skills

SQL Server administration

T-SQL scripting

PowerShell

Backup and recovery

Always On Availability Groups

Windows Server

Performance tuning

Monitoring and incident response

Documentation and runbooks

On-call rotation

Tools

SQL Server

Azure SQL Database

VMware

Microsoft SCOM

Commvault

SolarWinds

ServiceNow

Job description

Job Title: Senior SQL Server Database Administrator

Job ID: 89727

Location: Calgary, Alberta

What you will be doing:

• Provide senior-level administration and operational support for enterprise Microsoft SQL Server environments, taking ownership of complex technical issues through diagnosis, resolution, and documentation.
• Rapidly become familiar with the SQL Server estate, critical applications, operational procedures, and escalation paths in order to join and supplement the DBA out-of-hours on-call rotation as quickly as practical.
• Proactively monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize SQL Server health, performance, availability, capacity, and reliability, including complex performance and production issues.
• Administer and support HA/DR, backup and recovery, and replication technologies, including Always On Availability Groups, clustering, replication, log shipping, and Commvault.
• Lead and execute SQL Server installations, patching, upgrades, migrations, configuration changes, and modernization activities across production and non-production environments.
• Maintain appropriate SQL Server security and compliance controls, and support vulnerability remediation, access management, and audit requirements.
• Partner with application, infrastructure, and other technical teams on database deployments, incidents, changes, troubleshooting, and production readiness.
• Develop and improve T-SQL, PowerShell, automation, monitoring, standards, and repeatable DBA processes to improve operational efficiency and consistency.
• Produce and maintain high-quality technical documentation, operational procedures, troubleshooting guides, and runbooks.
• Provide knowledge transfer and technical mentoring to permanent DBA team members and proactively identify opportunities to improve the reliability, supportability, and management of the SQL Server estate.

What you must have:

• 8+ years of hands-on SQL Server DBA experience, with significant experience operating at a senior level in complex enterprise environments.
• Demonstrated ability to independently administer and troubleshoot business-critical production SQL Server environments.
• Deep knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server administration, ideally across SQL Server 2016 through current supported versions.
• Strong understanding of SQL Server architecture, including the database engine, memory management, storage, transaction logging, tempdb, locking, concurrency, and query processing.
• Advanced experience troubleshooting SQL Server performance using DMVs, wait statistics, execution plans, Query Store, Extended Events, indexing analysis, and other diagnostic techniques.
• Strong experience designing and supporting backup, restore, and disaster recovery strategies, including point-in-time recovery and recovery validation.
• Significant hands-on experience with Always On Availability Groups and/or Windows Server Failover Clustering.
• Strong practical experience supporting and troubleshooting SQL Server replication.
• Experience performing SQL Server installations, cumulative updates, patching, version upgrades, migrations, and server/database consolidation activities.
• Strong knowledge of SQL Server security, including authentication, authorization, roles, permissions, service accounts, encryption, and least-privilege principles.
• Strong T-SQL scripting and troubleshooting skills.
• Experience automating DBA activities using PowerShell and/or other scripting technologies.
• Experience using enterprise database monitoring platforms such as SolarWinds, SentryOne, Redgate, or equivalent tools.
• Hands-on experience administering SQL Server backup and recovery through Commvault, including backup configuration, troubleshooting, point-in-time restores, and recovery validation.
• Experience operating within formal ITIL-aligned incident, problem, request, and change management processes, preferably using ServiceNow.
• Demonstrated experience producing clear, usable technical documentation and operational runbooks.
• Previous experience participating in an out-of-hours/on-call support rotation for business-critical database environments.
• Experience administering Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance.
• Experience migrating workloads between on-premises SQL Server and Azure SQL platforms.
• Experience with SQL Server infrastructure running on VMware or other virtualized enterprise infrastructure.
• Experience with enterprise monitoring and observability platforms such as SolarWinds and SCOM.
• Experience working with vulnerability management and remediation processes and tools.
• Familiarity with DevOps and database deployment practices, including source control and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience developing repeatable automation and standardized SQL Server deployment and configuration processes.
• Experience participating in SQL Server estate modernization, consolidation, lifecycle management, or large-scale migration programs.
• Microsoft SQL Server or Azure certifications are beneficial but are not a substitute for demonstrated senior-level hands-on experience.