Database Administrator

Lead Forensics; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 173,000; Full time

Job summary

Lead Forensics is seeking a Senior SQL Server DBA to own and optimise the core Microsoft SQL Server estate and cloud databases, including SingleStore. You will collaborate with software engineering, infrastructure, and security teams to ensure high availability, performance, and security across production and analytics workloads.

The role is remote-first with occasional onsite collaboration in the UK. Relevant MS, cloud, or database certifications are welcomed, with hands-on expertise taking

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience administering production databases, with senior DBA experience.
• Strong expertise with Microsoft SQL Server including installation, configuration, backups, security, and performance tuning.
• Experience supporting high-traffic SaaS workloads in 24x7 environments.
• Experience with HA/DR options (Always On, clustering, log shipping).
• Experience with cloud databases (Azure or AWS) and managed services.
• Experience with SingleStore or distributed SQL platforms.
• Ability to automate tasks via scripting, source control, and CI/CD.
• Excellent collaboration with software engineering, security, and architecture teams.

Responsibilities

• Administer, monitor, and support production and non-production SQL Server instances and cloud services including SingleStore.
• Ensure high availability, reliability, performance, and security for SaaS workloads.
• Lead proactive monitoring, capacity planning, and health reporting; address risks before impacting customers.
• Diagnose and resolve complex issues including queries, blocking, deadlocks, and resource contention.
• Tune queries, indexes, execution plans, and configurations with developers to optimize performance.
• Design, manage, and test backup, restore, HA, and disaster-recovery processes.
• Protect security through least-privilege access, encryption, auditing, and ISO27001-aligned controls.
• Plan and lead installations, upgrades, patching, migrations, and decommissioning with controlled change management.
• Automate routine admin and deployment tasks using T-SQL, scripting, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Support database changes throughout the software delivery lifecycle with DevOps practices.
• Maintain runbooks and architecture docs; promote knowledge sharing.
• Participate in on-call/out-of-hours rota to support critical services.

Skills

Microsoft SQL Server

Always On Availability Groups

SQL performance tuning

Azure or AWS

SingleStore

T-SQL

CI/CD pipelines

Security and auditing

Database migration/modernization

Tools

Monitoring tools

Backup/DR tooling

Job description

Описание: Senior SQL Server DBA This role requires you to be based in the UK and sponsorship is not available. Lead Forensics is a rapidly growing SaaS leader in the B2B sales and marketing space. We are seeking an accomplished Senior SQL Server Database Administrator to join our engineering organisation. In this key role, you will partner with our existing DBA to manage, optimise, and protect the database platforms powering our customer-facing products and critical internal systems. As a Senior SQL Server DBA, you will have end‑to‑end responsibility for our core Microsoft SQL Server estate and our expanding cloud database environment, including SingleStore. You’ll drive production operations, performance engineering, availability, security, automation, and lifecycle management for both transactional and analytical workloads. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced, pragmatic, and hands‑on DBA who excels in technical leadership and is passionate about service quality. You’ll closely collaborate with software engineering, architecture, infrastructure, and security teams to maintain robust existing databases and modernise delivery with cloud and DevOps practices.

Задачи:

• Collaborate with the current DBA to administer, monitor, and support all production and non‑production Microsoft SQL Server instances and cloud database services, including SingleStore.
• Ensure the highest levels of availability, reliability, performance, scalability, and security for our business‑critical SaaS workloads.
• Take ownership of proactive monitoring, alerting, capacity planning, and health reporting; identifying trends and addressing risks before they affect customers.
• Diagnose and resolve complex issues including queries, blocking, deadlocks, resource contention, storage, replication, and connectivity, and contribute to root‑cause analysis and permanent solutions.
• Tune queries, indexes, execution plans, schemas, and configurations, working alongside developers to maximize application performance and data access efficiency.
• Design, manage, and regularly test robust backup, restore, high‑availability, and disaster‑recovery processes aligned with recovery objectives.
• Protect database security through least‑privilege access, intelligent role design, encryption, auditing, vulnerability management, and regular access reviews in line with ISO27001 standards.
• Plan and lead database installations, upgrades, patching, migrations, refreshes, and decommissioning following controlled change management and validation procedures.
• Automate repeatable administration, monitoring, and deployment tasks using T‑SQL, scripting, and infrastructure or CI/CD pipeline tools.
• Support and review database changes throughout the software delivery lifecycle, ensuring safe releases using mature DevOps practices.
• Maintain up‑to‑date runbooks, architecture records, operational documentation, and knowledge sharing to reduce key‑person dependency.
• Participate in a structured on‑call/out‑of‑hours rota to support critical production services and planned maintenance.

Требования:

• 8+ years of experience administering business‑critical production databases, with significant recent experience in a senior DBA role.
• Strong, hands‑on expertise with Microsoft SQL Server, including installation, configuration, upgrades, patching, backups, recovery, security, and performance tuning.
• Proven experience supporting high‑volume OLTP systems and large datasets in demanding 24×7 environments, ideally SaaS.
• Advanced knowledge of SQL Server high‑availability and disaster‑recovery (HA/DR) options, such as Always On Availability Groups, clustering, replication, log shipping, and performing tested restores.
• Experience working effectively with software engineers, platform teams, and information security professionals across distributed teams.
• Technical & Methodological Strengths Expert‑level T‑SQL skills, with deep understanding of execution plans, indexing, statistics, locking, isolation levels, and query optimization.
• Solid experience in database observability, baselining, and troubleshooting with native and third‑party monitoring tools.
• Demonstrated ability to automate operational tasks using scripting, source control, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Hands‑on experience managing databases in Azure or AWS, including managed services, resilient architecture, monitoring, and cost control.
• Experience with SingleStore or a distributed SQL platform—or the drive and aptitude to quickly build expertise here.
• Strong understanding of data modeling, schema design, partitioning, lifecycle management, and the differing needs of OLTP and analytical workloads.
• Excellent knowledge of secure database operation, privacy, auditing, and change management in a regulated environment.
• Mindset & Style Calm, methodical, and accountable during production incidents with a strong sense of ownership for service reliability.
• Highly analytical, with the ability to transition between detailed troubleshooting, long‑term improvement, and commercial priorities.
• Proactive about reducing manual effort through automation, standardization, and operational controls.
• Clear communicator capable of translating database risks, trade‑offs, and recommendations for technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Committed to continuous learning and adopting new database technologies when they create meaningful value.
• A strong record of improving the reliability and performance of complex production SQL Server environments supporting SaaS products.
• Evidence of incident prevention through monitoring, capacity planning, disciplined operational practices, and proactive improvements.
• Experience managing successful database migrations or modernization projects with minimal service disruption and robust rollback plans.
• The ability to constructively challenge database designs and collaborate with engineering to balance performance, resilience, speed, and cost.
• Relevant Microsoft, cloud, or database certifications are welcomed, but demonstrable expertise is paramount.

Условия:

• Senior, hands‑on role with significant influence over the reliability and evolution of our core data platforms.
• Opportunity to work with both established SQL Server services and innovative cloud database technologies like SingleStore.
• Collaborate with talented engineering, architecture, infrastructure, and security professionals at scale.
• Be part of a fast‑paced, forward‑thinking company focused on delivering high‑performance, commercially effective SaaS solutions.
• Remote‑first culture with occasional onsite collaboration.
• Employment with a rapidly growing UK SaaS company.
• Remote role (hybrid working in our Cosham office available if preferred) with availability to visit for occasional in‑person workshops.
• Competitive salary and benefits.
• Exceptional company culture—displaying strong DNA, a “One Team” ethos, and focus on growth.
• Opportunities to give back through volunteer days, fundraisers, and charity events.