Lead Database Administrator

Cambium Assessment; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Cambium Learning Group is seeking a Lead Database Administrator with strong SQL Server expertise and cloud experience to join the Systems Engineering team. You will deploy, monitor, and optimize databases across EC2 and RDS, including Aurora, DynamoDB, and Redshift, to support development and production workloads.

You will work with a small team to improve automation, reliability, and performance, mentor teammates, and help transition to AWS-native services while ensuring high availability and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of Microsoft SQL Server database administration in production environments.
• 5+ years administering cloud-native AWS database services (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift).
• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline; Master's preferred.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, support, and upgrade SQL Server instances across AWS (EC2 and RDS).
• Monitor and optimize the database infrastructure with the NOC team.
• Identify opportunities to improve performance, reliability, and cost efficiency.
• Develop SQL commands, stored procedures, and PowerShell scripts to automate tasks.
• Support on-call schedule with the Lead DBA and other engineers.
• Assist in transitioning to AWS-native database services and architecture.

Skills

Microsoft SQL Server

AWS cloud

SQL performance tuning

Partitioned databases

DMVs/Extended Events

Backup & DR

SQL Replication

PowerShell

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

AWS

Aurora

RDS

DynamoDB

Redshift

CloudFormation

CDK

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Cambium Learning® Group is an award-winning educational technology solutions leader dedicated to helping all students reach their potential through individualized and differentiated instruction. Using a research-based, personalized approach, Cambium Learning Group delivers SaaS resources and instructional products that engage students and support teachers in fun, positive, safe and scalable environments. These solutions are provided through Learning A-Z® (online differentiated instruction for elementary school reading, writing and science), ExploreLearning® (online interactive math and science simulations, a math fact fluency solution, and a K-2 science solution), Voyager Sopris Learning® (blended solutions that accelerate struggling learners to achieve in literacy and math and professional development for teachers), and VKidz Learning (online comprehensive homeschool education and programs for literacy and science). We believe that every student has unlimited potential, that teachers matter, and that data, instruction, and practice are the keys to success in the classroom and beyond.

Job Overview

We are currently seeking a hands-on, Lead Database Administrator with exceptional SQL Server administration skills and proven cloud database experience to join our team of more than a hundred software engineers, designers, project managers and software specialists who are smart, creative, and passionate about what they do. Some of our ground-breaking work includes: advanced algorithms for computer-adaptive testing; highly scaled and high-performance distributed systems with big data challenges; user interfaces that are universally accessible to all; and innovative, AI-based scoring.

This Lead Database Administrator (DBA) will join the Systems Engineering team and partner closely with another Lead DBA to deploy, monitor, maintain, and optimize database systems supporting development activities and production applications in our AWS environment. Our footprint includes traditional SQL Server instances — standalone and clustered, hosting standalone databases, replicated databases, and large partitioned databases — alongside a growing set of cloud-native AWS data services, including Aurora (MySQL/PostgreSQL-compatible), DynamoDB, Redshift, and S3-based data lakes (e.g., S3 Tables). Our applications require exceptional reliability and performance, often supporting significant peak demand.

You will work autonomously or with small teams of systems engineers and software developers, collaborating closely with our other Lead DBA to configure, support, and enhance our database infrastructure. You'll need to be self-motivating and ready to take the initiative to identify opportunities and solve problems.

Beyond supporting and optimizing our current environment, we are looking for someone to partner with our other Lead DBA and technology teams to help transform our infrastructure to meet new challenges — including continued adoption of cloud-native AWS database services.

Job Responsibilities

• Deploy, support, and upgrade SQL Server instances across our AWS environment (EC2-hosted and RDS) in partnership with our Systems Engineering team, with growing responsibility for cloud-native AWS data services (e.g., Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, and S3 Tables (Iceberg)-based data lakes) as we modernize our data platform.
• Coordinated with System Engineers to remove blockers, troubleshoot complex SQL Server issues, and ensure successful deployments.
• Monitor the overall health of our database infrastructure, supported by our Network Operations Center team.
• Identify opportunities for improving database performance, increasing system reliability, optimizing resource utilization, and reducing costs — including evaluating cloud-native AWS alternatives — and collaborate with systems engineering and application development to assess and deploy solutions.
• Collaborate with development teams and support application design and deployment, optimization, troubleshooting, and problem resolution.
• Develop SQL commands, stored procedures, and PowerShell scripts to automate administrative processes, facilitate monitoring, and assist in troubleshooting and problem solving.
• Serve as a go-to resource on SQL Server— including system capabilities, internals, tools, deployment, and maintenance — across both self-managed and AWS-managed (RDS/Aurora) environments, alongside our Lead DBA
• Support the organization's ongoing transition toward AWS-native database services, in partnership with our Lead DBA, evaluating fit-for-purpose options (e.g., RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, S3 Tables) for new and migrating workloads.
• Maintain documentation on configurations and processes and share database knowledge with systems engineers and developers.
• Support on call schedule for evening and weekends shared with Lead DBA.

Job Requirements

• 10+ years of Microsoft SQL Server database administration, including 7+ years managing large, mission-critical production systems.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience administering cloud-native AWS database services (e.g., RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift).
• Hands-on experience with AWS database services, including SQL Server hosted on EC2 and RDS, with working knowledge of cloud-native offerings such as Aurora and RDS Multi-AZ/read replica configurations, plus working familiarity with adjacent AWS data services such as DynamoDB, Redshift, and S3-based data lakes (e.g., S3 Tables).
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and research performance-related issues, with experience using tools like Extended Events, dynamic management views (DMVs), or trace flags to diagnose and resolve deadlocks and long-running queries.
• Experience managing very large databases and knowledge of partitioned data storage, data replication, and bulk movement of large data sets.
• Thorough understanding of best practices for database maintenance, including schema management, storage management, backup management, and disaster recovery.
• Experience deploying, supporting, and optimizing SQL Server, SQL Replication, and SQL Agent.
• Experience assessing and tuning SQL Server performance while considering hardware, storage, and network performance.
• Advanced knowledge of SQL programming, including the ability to write and optimize queries, stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions to support database administration.
• Solid understanding of database theory and database design and their practical application to real-world situations.
• Familiarity with database security and database auditing techniques, including AWS-native controls such as IAM database authentication and encryption at rest/in transit (KMS).
• Familiarity with versions back to SQL Server 2019, with working knowledge of current-generation feature sets (e.g., SQL Server 2025).
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent practical experience; Master's degree preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with AWS cloud-native database and analytics services such as Aurora (MySQL/PostgreSQL-compatible), DynamoDB, Redshift, or S3 Tables (Apache Iceberg tables on S3).
• Familiarity with Infrastructure-as-Code (e.g., CloudFormation or CDK) for provisioning and managing cloud database resources.
• Knowledge of Ansible is a plus.
• Exposure to AWS cost optimization practices for database workloads (storage tiering, right-sizing).
• Exposure to AI-assisted database monitoring, anomaly detection, or query-tuning tooling.
• Familiarity with Foglight is a plus.
• Familiarity with Jira and Confluence.
• Understanding of data warehouse and data lake concepts and technologies, particularly within AWS (e.g., Redshift, S3-based data lakes, AWS Glue, Lake Formation).
• Understanding of OLAP concepts and technologies.
• Knowledge of data migration methods.
• Relevant certifications

An Equal Opportunity Employer

We are dedicated to fostering a culture that celebrates unique backgrounds, ideas, and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.