Senior Data Engineer

Insight Global; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

WME is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to own, support, and modernize its enterprise SQL data ecosystem. This role focuses on SQL Server DBA responsibilities, high availability, disaster recovery, and modernization planning, with cloud modernization and ELT/data modeling duties alongside data governance partners.

You will balance hands-on database administration with strategic initiatives, collaborating with engineering and business stakeholders to ensure reliable analytics pipelines and scalable

Qualifications

• 7+ years in data or database engineering.
• Strong experience administering and supporting SQL Server environments.
• Expertise in T-SQL, performance tuning, troubleshooting, backup/recovery, and database maintenance.
• Experience with high availability and disaster recovery technologies and best practices.
• Hands-on experience with ELT processes, data pipelines, and data modeling.
• Experience modernizing or migrating legacy database environments.
• Understanding of data governance, privacy, and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Own and support the SQL Server environment, ensuring database performance, reliability, availability, and operational excellence.
• Design, maintain, and optimize data pipelines, integrations, and analytics-ready datasets.
• Lead database modernization efforts, helping transition legacy SQL environments toward modern Azure and cloud-native data platforms.
• Partner with application and engineering teams to support the data layer behind custom business applications.
• Develop and maintain database high availability and disaster recovery solutions, including backup, recovery, failover, and resiliency planning.
• Support data governance, privacy, and compliance initiatives, including GDPR, CCPA, and SOX-related controls.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, standards, and operational runbooks.
• Contribute to long-term database strategy and architecture alongside infrastructure, architecture, and governance teams.

Skills

SQL Server

T-SQL

Performance tuning

Backup/Recovery

High availability

Disaster recovery

ELT pipelines

Data modeling

Azure data services

Data governance

Tools

Azure

Job description

1-2x a week onsite in Los Angeles - 9601 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Must work W2 without sponsorship

OVERVIEW

WME is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to own, support, and modernize its enterprise SQL data ecosystem. This role is ideal for someone with deep SQL Server expertise who enjoys balancing hands-on database administration with strategic modernization initiatives. While the position carries a Data Engineer title, the primary focus is on SQL database ownership, performance, high availability, disaster recovery, and long-term modernization planning. This is not an AI/ML engineering role and does not own BI reporting or dashboard development. Instead, the role is responsible for the data platforms, databases, and pipelines that enable analytics and reporting across the organization. The ideal candidate combines strong SQL Server DBA expertise with modern data engineering experience. They are comfortable maintaining and optimizing existing systems while helping guide an organization's evolution toward cloud-native platforms. Success in this role requires a balance of operational excellence, technical depth, modernization experience, and collaboration with application development teams.

• 60% SQL Server administration and database ownership
• 30% Azure database and cloud modernization initiatives
• 10% Data engineering, ELT development, and data modeling

REQUIREMENTS

• 7+ years in data or database engineering
• Strong experience administering and supporting SQL Server environments.
• Expertise in T-SQL, performance tuning, troubleshooting, backup/recovery, and database maintenance.
• Experience with high availability and disaster recovery technologies and best practices.
• Hands-on experience with ELT processes, data pipelines, and data modeling.
• Experience modernizing or migrating legacy database environments.
• Understanding of data governance, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, architecture, and business stakeholders.

PREFERRED

• Experience with Azure data services, cloud databases, data lakes, or modern cloud-native data platforms.
• Experience integrating data from ERP systems such as SAP.
• Exposure to NoSQL technologies and modern data architectures.
• Experience working in enterprise environments undergoing data platform transformation.

DAY-TO-DAY

• Own and support the SQL Server environment, ensuring database performance, reliability, availability, and operational excellence.
• Design, maintain, and optimize data pipelines, integrations, and analytics-ready datasets.
• Lead database modernization efforts, helping transition legacy SQL environments toward modern Azure and cloud-native data platforms.
• Partner with application and engineering teams to support the data layer behind custom business applications.
• Develop and maintain database high availability and disaster recovery solutions, including backup, recovery, failover, and resiliency planning.
• Support data governance, privacy, and compliance initiatives, including GDPR, CCPA, and SOX-related controls.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, standards, and operational runbooks.
• Contribute to long-term database strategy and architecture alongside infrastructure, architecture, and governance teams.

Important Note:

This is primarily a SQL-focused database engineering role. Candidates seeking a traditional cloud-first data engineering position centered on AI/ML platforms, advanced analytics engineering, or BI development may not find this position aligned with their career interests.