Senior MS SQL Database Administrator

DKMRBH Inc; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

DKMRBH Inc. seeks a Senior MS SQL Database Administrator to manage enterprise SQL Server and cloud databases, ensuring availability, performance, and reliability.

You will troubleshoot issues, implement migrations, and optimize queries while supporting disaster recovery, high-availability configurations, and automation tooling. You will collaborate with engineering, operations, and infrastructure teams, document technical requirements, and participate in help desk tasks as needed.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of hands-on experience administering Microsoft SQL Server databases.
• Strong experience with SQL Server administration, support, and performance tuning.
• Strong knowledge of high availability, clustering, mirroring, and failover technologies.
• Strong T-SQL development and query optimization skills.
• Experience installing, upgrading, patching, and migrating SQL Server databases.
• Experience working in Windows Server environments.
• Experience supporting large/high-volume SQL Server databases.
• Experience diagnosing blocking, deadlocks, and performance issues.
• Experience with Azure or other cloud database technologies.
• Ability to communicate effectively using technical requirements and design documentation.

Responsibilities

• Administer and support enterprise Microsoft SQL Server and cloud database environments.
• Monitor databases to maintain availability, performance, and reliability.
• Troubleshoot database and application issues involving connectivity, access, security, and performance.
• Diagnose and resolve SQL Server performance issues, including long-running queries, blocking, and deadlocks.
• Perform SQL Server installation, configuration, upgrades, patching, and database migrations.
• Support SQL Server high-availability environments, including clustering, mirroring, and failover configurations.
• Write, review, and optimize complex Transact-SQL (T-SQL) queries and scripts.
• Tune database workloads and optimize indexes, queries, and resource utilization.
• Support very large databases and analyze workload performance and resource contention.
• Use tools such as Query Store, Extended Events, and wait-statistics analysis for performance troubleshooting.
• Review and improve existing database processes and maintenance procedures.
• Use operating-system scripting utilities to support database maintenance, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.
• Review existing database implementations and recommend or implement improvements.
• Apply database modeling principles to support effective database design.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, application, and infrastructure teams.
• Create and maintain technical requirements, design artifacts, and database documentation.
• Participate in application and help desk support activities as required.

Skills

SQL Server Administration

Performance Tuning

High Availability

T-SQL Development

Windows Server

Azure Cloud

Database Migration

Query Store / Extended Events

Tools

Query Store

Extended Events

Wait-Statistic Analysis

Mirroring / Clustering

SSIS / SSAS / SSRS

Database Upgrades

Job description

Senior MS SQL Database Administrator SQL Server / Cloud

Position Summary

We are seeking a Senior MS SQL Database Administrator to administer, support, optimize, and maintain enterprise SQL Server and cloud database environments. The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server, high availability, clustering, database performance tuning, T-SQL, upgrades, patching, migrations, and cloud database technologies. The role will also provide application and database support as part of a technical operations team.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer and support enterprise Microsoft SQL Server and cloud database environments.
• Monitor databases to maintain availability, performance, and reliability.
• Troubleshoot database and application issues involving connectivity, access, security, and performance.
• Diagnose and resolve SQL Server performance issues, including long-running queries, blocking, and deadlocks.
• Perform SQL Server installation, configuration, upgrades, patching, and database migrations.
• Support SQL Server high-availability environments, including clustering, mirroring, and failover configurations.
• Write, review, and optimize complex Transact-SQL (T-SQL) queries and scripts.
• Tune database workloads and optimize indexes, queries, and resource utilization.
• Support very large databases and analyze workload performance and resource contention.
• Use tools such as Query Store, Extended Events, and wait-statistics analysis for performance troubleshooting.
• Review and improve existing database processes and maintenance procedures.
• Use operating-system scripting utilities to support database maintenance, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.
• Review existing database implementations and recommend or implement improvements.
• Apply database modeling principles to support effective database design.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, application, and infrastructure teams.
• Create and maintain technical requirements, design artifacts, and database documentation.
• Participate in application and help desk support activities as required.

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of hands-on experience administering Microsoft SQL Server databases.
• Strong experience with SQL Server database administration, support, and performance tuning.
• Strong knowledge of SQL Server high availability, clustering, mirroring, and failover technologies.
• Strong T-SQL development and query optimization skills.
• Experience installing, upgrading, patching, and migrating SQL Server databases.
• Experience working in Windows Server environments.
• Experience supporting large and high-volume SQL Server databases.
• Experience diagnosing blocking, deadlocks, and database performance issues.
• Strong knowledge of database monitoring, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.
• Experience with Azure or other cloud database technologies.
• Ability to communicate effectively using technical requirements and design documentation.

Advanced SQL Server Experience

• Experience upgrading enterprise SQL Server environments across major versions.
• Experience with SQL Server compatibility assessments and database migration tools.
• Experience using Query Tuning Assistant and Database Migration Assistant or similar migration/performance tools.
• Experience diagnosing deadlocks and blocking in production environments.
• Experience using Extended Events, Query Store, and wait-statistics analysis.
• Experience tuning Very Large Databases (2 TB+), including index optimization, workload analysis, and resource contention management.

Cloud & Related Technologies

• At least 1 year of experience with Azure, Snowflake, or Databricks , or equivalent certification.
• Experience with SQL Server 2019+.
• Exposure to cloud database platforms such as Azure, Snowflake, and/or Databricks.
• Exposure to SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with enterprise database modernization and migration projects.
• Experience supporting highly available production database environments.
• Knowledge of data modeling principles.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently on complex technical assignments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.