Senior SQL Server Database Administrator

Job description

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior SQL Server Database Administrator with a strong banking or financial services background to manage, automate, and optimize mission-critical SQL Server environments. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in high availability, disaster recovery, and performance tuning with hands-on automation and cloud hosting experience.

Key Responsibilities - Administer and maintain SQL Server database environments across production, DR, and non-production estates - Design, implement, and manage High Availability and Disaster Recovery solutions including Always On Availability Groups, Distributed AGs, replication, and mirroring - Administer SQL Server failover clusters and ensure resilience of critical banking systems - Automate routine DBA tasks such as provisioning, patching, and upgrades using tools like Ansible, Jenkins, Terraform, and ArgoCD - Perform performance tuning and query optimization using Query Store, Profiler, and related tools - Plan and execute SQL Server version upgrades, including in-place upgrades with AG, DAG, and Windows Failover Clustering - Implement and maintain security controls including auditing, TLS, and access management - Manage backup, restore, and recovery strategies across multiple recovery models - Lead database migration projects, including cross-platform and cross-environment migrations - Support hosting of SQL Server clusters on cloud platforms (OCI, AWS, Azure) - Collaborate with infrastructure teams on OS and virtualization environments (Windows, VMware, Hyper-V) - Write and maintain scripts using PowerShell, SQL/PL-SQL, Bash, or Python for operational efficiency - Work within Agile delivery frameworks and manage multiple concurrent projects - Provide professional communication and status reporting to stakeholders under pressure and tight deadlines

Required Qualifications - Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science or related field - Relevant SQL Server certifications - 6+ years of experience in SQL Server DBA roles within large organizations - Prior experience in a banking or financial services environment - Excellent knowledge of SQL Server database administration - Excellent knowledge of automating routine DBA tasks (provisioning, patching, upgrades) - Excellent knowledge of HA/DR options for SQL Server - Excellent knowledge of SQL Server Always On cluster administration - Excellent knowledge of performance tuning, query tuning, Query Store, and Profiler - Excellent knowledge of SQL Server upgrades (in-place, with AG/DAG/WFC) - Excellent knowledge of SQL Server security features (auditing, TLS) - Excellent knowledge of backup, restore, and recovery models - Excellent knowledge of database migration

Preferred Qualifications - Good knowledge of designing and developing HA solutions (Always On AGs, Distributed AGs, replication, mirroring) - Good knowledge of MSSQL features (SQL 2019 and higher) - Good knowledge of hosting SQL Server clusters on cloud platforms (OCI, AWS, Azure) - Technical knowledge of OS and virtualization (Windows, VMware, Hyper-V) - Good knowledge of SQL and/or PL/SQL or PowerShell - Good knowledge of Unix/Linux/Windows operating systems - Good knowledge of Agile working practices - Good knowledge of modern automation tools (Ansible, Jenkins, Terraform, ArgoCD) - Good knowledge of scripting languages (Bash, Python) - Good knowledge of other database platforms

Key Attributes - Ability to work under pressure - Strong professional communication skills - Self-managed and accountable - Ability to work across multiple projects simultaneously