SQL Database Administrator

We are seeking an experienced Microsoft SQL Server Infrastructure Database Administrator (DBA) to manage, maintain, and optimize our on-premises SQL Server environments. This role is critical for ensuring high availability, reliability, performance, and security of enterprise SQL Server deployments in clustered environments. The DBA will be responsible for cluster maintenance, patching, version upgrades, failover cluster management, troubleshooting slowness, and performance optimization.

Key Responsibilities

Database Infrastructure Managemen to Install, configure, and maintain SQL Server instances (2016/2017/2019/2022). Manage multi-instance and multi-database environments across production, DR, and UAT. Ensure system health through proactive monitoring, baselining, and capacity planning

High Availability & Disaster Recovery Manage Always-On Availability Groups (read-only routing, AG listener, multi-subnet). Administer Failover Cluster Instances (FCI) and troubleshoot quorum, storage, and cluster node. Implement and maintain log shipping, replication, and DR strategies with periodic failovertesting.

Patching & Upgradeso Plan and execute patches, service packs, and cumulative updates with minimal downtime. Perform controlled version upgrades/migrations across clustered environments. Maintain compatibility and rollback strategies during upgrades.

Performance Tuning & Troubleshooting. Resolve system slowness, blocking, deadlocks, memory/CPU bottlenecks, and I/O contention. Optimize queries, indexes (clustered, non-clustered, columnstore), and statistics. Use tools like DMVs, Extended Events, Query Store, and PerfMon for diagnostics. Conduct RCA (Root Cause Analysis) for incidents and provide permanent fixes

Backup & Recovery Manage full, differential, and transaction log backups with defined retention policies.Test restore strategies for large VLDBs (multi-file/filegroup restore, point-in-time recovery). Ensure backup compression, encryption, and offsite replication.

Security & Complianceo Implement role-based access control, TDE, Always Encrypted, SSL/TLS. Enforce compliance with DPDP, GDPR, HIPAA, and organizational security policies.Monitor and maintain SQL Audit and Policy-Based Management.

Monitoring & Automationo Configure SQL Server Agent Jobs, Alerts, and Operators for proactive management. Automate health checks, backups, and index/statistics maintenance with PowerShell/T-SQL. Integrate monitoring with tools like SentryOne, Redgate, Idera, SolarWinds, Zabbix.

Infrastructure & OS-Level. Administer Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC). Collaborate with infra teams on storage (SAN/NAS), IOPS tuning, networking, and virtualization (VMware/Hyper-V). Optimize SQL Server for underlying hardware, OS, and storage subsystems.

Requirements

Required Skills & Experience

5+ years as a SQL Server Infra DBA in enterprise on-premises clustered environments.

Strong knowledge of Always-On, FCI, replication, and log shipping.

Proven expertise in performance tuning, RCA, and query optimization.

Hands-on with SQL patching, version upgrades, and cluster migrations.

Proficiency in PowerShell scripting and T-SQL automation.

Deep understanding of Windows Server clustering, networking, and storage integration.

Experience supporting 24x7 production workloads with on-call rotation.

Preferred Qualifications

Microsoft Certified: SQL Server Database Administrator or Azure Database Administrator Associate.

Experience with large-scale migrations (cross-version, cross-platform).

Familiarity with SQL Server SSIS/SSRS/SSAS for infra support.

Exposure to cloud-hosted hybrid SQL setups (Azure/AWS/VMware).Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting mindset.

Ability to work under pressure and resolve critical issues swiftly.

Excellent documentation, communication, and collaboration skills.

Flexible to work in planned maintenance windows (after-hours/weekends).Work Environment

On-premises data center deployment (non-cloud).

Must be available for critical production support, failover testing, and patching windows.