SQL Server / Cloud Database Administrator (DBA)
*This is an 8-month contract position
*Hybrid – Local to Mechanicsville, VA only, please
Description:
The selected candidate will administer and support Microsoft SQL Server and cloud databases. The role includes database administration, performance tuning, high availability, migrations, troubleshooting, and database-related application support. Help desk and application support responsibilities may also be included as part of a team rotation.
Responsibilities:
- Monitor databases to maintain uptime, performance, and availability
- Troubleshoot database and application issues related to connectivity, access, security, and performance
- Tune long-running SQL queries and workloads
- Review and refine existing database tasks and processes
- Use operating-system scripting and utilities to support database maintenance, diagnosis, and troubleshooting
- Review existing database implementations and recommend, execute, or direct necessary changes
- Perform SQL Server installations, including SQL Server 2022/2025 with failover clustering
- Administer, support, and tune SQL Server databases
- Work collaboratively with engineering and operations professionals
- Communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing
- Rely on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals
- Independently perform a variety of complex technical tasks
Skills/Knowledge/Experience:
- Expertise working as a SQL Server DBA
- Expertise with SQL clustering, mirroring, and high availability
- Experience working with large SQL Server databases
- Expertise writing Transact-SQL (T-SQL)
- Experience tuning SQL Server databases and long-running queries
- Expertise installing, upgrading, patching, and migrating SQL Server databases
- Experience working in Windows environments
- Experience or exposure to SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS
- Experience working with Azure Cloud
- Knowledge of data modeling principles
Qualifications:
- At least 6 years of experience with Microsoft SQL Server databases
- At least 1 year of experience with Azure, Snowflake, or Databricks; a relevant certification may be accepted in lieu of experience
- Master’s degree in computer science, information systems, or another applicable field, and/or equivalent skills, knowledge, and work experience
- Demonstrated experience communicating effectively using standard requirements and design artifacts
- 3–4 years of hands-on experience upgrading E-Z Pass/tolling SQL Server environments
- Experience upgrading SQL Server environments from SQL Server 2012 through SQL Server 2019, including compatibility evaluations, Query Tuning Assistant, and Database Migration Assistant
- Experience diagnosing and resolving deadlocks and blocking in production workloads, including use of Extended Events, Query Store, and wait-statistics analysis
- Experience tuning very large databases (2 TB+), including index optimization, long-running workload analysis, and minimizing resource contention
Desired Knowledge and Experience:
- SQL Server 2019
- Cloud databases
- Azure
- Snowflake
- Databricks
Special Instructions:
- This position requires a fingerprint-based background check.
- The successful contractor will be required to pursue continuing education at their own expense to remain current with relevant technologies.
Required Skills / Knowledge / Experience:
- MS SQL Server Database Management — Required, 6 years
- SQL Server Tuning — Required, 3 years
- Upgrading E-Z Pass/tolling databases — Required, 2 years
- Diagnosing and resolving deadlocks and blocking in production workloads — Required, 3 years
- Tuning Very Large Databases (2 TB+), including index optimization, long-running workload analysis, and minimizing resource contention — Required, 2 years
- Experience with SSIS, SSRS, and SSAS — Required, 3 years
- Coding and debugging Transact-SQL — Required, 1 year
- Installing, upgrading, patching, and migrating SQL Server databases — Required, 4 years
- Database administration on Azure Cloud, Snowflake, and/or Databricks — Nice-to-have, 1 year
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