Lead Database Administrator
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Lead Database Administrator based in the United States.
This is a hands-on technical leadership role responsible for the reliability, performance, security, and evolution of mission-critical database infrastructure.
You’ll work across a complex environment spanning Microsoft SQL Server, AWS-hosted databases, and cloud-native data services.
The role combines day-to-day administration with modernization initiatives as the organization expands its AWS-native data platform.
You’ll partner closely with systems engineers, software developers, and another Lead DBA to solve complex technical challenges.
Your work will directly support highly available applications operating at significant scale and under demanding peak loads.
The position offers substantial autonomy, technical ownership, and opportunities to improve performance, reliability, automation, and cloud efficiency.
An evening and weekend on-call rotation is also shared with the other Lead DBA.
Accountabilities
Deploy, administer, upgrade, monitor, and maintain SQL Server environments across AWS, including EC2-hosted and RDS instances, while expanding support for Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, and S3-based data services.
Partner with systems engineering teams to troubleshoot complex database issues, remove deployment blockers, and maintain reliable production operations.
Monitor database health and proactively identify opportunities to improve performance, reliability, resource utilization, and cloud cost efficiency.
Diagnose and resolve advanced SQL Server performance issues involving deadlocks, long-running queries, storage, networking, and system resources.
Collaborate with software development teams on application architecture, database design, deployment, optimization, troubleshooting, and problem resolution.
Develop SQL queries, stored procedures, and PowerShell automation to streamline administration, monitoring, troubleshooting, and operational workflows.
Serve as a senior technical resource for SQL Server capabilities, internals, deployment, maintenance, and administration across self-managed and AWS-managed environments.
Support the continued transition toward AWS-native database technologies by evaluating and implementing fit-for-purpose services for new and migrating workloads.
Manage large databases, partitioned data, replication, backups, disaster recovery processes, and large-scale data movement.
Maintain clear technical documentation covering database configurations, operational processes, and best practices, while sharing knowledge with engineering and development teams.
Contribute to database security and auditing practices, including encryption, IAM-based authentication, and AWS-native security controls.
Participate in an evening and weekend on-call rotation alongside the other Lead DBA.
10+ years of Microsoft SQL Server database administration experience, including at least 7 years supporting large, mission-critical production environments.
5+ years of hands-on experience administering AWS database services, including RDS and cloud-native technologies such as Aurora, DynamoDB, and Redshift.
Strong experience with SQL Server hosted on AWS EC2 and RDS, including Multi-AZ and read-replica configurations.
Advanced troubleshooting and performance-tuning expertise using tools and techniques such as Extended Events, dynamic management views, and trace flags.
Extensive knowledge of database maintenance, schema and storage management, backups, disaster recovery, replication, SQL Agent, and performance optimization.
Advanced SQL programming skills, including developing and optimizing queries, stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions.
Strong understanding of database theory, relational database design, and practical application of database architecture principles.
Experience working with very large databases, partitioning, replication, and bulk data movement.
Familiarity with database security, auditing, IAM database authentication, and encryption at rest and in transit using AWS/KMS technologies.
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent practical experience; a master’s degree is preferred.
Experience with AWS-native data and analytics services such as Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, S3 Tables, AWS Glue, or Lake Formation is highly valued.
Familiarity with Infrastructure-as-Code tools such as CloudFormation or CDK, Ansible, Jira, and Confluence is a plus.
Exposure to AWS database cost optimization, data migration, OLAP, data warehouses, data lakes, or AI-assisted monitoring and query-tuning technologies is advantageous.
Strong initiative, analytical thinking, problem-solving ability, autonomy, and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across engineering and development teams.
Relevant professional certifications are a plus.
Fully remote position within the United States.
Opportunity to work with large-scale, high-performance database systems and modern AWS cloud technologies.
Significant technical ownership and autonomy within an experienced systems engineering organization.
Exposure to cloud modernization, AWS-native database adoption, automation, and innovative data-platform initiatives.
Collaboration with experienced database administrators, systems engineers, developers, and technical specialists.
Opportunities to contribute to advanced technology supporting scalable educational and software platforms.
Evening and weekend on-call responsibilities shared across the DBA team.
Equal opportunity workplace committed to diversity, inclusion, and a culture that values different backgrounds, ideas, and experiences.