Senior Microsoft Windows SQL Server DBA

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Microsoft Windows SQL Server DBA based in United Kingdom.

This senior-level role offers the opportunity to take ownership of enterprise database environments supporting mission-critical applications.

You will serve as a technical authority for Microsoft SQL Server, combining database administration with application performance engineering.

Your work will span architecture, optimization, high availability, disaster recovery, security, capacity planning, and automation.

You will partner closely with developers, infrastructure architects, and business stakeholders to ensure reliable and efficient database platforms.

As a key escalation point, you will lead responses to critical incidents and drive root-cause analysis and long-term improvements.

The role also provides an opportunity to mentor other database professionals and establish strong operational standards and practices.

You will play a central role in maintaining secure, resilient, and high-performing database infrastructure in a complex enterprise environment.

Accountabilities

• Architect, install, configure, and maintain Microsoft SQL Server 2019 and 2025 instances, as well as Azure SQL Database, across complex multi-server Windows environments.
• Lead end-to-end application performance engineering by analyzing execution plans, identifying problematic queries, and partnering with development teams on code- and schema-level optimizations.
• Proactively monitor database and application performance using Extended Events, Dynamic Management Views (DMVs), Wait Statistics, Query Store, and relevant third-party monitoring tools.
• Establish performance baselines and service-level agreement (SLA)-aligned alerting thresholds to proactively identify and address issues.
• Design, implement, and regularly test backup and recovery strategies while owning Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) targets.
• Architect and maintain high-availability and disaster-recovery solutions, including Always On Availability Groups, Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC), and Log Shipping.
• Govern database security through role-based access controls, auditing, encryption, least-privilege practices, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead capacity planning and storage forecasting in collaboration with infrastructure teams to ensure database environments scale ahead of demand.
• Govern database changes by reviewing and approving schema migrations, deployment scripts, and Object-Relational Mapping (ORM)-generated queries before production deployment.
• Automate routine database administration tasks such as index maintenance, integrity checks, and job monitoring using PowerShell and SQL Server Agent.
• Manage SQL Server patching and upgrades through formal change management processes, including pre- and post-upgrade validation.
• Mentor junior and mid-level database administrators and contribute to knowledge bases, technical documentation, and operational runbooks.
• Serve as a senior escalation point within the on-call rotation, leading responses to Severity 1 database outages and coordinating post-incident reviews.

Requirements

• 7+ years of hands-on SQL Server database administration experience in large-scale, mission-critical production environments.
• Expert-level proficiency with Microsoft SQL Server 2019 and 2025 running on Windows Server 2019 and 2022.
• Advanced Transact-SQL (T-SQL) skills, including query optimization, execution plan analysis, index design, partitioning, and performance troubleshooting.
• Deep experience with application performance tuning, including resolving Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) anti-patterns, N+1 queries, lock contention, and blocking chains.
• Proven ability to architect and support Always On Availability Groups, Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC), and disaster recovery failover in enterprise environments.
• Strong command of Wait Statistics, Dynamic Management Views (DMVs), Extended Events, and Query Store for root-cause performance diagnosis.
• Solid experience with point-in-time database restores, high-availability failover, disaster recovery planning, and hands-on recovery testing.
• Strong Windows Server administration skills, including Active Directory and Kerberos authentication for SQL Server.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects, manage complex database initiatives, and mentor junior team members.
• Familiarity with Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) change, incident, and problem management processes.
• Microsoft certification such as DP-300 Azure Database Administrator Associate or legacy Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) Data Management & Analytics is an advantage.
• Experience with Azure SQL Database or SQL Server running on Azure Virtual Machines in hybrid environments is desirable.
• Exposure to Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tools such as Dynatrace, AppDynamics, or New Relic is a plus.
• Experience with database monitoring platforms such as Redgate SQL Monitor, SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer, SentryOne, or equivalent tools is beneficial.
• Proficiency in PowerShell scripting for database administration automation, including dbatools, is advantageous.
• Experience with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) in data warehousing or reporting environments is a plus.
• Knowledge of data governance and compliance frameworks such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ISO 27001, or System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) is desirable.
• Exposure to DevOps continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines for database deployments using tools such as Flyway, Liquibase, or Redgate Deployment Manager is advantageous.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Full-time employment.
• Fully remote work arrangement.
• Opportunity to take ownership of enterprise-scale, mission-critical database environments.
• Exposure to modern Microsoft SQL Server and Azure database technologies.
• Opportunity to lead application performance engineering and database optimization initiatives.
• Career development through technical leadership, mentoring, and complex infrastructure projects.
• Opportunity to contribute to high-availability, disaster recovery, security, and automation initiatives.
• Collaborative environment with close interaction across development, infrastructure, and business teams.