Senior Database Administrator

Senior Database Administrator (Microsoft SQL Server - Primary) 

Infrastructure and Operations 

Job Purpose 

The Senior Database Administrator (DBA) serves primarily as a Microsoft SQL Server administrator, with working knowledge and hands-on support capabilities for Oracle database environments. This role provides advanced technical leadership to support business-critical applications through proactive maintenance, automation, performance optimization, and disaster recovery readiness, while protecting data integrity and minimizing operational risk. 

Core Responsibilities 

Note: This list is not all-inclusive.  

• Operate with a high degree of independence in managing Microsoft SQL Server environments, while sharing collective responsibility for platform health, standards, and outcomes as part of a collaborative DBA team. 

• Administer, monitor, and optimize Microsoft SQL Server environments, with working support for Oracle database platforms, to ensure high availability, performance, and reliability. 

• Perform, automate, and continually improve database maintenance and monitoring activities, including backups, restores, patching, upgrades, capacity planning, and health checks. 

• Diagnose and resolve complex database performance, availability, and data integrity issues, and provide architectural guidance to support long-term scalability and reliability. 

• Design, implement, and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity solutions, including regular testing and validation. 

• Implement and enforce database security controls and compliance standards in coordination with Security and GRC teams. 

• Partner with application development, infrastructure, and business teams to support database-dependent systems throughout their lifecycle. 

• Support database platform lifecycle initiatives, including upgrades, modernization efforts, and decommissioning of legacy systems. 

• Contribute to operational reporting and metrics, including backup success, restore testing, availability trends, and incident analysis. 

• Participate in on-call rotations and incident response for mission-critical database systems. 

• Document standards, procedures, and configurations and support knowledge sharing and peer development within the DBA team. 

Behavioral Competencies 

Note: These are in addition to MGE’s Core Competencies 

• Technical/Professional Expertise – Applies deep SQL Server expertise and practical working knowledge of Oracle to solve complex problems and ensure platform reliability. 

• Collaborative Problem Solving – Works effectively with fellow DBAs, application teams, infrastructure, and security partners to resolve issues and improve system outcomes. 

• Independent Execution – Handles complex tasks with minimal oversight while maintaining alignment with team standards and shared platform responsibilities. 

• Manages Complexity – Evaluates interconnected systems, prioritizes effectively, and approaches problems with structured analysis. 

• Ensures Accountability – Follows through on commitments related to availability, security, and recoverability; contributes to team‑wide reliability. 

• Continuous Improvement – Identifies opportunities to automate, streamline, modernize, and reduce manual operational work. 

• Knowledge Sharing – Documents solutions and shares insights to strengthen team capability and support collective success. 

Skills 

• Advanced Microsoft SQL Server administration and performance tuning 

• Working knowledge of Oracle database administration and troubleshooting 

• Database security, auditing, and compliance controls 

• Backup, recovery, and disaster recovery planning 

• Automation and scripting (e.g., PowerShell, T-SQL, PL/SQL, or similar) 

• Monitoring and alerting tools for enterprise databases 

• Troubleshooting complex, multi-tier application environments 

Education 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience 

• Relevant database certifications (Microsoft, Oracle) preferred 

Experience 

• 7+ years of progressive experience administering enterprise-scale Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle database environments 

• Demonstrated experience supporting business-critical systems with high availability and security requirements 

• Experience implementing automation and process improvements in a production database environment