Senior Snowflake Database Administrator

Role:Senior Snowflake Database Administrator
Location: Chicago, IL,
Duration: 12 months

We are seeking a highly skilled Snowflake DBA with strong expertise in cloud data platforms, database administration, and performance optimization. The ideal candidate will bring deep hands-on experience in managing Snowflake environments at scale, along with a strong foundation in traditional RDBMS systems (Oracle / PostgreSQL) and modern data integration tools.
This role requires a proactive mindset, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to collaborate with data engineering, DevOps, and business teams to ensure high availability, security, and performance of enterprise data platforms.
________________________________________
Required skills & Qualifications:
Overall experience of 8 to 10 years, with at least 5 years exclusively as a Snowflake DBA
Core Technical Skills
o Snowflake Expertise Strong hands-on experience in Snowflake administration, including:
Virtual warehouses, clustering, caching, and storage management
Query performance tuning and workload optimization
Security (RBAC, masking policies, encryption)
o Database Administration Experience with Oracle, PostgreSQL, or similar RDBMS platforms
o SQL Proficiency Advanced SQL skills including query optimization and performance tuning
o Data Integration & Replication Experience with:
CDC tools such as GoldenGate, HVR, Fivetran
Real-time and batch data ingestion pipelines
o Cloud Platforms Hands-on experience with at least one cloud provider (Azure, AWS, or OCI)
o Automation & Scripting Proficiency in Python/Shell scripting for automation
Platform & Architecture Knowledge
o Strong understanding of data warehousing concepts and modern data architectures
o Experience supporting large-scale, enterprise-grade data platforms
o Knowledge of high availability, disaster recovery, and backup strategies
o Exposure to DevOps practices, CI/CD, and infrastructure automation
Experience with Databricks or Spark-based processing
Knowledge of data governance and compliance frameworks
Familiarity with FinOps practices for cloud cost optimization
Experience in financial services domain (banking, asset management, risk, etc.)
Exposure to multi-cloud architectures
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
Ability to work in a client-facing environment and manage production-critical systems
Self-driven with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
________________________________________
Key Responsibilities
Administer, monitor, and optimize Snowflake environments, including warehouses, storage, security, and resource management
Implement and manage role-based access control (RBAC), data security policies, and compliance standards
Own and drive end-to-end performance optimization of the Snowflake platform, including query tuning, workload management, and cost optimization
Design and implement data replication and ingestion strategies, including CDC pipelines using tools like HVR, Fivetran, or similar
Manage high availability, backup, and disaster recovery strategies for Snowflake and associated data platforms
Support database migration initiatives from legacy systems (Oracle/PostgreSQL) to Snowflake
Collaborate with Data Engineers to optimize ELT pipelines and data models for performance and scalability
Automate operational tasks using scripting (Python/Shell) and infrastructure-as-code approaches
Monitor system health, troubleshoot issues, and provide L2/L3 production support for critical data platforms
Work with cloud platforms (Azure/AWS/OCI) to ensure seamless integration and performance
Establish and enforce best practices for database governance, security, and cost optimization
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior DBAs and engineers
________________________________________
Education Background
Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field with OR equivalent professional experience