Job Description
Job Title :
Senior Microsoft SQL Server Database Administrator (DBA) (MS SQL Engineer) Location:
Iselin, NJ (3 days a week Hybrid onsite) Duration :
Long term contract Contract:
W2 We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Microsoft SQL Server DBA with 10 15+ years of enterprise database administration experience. This role is responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle management of SQL Server environments, including installation, configuration, upgrades, patching, performance tuning, backup/recovery, and high availability architecture. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in Microsoft SQL Server, strong knowledge of enterprise database operations, and working familiarity with other major database platforms such as Oracle Database and PostgreSQL. ________________________________________ Key Responsibilities Database Installation & Lifecycle Management Install, configure, and maintain enterprise SQL Server environments across development, QA, and production Manage full lifecycle of databases including provisioning, upgrades, migrations, and decommissioning Standardize database build processes and enforce configuration baselines Patching & Upgrades Execute regular SQL Server patching cycles (CU, SP, security updates) Plan and implement major version upgrades with minimal downtime Validate compatibility across applications and dependent systems Maintain rollback and recovery strategies for all upgrade activities Performance Tuning & Optimization Monitor and tune database performance (queries, indexes, execution plans) Identify and resolve bottlenecks in CPU, memory, I/O, and locking/contention Work with developers to optimize SQL queries and stored procedures Implement indexing and partitioning strategies for large datasets Backup, Recovery & Disaster Recovery Design and maintain backup strategies (full, differential, transaction log) Perform regular restore testing and disaster recovery drills Ensure RPO/RTO requirements are met for business-critical systems Maintain DR environments and replication strategies High Availability & Scalability Implement and support high availability solutions such as: o Always On Availability Groups o Failover Clustering o Log shipping and replication Ensure database systems meet uptime and resilience requirements Production Support & Incident Management Provide Level 3 support for production database issues Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for database outages and performance incidents Collaborate with infrastructure, application, and network teams during critical incidents Participate in on-call rotation for production environments Security & Compliance Manage database security, roles, and permissions Implement encryption (TDE, data-at-rest, data-in-transit) Ensure compliance with organizational and regulatory standards (SOX, PCI, etc.) Automation & Tooling Automate DBA tasks using PowerShell, T-SQL, Python, or scheduling tools Improve monitoring, alerting, and maintenance automation Integrate SQL Server with enterprise monitoring platforms Collaboration & Documentation Work closely with application teams, system administrators, and architects Maintain documentation for database architecture, procedures, and runbooks Provide guidance and mentorship to junior DBAs ________________________________________ Required Experience & Skills 10 15+ years of hands-on experience as a Microsoft SQL Server DBA Deep expertise in: o Database installation, configuration, patching, and upgrades o Performance tuning and troubleshooting o Backup/recovery and DR planning o High availability solutions (Always On, clustering, replication) Strong T-SQL skills Experience with Windows Server environments supporting SQL Server Familiarity with monitoring tools (e.g., SCOM, SolarWinds, Redgate, Splunk)
