Sr. SQL Server & Azure Database Administrator

Job Title: Sr. SQL Server & Azure Database Administrator

Location: Hybrid; New York, NY (3 days onsite, 2 remote)

Hours: 37.5/week (required 4 weeks unpaid vacation)

Duration: 12+ Month Contract, likely extension

Pay range: $95/hr (W2), depending on experience

Interview: Could be onsite in New York, NY or remote via Teams (up to hiring manager). Likely 1-2 rounds of interviews

Our Government client located in New York, NY is seeking a Senior SQL Server & Azure Database Administrator to design, implement, administer, maintain, tune, and optimize mission-critical enterprise database environments.

This is a senior hands-on database engineering and administration role with a strong focus on Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Windows Server, high availability, database performance, security, backup/recovery, migrations, and automation. The DBA will be responsible for ensuring database platforms meet application availability, performance, security, and operational requirements while supporting both existing systems and future technology initiatives.

The successful candidate will collaborate closely with application development, infrastructure, systems administration, networking, help desk, and other technical teams. This individual will also help establish database standards and best practices, evaluate emerging technologies, engineer database solutions, and provide technical direction to less senior team members.

Key Responsibilities

SQL Server & Azure Database Administration

• Design, implement, configure, administer, and maintain Microsoft SQL Server database environments.
• Design, implement, and support Azure SQL Managed Instance environments.
• Perform SQL Server and database installations, upgrades, migrations, configuration, and ongoing maintenance.
• Administer database environments across enterprise infrastructure and cloud platforms.
• Monitor database availability, health, capacity, and performance.
• Troubleshoot and remediate complex database and infrastructure-related issues.
• Support database requirements for enterprise software applications and systems.
• Ensure database platforms meet established availability and performance objectives.

Azure Cloud & Infrastructure

• Support database workloads within the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.
• Administer and support technologies including Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure Storage Accounts, and Azure security capabilities.
• Collaborate with infrastructure teams on Windows Server and database platform requirements.
• Coordinate regularly scheduled operating system and database patching activities.
• Support database infrastructure across Windows and, where applicable, UNIX/Linux environments.
• Work with systems and network administrators to coordinate infrastructure dependencies.
• Evaluate new database and cloud technologies and provide recommendations regarding their potential use within the enterprise.

High Availability, Backup & Recovery

• Design, implement, administer, and troubleshoot SQL Server Always On high-availability solutions.
• Develop and maintain database backup and recovery strategies.
• Establish backup schedules and perform verification and recovery testing.
• Help ensure databases can meet business continuity and availability requirements.
• Maintain supporting backup, recovery, and operational documentation.
• Participate in database migration and infrastructure resiliency initiatives.

Performance Optimization & Troubleshooting

• Monitor and optimize SQL Server database performance.
• Perform SQL and query tuning to improve application and database performance.
• Identify database bottlenecks and perform root-cause analysis.
• Troubleshoot database, operating system, storage, connectivity, and application-related issues.
• Analyze database workloads and recommend appropriate performance improvements.
• Collaborate with application developers to optimize database interactions and application performance.
• Provide both remote and onsite technical support when required.

Database Engineering & Architecture

• Design and engineer database solutions and technical standards.
• Perform database administration activities involving data modeling, data process flows, migrations, security, and performance tuning.
• Configure and install database software, modules, and related applications.
• Support database arch…