Negotiable
Outside
Remote
USA
Summary: The role of SQL Server DBA focuses on performance tuning for mission-critical OLTP databases within a global Fortune 500 food services company. The position requires extensive experience in SQL Server, particularly in high-volume environments, and involves responsibilities such as performance analysis, index management, and automation. The role is fully remote and classified as outside IR35.
Key Responsibilities:
- In-Depth Performance Analysis: Profile top-heavy queries using DMVs, capture and analyze Extended Events sessions and Query Store data.
- Index & Statistics Management: Design and implement covering/non-clustered indexes, automate statistics updates and histograms.
- SQL Refactoring & Plan Stabilization: Rewrite stored procedures and employ Plan Guides, Query Hints, and parameterization strategies.
- Server-Level Tuning: Configure NUMA, affinity masks, MAXDOP, and optimize TempDB layout.
- AWS & Infrastructure: Right-size EC2 instance types and integrate with AWS monitoring.
- Automation & CI/CD: Script environment provisioning and integrate database deployment into Azure DevOps.
- Benchmarking & Reporting: Develop load-testing scenarios and deliver detailed performance reports.
Key Skills:
- Deep SQL Server Expertise: 8+ years tuning SQL Server 2016/2019/2022 in high-volume OLTP environments.
- Performance-First Mindset: Mastery of execution plans, wait-stat analysis, index strategies, and statistics management.
- AWS Savvy: Hands-on with EC2-hosted SQL Server; strong grasp of EBS volume types, networking, and CloudWatch.
- Scripting & Automation: Proficient in PowerShell/Python for admin tasks and CI/CD integration.
- Diagnostic Toolset: Comfortable with SQL Profiler/Extended Events, Query Store, Plan Explorer, and third-party profilers.
- Communication & Collaboration: Ability to translate complex findings into actionable recommendations.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: undetermined
Country: USA
Working Arrangements: remote
IR35 Status: outside IR35
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: IT
SQL Server DBA - Performance Tuning Specialist / REMOTE
About our Customer:
Our direct customer, a global Fortune 500 company & a leader in the Food Services industry is looking for SQL Server DBA with Performance tuning experience to drive the end-to-end performance of a mission-critical OLTP databases supporting critical business operations.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Deep SQL Server Expertise: 8+ years tuning SQL Server 2016/2019/2022 in high-volume OLTP environments ( 100M rows)
- Performance-First Mindset: Mastery of execution plans, wait-stat analysis, index strategies, and statistics management
- AWS Savvy: Hands-on with EC2-hosted SQL Server; strong grasp of EBS volume types, networking, and CloudWatch
- Scripting & Automation: Proficient in PowerShell/Python for admin tasks and CI/CD integration (Azure DevOps or equivalent)
- Diagnostic Toolset: Comfortable with SQL Profiler/Extended Events, Query Store, Plan Explorer, and third-party profilers (FogLight, SolarWinds, etc.)
- Communication & Collaboration: Ability to translate complex findings into actionable recommendations for developers and architects in two-week sprints
Responsibilities:
- In-Depth Performance Analysis:
- Profile top-heavy queries using DMVs (e.g. sys.dm_exec_query_stats, sys.dm_io_virtual_file_stats)
- Capture and analyze Extended Events sessions and Query Store data to identify plan regressions and parameter sniffing issues
- Index & Statistics Management:
- Design and implement covering/non-clustered indexes, filtered indexes, and indexed views
- Automate statistics updates and histograms to optimize cardinality estimates
- SQL Refactoring & Plan Stabilization:
- Rewrite stored procedures, TVFs, and ad-hoc statements for set-based operations
- Employ Plan Guides, Query Hints, and parameterization strategies to enforce optimal execution plans
- Server-Level Tuning:
- Configure NUMA, affinity masks, MAXDOP, cost threshold for parallelism, and lock escalation settings
- Optimize TempDB layout (multiple data files, trace flags 1118/1117), autogrowth settings, and file-striping across EBS volumes
- AWS & Infrastructure:
- Right-size EC2 instance types (vCPU, memory) and EBS provisioning (IOPS vs. throughput)
- Integrate with AWS monitoring (CloudWatch metrics, Enhanced Monitoring) and alert on disk queue lengths, buffer pool usage, wait stats
- Automation & CI/CD:
- Script environment provisioning and configuration via PowerShell, AWS CLI / CloudFormation / CDK
- Integrate database deployment and migration into Azure DevOps
- Benchmarking & Reporting:
- Develop load-testing scenarios), capture baselines, validate and drive continuous improvement
- Deliver detailed before/after performance reports with clear metrics (TPS, latency percentiles, CPU/IO utilization) aligned to business transactions and processes.
Nice-to-Haves
- Familiarity with containerized SQL Server (Docker/Kubernetes) or managed services (RDS/Aurora)
- Experience with Resource Governor, Partitioning, and In-memory technologies (In-Memory OLTP, Columnstore)
- Certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator, AWS Certified Database Specialty