SQL Server Consultant

Job Title: SQL Server Engineer

Location: Cambridge, UK

Mode of working: Hybrid (1 Day/Week)

Job Type: 6 to 12 Months Contract

PURPOSE OF ROLE: The Database Administrator will be part of a proactive, responsive and customer focused team, supporting the full life cycle of all databases maintained by Client. Covering Business-As-Usual work, projects, and product led on-demand work in an Agile hybrid public/private Cloud infrastructure. The role is with the Database Services Team located in the UK (hybrid/flexi working available), working with remote colleagues. The role requires an experienced Microsoft SQL Server Database Administrator with an excellent proven track record in project delivery, incident and service request management, solving complex issues. Will be able to advocate and enforce best practices, leading to Continuous Improvement of services and processes relating to database operations. Though this role requires expertise in Microsoft SQL Server, the team is responsible for managing multiple database technologies including Oracle, SQL Server Azure, AWS RDS, PostgreSQL and SAP Hana. The successful candidate may have the opportunity to gain additional experience in other database technologies.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES: The main duties are to provide the full range of Database Administrator (DBA) services in a complex database environment, delivering excellent operational and project support for the database technologies. As part of a large team of Database Administrators that provides a top quality operational shared service for the company, the job holder will work to the highest standards and ensure deliveries are as promised, daily duties will include:

• Incident and Service Request resolution within SLA, ranging from routine in nature to complex
• Monitoring and Performance Tuning
• Database changes in compliance with change management policies
• Backup and Recovery
• Software installation, patching and upgrades
• Implementing and testing High Availability and Disaster Recovery.
• MS SQL Technologies - Always on, Availability Groups, SSIS, SSRS
• Database Security Management
• Provide input into the improvement of services and processes and the mitigation of risks
• Power Shell and Power BI

The job holder will be the Primary Database Administrator for at least one business critical product. With database environment monitoring and tuning experience, they should be able to proactively recommend modifications to development and operations teams, ensuring reliability, high performance and best practise. They will be working closely on database matters with the relevant Delivery/Project Manager or Agile Squad.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL): Technically independent competent worker, able to work as part of the team and on own initiative with minimal supervision from Team Lead on activities and deliverables. Attendance at weekly database team meeting and other management cascade meetings. Daily contact and close collaboration with wider team members: Database Services colleagues worldwide, Product Managers, Developers, Operations, Service Desk, & Infrastructure/ App Engineering/DevOps teams. Expert database knowledge enabling speedy diagnostic and resolution of major incidents. Bring critical systems back online and available 24x7. Expert database management ensuring services are properly built and maintained to industry best practise to ensure major incidents are avoided and system perform as required.

ESSENTIAL SKILL(S) & EXPERIENCE : Looking for an experienced {product specialisms} DBA, the candidate must at the minimum have acquired experience and knowledge equivalent to a high-level DBA, with at least 5-8 years of relevant professional experience. Must be highly proficient in Microsoft SQL Server with a working knowledge of either Oracle, ProstgreSQL, AWS RDS or AWS Aurora highly desirable. Experience in some of the following areas is required:

• Graduate calibre, in addition a recognised database or public cloud technology certification is desirable
• Database infrastructure project management skills
• A minimum five years commercial experience in professional administration of enterprise databases technology
• Exposure to cloud and virtualisation architecture principles.
• Experience of Migrating databases to RDS and Aurora using AWS Database Migration Service
• Strong SQL Server administration and performance tuning skills
• Extensive experience of backup and recovery, and management of database security
• Skills in a T-SQL Language and scripting with Powershell
• Working experience of SQL Server High Availability and Disaster Recovery technologies
• Strong working knowledge of Windows Server
• Mentoring and advising colleague and peers.
• Good understanding and use of industry best practise.
• Foundation level ITIL certification (desirable)