Lead Database Administrator

Purpose of Position

The Lead Database Administrator (Lead DBA) is responsible for supervising and managing the daily activities of the Database Administration team. This includes ensuring the deployment, configuration, patching, and upgrades to database servers and client installs in a mixed technology environment to deliver data products providing business decision support focusing on Oracle and MS-SQL server production support.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Supervise the daily activities and workflow of the database administration team, managing performance and providing feedback when needed 
• Ensures that database servers and client installs are appropriately deployed, configured, upgraded, and supported in a 24x7 production environment. 
• Troubleshoot and fix problems and provide root cause analysis that the database administration team has escalated in a timely manner  
• Perform preventive maintenance and system copies  
• Automate system maintenance tasks  
• Develop, manage, test, and execute (as needed) backup and recovery plans  
• Ensure storage and archiving processes are functioning correctly  
• Ensure database documentation, including data standards, procedures, and data dictionary, are in place and regularly updated 
• Develop capacity plans and ensure their execution 
• Manage security and disaster recovery aspects of a database  
• Evaluate SQL Server performance and take appropriate steps for performance improvement  
• Provide 24x7 on-call support, after-hours, and weekend work as needed  
• Relational database design and development  
• Design OLTP and OLAP environments, and monitor, detect, and tune performance  
• Escalate any issues to senior technology leadership 
• Accountable and responsible for the accuracy and completeness of assigned work and results  
• Prioritize and manage workload and communicate issues clearly  
• Complete other tasks as required  
• Travel when required 
   

Minimum Education

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or equivalent industry experience

Minimum Experience

• 8+ years of experience in relational database design, development, and implementation in an MS-SQL or Oracle environment
• Experience leading/supervising database administration teams
• In-depth experience in the use of programming languages (i.e., C#.NET, Flash, HTML5, Transact SQL, and later versions including stored procedures)

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Experience administering production level high performance, high transaction volume, and highly available OLTP databases  
• Ability to create and maintain database documentation and diagrams  
• Proven experience in database performance monitoring and tuning operations  
• Experience implementing database security protocols  
• Knowledge of current DBMS products as well as knowledge of related technologies, applications, and processes  
• Knowledge of relational database internals, objects, and processes, as well as best practice principles regarding availability, performance, and security  
• Experience working with high availability tools, particularly Availability Groups 
• Experience writing shell scripts to automate Database activities  
• Demonstrated skill using database backup and recovery models, utilities, and best practices  
• Experience with Agile development methodology  
• Excellent analytical skills  
• Excellent interpersonal skills  
• Ability to perform various tasks in a fast-paced, production-critical support environment 
• Strong written and verbal communications skills  
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to multi-task and prioritize workload. 

 
Nice to Haves 

• Experience with Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, CosmosDB, or Azure 
• Experience with CIS and DOD Stig security standards 
• Experience with Azure Devops for managing work 
• Experience in a culture that requires change approvals 

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met and/or encountered by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and communicate. The employee may be required to stand, walk, and sit. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to view monitors, technical documents, and reference material. The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.