Senior Microsoft SQL Server Database Administrator (DBA)

Job Title: Senior Microsoft SQL Server Database Administrator (DBA) Location: Richmond, VA Employment Type: Contract End Date: 06/30/2027 Experience Required: 8+ years Primary Technology: Microsoft SQL Server Position Overview Our client is seeking a Senior Microsoft SQL Server Database Administrator (DBA) to support database administration, migration, troubleshooting, backup/recovery, monitoring, and day-to-day production support activities. The DBA will play a key role in migrating existing databases from an end-of-life hosted/hardware platform to a new SQL Server environment. The role will also be responsible for post-migration validation, production database support, incident response, troubleshooting, backup/recovery, and database maintenance . The ideal candidate will have extensive hands-on experience administering Microsoft SQL Server in production environments , with strong troubleshooting and database migration experience. Experience with Oracle databases is a plus, but Microsoft SQL Server will be the primary focus. Key Responsibilities SQL Server Administration Administer and manage production Microsoft SQL Server databases . Perform day-to-day database administration, maintenance, monitoring, and support. Support SQL Server environments ranging from SQL Server 2008 through SQL Server 2019 . Perform database configuration, deployment, upgrades, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Provide day-to-day break/fix and incident response support for the SQL Server environment. Monitor database health, availability, performance, and capacity. Troubleshoot database, connectivity, performance, and system-related issues. Database Migration & Validation Support the migration of existing databases from legacy/end-of-life platforms to new hosted or hardware environments. Perform database migrations, upgrades, and related configuration activities. Validate databases and applications following migration to ensure functionality and data integrity. Troubleshoot and resolve issues identified during or after migration. Assist with ongoing SQL platform migration initiatives. Backup, Recovery & Disaster Recovery Manage database backup and recovery processes. Perform production database backups, restores, and recoveries as required. Monitor backup jobs and troubleshoot backup/recovery failures. Validate backup integrity and ensure databases can be successfully restored when required. Support recovery activities during production incidents. Security & Access Management Perform database security assessments and reviews. Manage and review database access, permissions, and security configurations. Ensure database administration practices align with security and access requirements. Assist with identifying and resolving database security issues. Troubleshooting & Production Support Provide advanced troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for SQL Server issues. Respond to production incidents and service requests in a timely manner. Diagnose database performance, availability, connectivity, and configuration issues. Work closely with infrastructure, application, and project teams to resolve technical issues. Provide customer-facing and team-based technical support as required. Documentation & Process Maintain accurate technical documentation related to database administration and support activities. Document migration procedures, configurations, troubleshooting steps, and operational processes. Ensure project and workload documentation is accurate, complete, timely, and properly maintained. Follow established database administration, change management, and operational procedures. Required Qualifications & Experience 8+ years of experience administering Microsoft SQL Server databases in production environments. 8+ years of advanced SQL Server troubleshooting experience. 5+ years of experience with database backup, recovery, and monitoring. 5+ years of experience with database security assessment, administration, and access management. 5+ years of experience designing, configuring, deploying, troubleshooting, administering, and maintaining database systems. 5+ years of experience maintaining technical documentation and following established processes. 8+ years of experience communicating effectively within technical teams and in customer-facing environments. Hands-on experience with database migration and post-migration validation . Strong experience with SQL Server backup, restore, and recovery . Experience supporting production databases in a highly available and performance-sensitive environment. Strong incident response, problem-solving, and root-cause analysis skills. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Preferred Qualifications Experience with Oracle database administration is a plus. Experience migrating databases from end-of-life hardware or hosted platforms . Experience with SQL Server performance tuning and optimization. Experience supporting dedicated SQL Server hardware/platform environments. Experience with large-scale database migration projects. Experience working in enterprise or government environments. Technical Environment Microsoft SQL Server 2008-2019 Production SQL Server environments Database backup and recovery Database monitoring Database security and access management Database migration and validation SQL Server troubleshooting and performance management Oracle - nice to have