Senior Database Administrator

About Us:

At apexanalytix, we’re lifelong innovators! Since the date of our founding nearly four decades ago we’ve been consistently growing, profitable, and delivering the best procure-to-pay solutions to the world.   We’re the perfect balance of established company and start-up.  You will find a unique home here. 

And you’ll recognize the names of our clients. Most of them are on The Global 2000. They trust us to give them the latest in controls, audit and analytics software every day.  Industry analysts consistently rank us as a top supplier management solution, and you’ll be helping build that reputation.

Read more about apexanalytix - https://www.apexanalytix.com/about/

Job Details

The Role -

We are seeking a motivated and detail‑oriented Database Administrator (DBA) with 4 - 10 years of proven hands‑on experience in Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL). You will support the design, implementation, operations, and continuous improvement of mission‑critical SQL Server databases. The role requires solid skills in performance tuning, high availability, backup & recovery, and security hardening, working within a collaborative production environment and contributing to team standards and best practices. As the team expands its use of OceanBase and PostgreSQL, the ideal candidate will bring a strong willingness to learn these platforms and support migrations from SQL Server.

The Work - 

Database Implementation and Support

• Install, configure, and manage the lifecycle of SQL Server instances (standalone, clustered, and Always On) across environments.

• Contribute to database architecture decisions (storage layout, file/filegroup design, instance sizing) across dev/QA/prod.

• Design and deploy schema objects (tables, views, stored procedures, functions), following standards and participating in code reviews.

• Implement and maintain configuration baselines (e.g., max server memory, MAXDOP, cost threshold for parallelism, TempDB layout).

High Availability & Disaster Recovery

• Implement and operate SQL Server HA/DR solutions including Always On Availability Groups, Failover Cluster Instances, and Log Shipping.

• Maintain DR runbooks and support RTO/RPO targets; participate in planned failover and disaster recovery testing.

• Monitor AG synchronization health, cluster resources, and quorum configuration; troubleshoot failover events.

• Regularly test backups and end‑to‑end recovery (database‑level, point‑in‑time, and site failover).

Monitoring and Alerting

• Set up proactive alerting for blocking, deadlocks, long‑running queries, failed jobs, AG latency, and disk space.

• Configure and tune monitoring for wait stats, TempDB health, I/O latency, index fragmentation, and blocking chains.

• Analyze metrics, logs, and execution plans to derive actionable insights and support incident response.

Capacity Planning

• Track storage, compute, and connection usage, and forecast capacity based on growth patterns and workload characteristics.

• Perform index and data growth analysis, and recommend cost‑efficient scaling approaches.

Backup and Recovery Operations

• Implement and automate SQL Server backup strategies (full/differential/transaction log) using native tools or Ola Hallengren maintenance solutions.

• Validate restores regularly through automated restore drills and DBCC CHECKDB integrity checks.

• Document recovery playbooks and ensure compliance with RPO/RTO objectives.

Performance Tuning

• Tune SQL Server workloads using execution plans, Query Store, DMVs, Extended Events, and statistics maintenance.

• Optimize indexing strategy, mitigate parameter sniffing, and tune memory/parallelism settings; apply plan forcing when appropriate.

• Define performance baselines; guide developers on query design and access patterns.

Security and Access Control

• Implement least‑privilege access, role‑based security, password policies/secrets management, encryption (TDE/Always Encrypted), and auditing for SQL Server.

• Support audit/compliance requirements and periodic access reviews.

Patching and Updates

• Plan and execute SQL Server CU/version upgrades and migrations with minimal downtime.

• Evaluate new SQL Server features and recommend adoption where relevant.

• Support database migrations from SQL Server to OceanBase or PostgreSQL, including schema and code conversion, data movement, cutover planning, and post‑migration validation.

Incident Handling

• Troubleshoot and perform root‑cause analysis for performance, availability, and data integrity incidents.

• Contribute to post‑incident reviews and implement preventative measures.

Automation and Scripting

• Automate routine operations using T‑SQL, PowerShell (e.g., dbatools), SQL Agent jobs, and, where applicable, Python.

• Use AI‑assisted tools (e.g., Claude, Copilot or LLM‑based assistants) to accelerate scripting, query analysis, troubleshooting, and documentation, applying sound judgment to validate outputs.

• Support version control and CI/CD practices for database code and configuration.

Team Collaboration

• Partner with application, platform, and infrastructure teams to align database designs with product goals.

• Review schema changes, migration scripts, and data movement; share knowledge with junior team members.

Assist in Migrations

• Knowledge of PostgreSQL and/or OceanBase, or experience migrating workloads from SQL Server to either platform, is an added advantage.

• Demonstrate eagerness and ability to learn new database platforms; candidates should be willing to build hands‑on skills in PostgreSQL and OceanBase.

The Must-Haves - 

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.

Experience:

• 4-10 years of hands‑on experience administering Microsoft SQL Server in production environments.

• Hands‑on experience with HA/DR (Always On AG, FCI), performance tuning, and backup/recovery for business‑critical systems.

Additional Skills (Preferred):

• Familiarity with SSIS, SSRS, or other SQL Server BI/ETL components.

• Scripting/automation using Bash, PowerShell, or Python; CI/CD/GitOps practices.

• Practical use of AI tools for DBA work, such as AI‑assisted T‑SQL and script authoring, query and execution‑plan analysis, log/incident triage, and documentation.

Certifications:

• Microsoft (e.g., Azure/SQL) or equivalent (optional but preferred).

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP‑300) is a plus.

Communication:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to document processes, participate in technical discussions, and work effectively within a team.

Over the years, we’ve discovered that the most effective and successful associates at apexanalytix are people who have a specific combination of values, skills, and behaviors that we call “The apex Way”. Read more about The apex Way - https://www.apexanalytix.com/careers/

Benefits

At apexanalytix we know that our associates are the reason behind our successes. We truly value you as an associate and part of our professional family. Our goal is to offer the very best benefits possible to you and your loved ones. When it comes to benefits, whether for yourself or your family the most important aspect is choice. And we get that. apexanalytix offers competitive benefits for the countries that we serve, in addition to our BeWell@apex initiative that encourages employees’ growth in six key wellness areas: Emotional, Physical, Community, Financial, Social, and Intelligence.

With resources such as a strong Mentor Program, Internal Training Portal, plus Education, Tuition, and Certification Assistance, we provide tools for our associates to grow and develop.