SQL Server DBA

Role : SQL Server DBA

Location: Montreal, QC (Hybrid)

Experience: 8-14 years

Job Description:

• Administer and support SQL Server across on-premises, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines.
• Lead performance diagnostics and tuning using Query Store, execution plans, Dynamic Management Views, Extended Events, wait statistics, PerfMon, SQL Profiler, and Azure monitoring.
• Optimize complex T-SQL, stored procedures, indexing, statistics, partitioning, memory, TempDB, parallelism, locking, blocking, deadlocks, CPU, storage I/O, and transaction logs.
• Detect query-plan regressions and workload bottlenecks, establish performance baselines and capacity forecasts, and validate measurable improvements.
• Govern Azure SQL automatic tuning and Database Advisor recommendations, including production safeguards and rollback readiness.
• Design and support high availability and disaster recovery using Always On availability groups, failover groups, clustering, replication, log shipping, backup, restore, and point-in-time recovery.
• Plan and execute database migrations, upgrades, patching, consolidation, modernization, and cloud adoption with minimal disruption.
• Manage Azure SQL service tiers, elastic pools, scaling, geo-replication, private connectivity, firewall rules, and cost-performance optimization.
• Implement least-privilege access, Microsoft Entra authentication, managed identities, encryption, auditing, vulnerability remediation, secrets management, and compliance controls.
• Automate provisioning, configuration, health checks, maintenance, backup validation, and reporting with PowerShell, T-SQL, Azure CLI, and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Own P1/P2 incidents, outages, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, vendor escalations, and stakeholder communications.
• Maintain standards, runbooks, recovery procedures, dashboards, and knowledge articles; mentor L1/L2 teams and support change and release readiness.

Essential skills/knowledge/experience:

• 8–14 years of relevant database administration experience, with strong L3 MSSQL and Azure DBA expertise.
• Advanced hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines.
• Deep knowledge of Query Store, performance monitoring, execution-plan analysis, T-SQL optimization, indexing, blocking, deadlocks, and capacity management.
• Proven experience with Always On, replication, clustering, backup and recovery, database migrations, upgrades, and patching.
• Automation capability using PowerShell, T-SQL, Azure CLI, and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Strong production incident, outage, root-cause analysis, change management, and stakeholder communication experience.
• Graduate degree or equivalent education.

Desirable skills/knowledge/experience:

• Experience with Azure SQL automatic tuning, Database Advisor, elastic pools, geo-replication, and cost optimization.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Entra authentication, managed identities, encryption, auditing, vulnerability remediation, and compliance evidence.
• Ability to mentor support teams, improve runbooks, and reduce recurring incidents through preventive engineering and automation.
• Good communication skills and experience working through major outage situations.