Senior SQL DBA

In this role, you own database performance and reliability for SQL Server in an AWS environment. You will lead optimization efforts, collaborate with developers, and implement strategies to scale and stabilise critical systems. The position offers autonomy to set database standards, monitoring, and long-term performance direction. You’ll tackle complex performance challenges and deliver measurable improvements for busy applications.

• 60,000-65,000 salary
• Full-time, permanent
• Birmingham-based, on-site
• Significant autonomy and ownership
• Opportunity to lead database performance initiatives
• Exposure to SQL Server and AWS architecture

• Administer, maintain and optimise multiple SQL Server instances
• Monitor performance and proactively identify issues
• Investigate slow-running queries, blocking, deadlocks and indexing problems
• Use Query Store, DMVs, Extended Events to diagnose performance issues
• Optimize T-SQL queries, indexing, statistics and configuration
• Assess EF-generated SQL for inefficiencies like N+1 queries
• Collaborate with developers to resolve performance bottlenecks
• Plan and implement database improvements to support growth
• Support SQL Server on AWS (EC2/RDS) and cost-efficient sizing
• Maintain backup, recovery, HA and DR processes
• Support Always On Availability Groups and AWS resilience configurations
• Lead technical investigations during performance incidents and deliver fixes
• Develop dashboards and alerts for proactive issue detection
• Automate routine tasks with PowerShell and related tools
• Maintain documentation of configuration, performance and procedures

• Proven experience as SQL Server DBA or equivalent
• Strong SQL Server administration and troubleshooting
• Advanced T-SQL and query optimisation
• Expertise with execution plans, indexing, statistics and tuning
• Experience managing multiple SQL Server instances
• Understanding of Entity Framework-generated SQL
• Experience monitoring and diagnosing performance issues
• Commercial experience with SQL Server in AWS (EC2/RDS)
• Knowledge of AWS infrastructure affecting database performance
• Experience with backup/recovery, HA and DR
• Familiarity with Always On Availability Groups and AWS Multi-AZ
• Experience planning for scalability
• PowerShell, dbatools or similar scripting skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and collaboration with developers
• Proactive, independent working style

• Excellent communication
• Proactive problem-solving
• Independent and self-motivated
• Microsoft SQL Server administration
• T-SQL optimization
• Execution plans and indexing