THE TEAM YOU WILL BE JOINING

• A growing enterprise technology organization in the middle of a significant infrastructure and cloud modernization effort
• A systems and cloud organization responsible for modernizing a large, complex database environment while continuing to support critical production applications
• A collaborative technology team working across cloud architecture, infrastructure, applications, database engineering, project delivery, and external technology partners
• An environment moving away from manual, server-by-server administration toward standardized, source-controlled, automated database operations
• This will be a senior individual contributor and high-trust role with meaningful ownership of the organization's database environment

LOCATION

• Fort Mill, SC, Charlotte metro area
• On-site environment
• Direct exposure to the infrastructure and technology leaders driving the organization's cloud transformation

WHAT THEY OFFER YOU

• Direct ownership of a large-scale enterprise SQL Server environment during a live Azure transformation
• The opportunity to become the primary internal technical authority for database administration and engineering
• A chance to modernize how database operations are managed, including monitoring, automation, source control, CI/CD, provisioning, and performance management
• Significant influence over database standards and operating practices for the next several years
• Exposure beyond traditional SQL Server administration, including Azure database services, PostgreSQL, modern database platforms, and cloud architecture
• The ability to partner closely with the Azure Cloud Architect and broader infrastructure organization as new environments and standards are established
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and continued investment in professional development

WHY THIS ROLE IS IMPORTANT

• The organization is actively migrating a large SQL Server environment from traditional on-premises infrastructure into Azure as part of a broader cloud transformation
• This person will provide hands-on ownership of database health, performance, availability, maintenance, and continuity throughout that transition and beyond
• During the active migration, you will work alongside an external database engineering partner before assuming greater long-term internal ownership of the Azure SQL environment
• The opportunity extends well beyond maintaining databases and responding when something breaks
• You will proactively identify performance issues, evaluate execution plans, improve indexing strategies, optimize queries, modernize stored procedures, and address technical debt across the environment
• You will help move database administration toward repeatable and automated practices using source control, CI/CD, scripting, monitoring, and standardized deployment processes
• SQL Server remains the organization's core database platform, but this person will also help evaluate where PostgreSQL, Azure PaaS database offerings, or other modern database technologies may provide a better fit for specific workloads
• You will partner with the Azure Cloud Architect to ensure database provisioning, configuration, monitoring, and operational standards are incorporated into new environments from the beginning
• This is an opportunity to inherit a meaningful production environment while also having the runway to materially improve how it operates

THE BACKGROUND THAT FITS

• 5+ years of hands-on Microsoft SQL Server administration experience within production enterprise environments
• Strong SQL Server performance tuning expertise, including execution plan analysis, indexing strategy, Query Store, query optimization, and stored procedure optimization
• Ability to proactively identify database performance problems rather than relying solely on reactive troubleshooting
• Experience managing backup, recovery, business continuity, and high-availability strategies in production environments
• Hands-on experience with Windows SQL Server clustering and Always On Availability Groups
• Experience supporting SQL Server migrations, ideally involving Azure Database Migration Service, Data Migration Assistant, or comparable migration tooling
• Experience administering SQL Server within Azure IaaS environments, including VM sizing, storage configuration, operating system considerations, SQL configuration, and hardening
• Experience using Git or comparable source-control practices for database objects and participating in CI/CD release processes
• PowerShell or Python scripting experience with an interest in automating routine database administration and monitoring
• Experience supporting ETL and data integration processes using SSIS, Azure Data Factory, or comparable technologies
• Strong understanding of database design and the ability to partner with application and business teams on database-related requirements
• PostgreSQL experience or meaningful exposure to alternative modern database platforms is highly valuable
• Exposure to Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure SQL Database, Synapse, Fabric, or other Azure data services is a plus
• Experience working within a large, complex SQL Server estate or supporting a significant cloud/database migration program is highly valuable
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative approach to technical problem-solving