Summary
We are seeking a Senior Database Administrator to enhance and secure enterprise database systems across both on-prem and cloud environments. This is a senior-level technical role focused on ensuring optimal performance, availability and security of high-profile databases through proactive maintenance, troubleshooting, and operational excellence. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in relational databases, NoSQL, and cloud platforms, with a passion for leveraging emerging technologies to drive operational excellence and innovation.
Duties
Database Administration & Optimization
- Administer, maintain, and optimize relational databases (e.g., SQL Server, Azure SQL, Snowflake, PostgreSQL).
- Lead performance tuning, indexing, query optimization, and root cause analysis to ensure high availability and data integrity.
- Monitor system health and proactively resolve bottlenecks, blocking issues, and anomalies.
- Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to support capacity planning and system health.
Cloud Environment Management
- Support and manage cloud-based database environments across all platforms.
- Lead migrations, integrations, and operations in cloud ecosystems using best practices for scalability, reliability, and cost-efficiency.
- Utilize cloud-native tools for monitoring, automation, and diagnostics.
Security, Compliance & Governance
- Partner with security teams to design and enforce robust database security protocols, including encryption, access controls, and cloud IAM policies.
- Ensure compliance with HIPAA, PII, PHI, and other regulatory frameworks.
- Conduct audits, implement remediation plans, and maintain secure data workflows across environments.
Backup, Recovery & Disaster Preparedness
- Develop and maintain backup, recovery, and disaster recovery strategies for on-prem and cloud platforms.
- Implement encryption, compression, off-site retention, and long-term archival policies.
- Design high-availability architectures and phased environment controls for non-production isolation.
Data Integration & ETL Operations
- Support ETL and batch processing systems, ensuring timely and accurate data movement.
- Collaborate with development teams to integrate secure, cloud-native data pipelines and workflows.
Architecture, Infrastructure & Automation
- Administer Windows on virtual machines and attached storage
- Contribute to physical and logical database design, network topology, and system monitoring.
- Automate operations using scripting tools like PowerShell and Terraform
Documentation & Change Management
- Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for configurations, procedures, recovery plans, and deployment models.
- Oversee code promotion, change control, and configuration management across environments.
- Use source control systems to manage database scripts and participate in release planning.
Collaboration & Mentorship
- Work closely with cross-functional teams (Infrastructure, DevOps, Application Development, Architecture) to support deployments and troubleshoot issues.
- Mentor DBAs and provide guidance on database architecture.
- Lead strategic technical initiatives and contribute to enterprise data management planning.
Research & Continuous Improvement
- Conduct business analysis and gather requirements to recommend cost-effective solutions and enhancements.
- Evaluate existing systems and recommend improvements using current technologies.
- Research emerging trends, including NoSQL, vector databases, and LLM-oriented platforms to support AI-driven initiatives.
Education Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems or related field; equivalent experience or certifications may be considered.
Experience Requirements
- 7+ years of experience in database administration, including mastery of relational database systems (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL, Snowflake, PostgreSQL).
- Strong understanding of HIPAA data privacy regulations
- Strong understanding of database security principles, access control, and compliance frameworks.
- Proficiency in SQL, Snowflake, and scripting tools such as PowerShell and Terraform.
- Proven experience supporting cloud-based database environments and cloud-native monitoring and automation tools
- Deep technical knowledge of database internals including indexing, query plans, statistics, buffer/cache behavior, and performance tuning.
- Experience with ETL tools and processes including design and support of data warehouse structures and reporting systems.
- Skilled in change management and code promotion across non-production environments; experienced with source control tools like Git.
- Strong understanding of server operating systems (Windows/Linux), server hardware, storage systems (SAN, RAID), physical database design, network topologies, and system monitoring.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills to document procedures, explain technical concepts, and collaborate across teams.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and resolve complex technical issues with minimal supervision.
- Proven ability to contribute to strategic technical initiatives without direct management responsibilities.
Bonus Skills and Experience
- Azure or Snowflake certifications (e.g., Azure Database Administrator Associate, SnowPro Core)
- Knowledge of data lakehouse architecture, real-time analytics, or AI systems
- Familiarity with NoSQL databases (e.g., Cosmos DB, MongoDB) and exposure to LLM-related architectures
- Experience in health insurance, healthcare, or regulated industries
GEHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, which means we will not discriminate against any individual based on sex, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, military status, genetic information, veteran status, pregnancy, marital status, gender identity, and sexual orientation, as well as all other characteristics and qualities protected by federal, state, or local law. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
