Senior Database Administrator

Position Summary

The Senior Database Administrator is responsible for the design, development, administration, security, performance, and availability of enterprise Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL database platforms supporting business-critical applications. This role provides senior-level technical leadership across development and production environments, establishes reliable operational practices, and partners with application, infrastructure, security, and business teams to deliver scalable and resilient database solutions.

This role is central to Pike's active migration of its SQL Server environment — 400+ instances — from on-premises infrastructure to Microsoft Azure. The Senior Database Administrator partners day to day with Pike's managed services provider during the migration and assumes full operational ownership of the Azure SQL estate once that engagement's Hypercare period closes.

The position supports both project delivery and ongoing operations and works within established architecture, security, change management, and deployment standards. The Senior Database Administrator serves as an escalation point for complex database incidents and contributes to platform strategy, standards, automation, and continuous improvement.

Essential Functions

• Design, administer, maintain, and optimize enterprise SQL Server and Azure SQL databases, including tables, stored procedures, functions, views, indexes, and related database objects.

• Provide technical leadership for database architecture, design decisions, implementation standards, and lifecycle management across development, test, and production environments.

• Design and support backend data processes using T-SQL, SQL Server Agent, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), and other approved data integration tools.

• Monitor database health, availability, capacity, and performance using tools such as Dynamic Management Views (DMVs), Query Store, execution plans, and Extended Events.

• Diagnose and resolve complex database issues, including performance degradation, blocking, deadlocks, failed jobs, data integrity concerns, and availability events.

• Develop and implement indexing, statistics, query optimization, partitioning, and configuration strategies to improve system performance and scalability.

• Design, configure, test, and support high availability and disaster recovery solutions, including Always On Availability Groups, Windows Server Failover Clustering, backup and recovery strategies, and recovery validation.

• Administer database security, including authentication, roles, permissions, service accounts, encryption, auditing, and least-privilege access controls in coordination with Information Security.

• Lead database capacity planning, storage forecasting, patching, upgrades, migrations, replication, and platform modernization initiatives.

• Support database deployments and release activities, including version-controlled database code, peer review, testing, rollback planning, and adherence to change management requirements.

• Collaborate with developers, infrastructure teams, security teams, vendors, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into secure and maintainable database solutions.

• Participate in the full solution lifecycle, including requirements analysis, technical design, development, testing, implementation, operational support, and post-implementation review.

• Create and maintain database architecture diagrams, configuration records, data flows, operational procedures, recovery documentation, and support runbooks.

• Automate repeatable administration, monitoring, deployment, and maintenance activities using approved scripting and orchestration methods.

• Serve as an escalation resource and mentor for database administrators and technical team members; share knowledge and promote consistent standards and practices.

• Identify recurring issues, risks, technical debt, and opportunities for improved reliability, security, automation, and cost management.

• Participate in scheduled maintenance and after-hours support or incident response when required to support business-critical systems.

• Protect confidential and sensitive data and comply with Company safety rules, security requirements, and all other Company policies.

• Support migration of on-premises SQL Server instances to Microsoft Azure using Azure Database Migration Service (DMS), Data Migration Assistant (DMA), or comparable tooling, validating data integrity and performance parity for each migrated workload.

• Own VM-level SQL configuration for migrated instances, including storage layout, OS/SQL hardening, and Always On Availability Group configuration for clustered production servers.

• Evaluate Azure SQL platform-as-a-service options (Managed Instance, Azure SQL Database, Synapse, Microsoft Fabric) and alternative database platforms, including PostgreSQL, where they offer a better cost, scalability, or workload fit than the current standard.

• Partner with the Azure Cloud Architect to ensure new environments include database provisioning and standards from initial deployment, not added after the fact.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.

• 5 or more years of professional experience administering Microsoft SQL Server in production environments, including substantial experience supporting enterprise production systems.

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or later and Azure SQL services.

• Advanced T-SQL development and troubleshooting skills, including stored procedures, functions, query design, indexing, and execution plan analysis.

• Demonstrated experience with performance monitoring and tuning using Query Store, DMVs, Extended Events, and related native SQL Server capabilities.

• Demonstrated experience with backup and recovery, recovery models, database consistency, high availability, disaster recovery, Always On Availability Groups, and clustering.

• Experience with database security, access control, auditing, encryption, patching, vulnerability remediation, and data protection practices.

• Experience supporting databases across development, test, and production environments using structured release and change management processes.

• Experience with data integration and ETL processes, including SSIS or comparable enterprise tools.

• Experience with PowerShell, automation, source control, and database deployment pipelines is preferred.

• Experience with Azure monitoring, Azure DevOps, infrastructure as code, and cloud cost optimization is preferred.

• Experience with data warehousing, Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse Analytics, or comparable analytical platforms is preferred.

• Experience administering Oracle or other enterprise database platforms is a plus.

• Microsoft certification in Azure Database Administration (DP-300) or equivalent is preferred.

• Experience with Azure Hybrid Benefit and Reserved Instance cost optimization for SQL workloads is preferred.

• Hands-on PostgreSQL experience is preferred.

• Experience supporting a large-scale (100 or more instance) database migration program is preferred.

• Exposure to regulated industry compliance requirements, such as SOC 2, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS, is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of database design principles, normalization, data integrity, security, performance optimization, and operational resilience.

• Ability to lead complex technical troubleshooting and communicate risks, options, and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Strong analytical, documentation, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and maintain attention to detail in time-sensitive production situations.

• Collaborative, service-oriented approach with a strong commitment to business continuity, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Ability to mentor others, influence technical standards, and build effective cross-functional relationships.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, and operate standard office equipment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

Work is primarily performed in a professional office environment and may also be performed remotely when approved. The employee is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions. This position may require participation in planned maintenance, after-hours support, or incident response based on business needs.

Our Benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance

• HSA, dependent care and medical flexible spending accounts

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• 401(k) with company match

• Life insurance, and short-term and long-term disability

• Paid time off, paid holidays, and family and medical leave

If this sounds like you, come join the PIKE family.

About Us

Founded in 1945, Pike is a leading provider of construction, repair and engineering services for electric and gas utilities, as well as telecommunications companies with a growing portfolio of turnkey renewable projects. We work with hundreds of utility clients across the country, and we continuously expand our offerings to supply our customers with the ideas, technology, experience, workforce and equipment to perform any job.

"Essential" is the one word that sums up who we are, the work we do and what our people mean to us. Each of our employees plays a critical role in ensuring that infrastructure systems are up and running when people and businesses need them.

Pike is a family-oriented workplace with a strong culture of safety, collaboration, innovation and exceptional customer service.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Pike Enterprises, LLC, is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin and/or status as a protected veteran or individual with a disability.