Senior / Lead Database Administrator

Microsoft SQL Server | Banking / Fintech

Role Purpose

We are looking for a Senior / Lead MS SQL Server DBA to ensure the reliability, security, and performance of mission-critical database platforms supporting core banking and fintech services.

This role combines hands-on technical leadership with architecture guidance, operational governance, and mentoring within a regulated, high-availability environment.

The successful candidate will lead initiatives around zero-data-loss architectures, regulatory compliance, and 24/7 service continuity across large SQL Server environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Platform Architecture & Strategy

• Define and drive SQL Server platform standards and long-term strategy across the organization.
• Design and govern high availability and disaster recovery solutions, including:
  • Always On Availability Groups
  • Failover Cluster Instances (FCI)
  • Synchronous and asynchronous replicas
  • Log shipping for disaster recovery
• Define RPO/RTO objectives and validate them through regular DR testing.
• Lead database architecture reviews for new applications and platform changes.

High Availability & Operational Excellence

• Administer large-scale 24/7 production environments supporting core banking, payments, trading, AML, and reporting workloads.
• Lead major upgrades, migrations, patching cycles, and platform modernization efforts.
• Deliver near-zero downtime deployment strategies where feasible.
• Coordinate and lead root cause analysis for critical incidents.

Performance & Capacity Management

• Proactively monitor and optimize database performance at scale.
• Lead efforts around query tuning, indexing strategies, and I/O optimization.
• Perform capacity planning and storage forecasting to support growth.

Security, Compliance & Risk Management

• Design and implement database security controls, including:
  • Encryption (TDE, TLS)
  • Auditing, data masking, and least-privilege access models
• Support audit and regulatory requirements (PCI-DSS, SOX, GDPR, and local banking regulations).
• Enforce segregation of duties and controlled access processes.

Automation & Engineering Practices

• Standardize operational automation using T-SQL, PowerShell, and SQL Agent.
• Develop reusable frameworks for:
  • Backup and recovery
  • Health monitoring
  • Compliance validation
• Integrate database workflows into CI/CD pipelines.

Leadership & Governance

• Mentor DBAs and review technical designs and implementation plans.
• Define operational KPIs, SLAs, and monitoring standards.
• Maintain runbooks, DR procedures, and architecture documentation.
• Serve as an escalation point for major production incidents.

Required Experience:

Technical

• 7+ years administering MS SQL Server in enterprise or financial environments.
• Deep expertise in:
  • SQL Server internals
  • High availability and disaster recovery architecture
  • Performance tuning in large environments
• Hands-on experience with:
  • Always On Availability Groups and Windows Failover Clustering
  • Backup and restore strategies for large databases
  • SAN and enterprise storage platforms
• Strong T-SQL and PowerShell skills.

Industry

• Experience in banking, fintech, trading, or payment systems.
• Strong understanding of regulatory controls and audit readiness.
• Proven experience supporting 24/7 high-availability environments.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Oracle or PostgreSQL in mixed database environments.
• Exposure to private cloud or virtualization platforms.
• Microsoft certifications (SQL Server / Data Platform).

What Success Looks Like

• No unplanned database service interruptions.
• Recovery objectives consistently achieved and validated.
• Clean audit outcomes with no major findings.
• Performance SLAs consistently met.
• A standardized, automated, secure, and scalable database platform.