Database Administrator (DBA)

Job Description

Database Administrator – Job Description Summary

Role: Database Administrator (DBA)
Work Location: Onsite (Ontario Public Service environment)
Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7.25 hours/day (8:00 AM–5:00 PM excluding lunch)
Contract Duration: Until October 5, 2027 (with possible extension)

Position Overview

The Database Administrator is responsible for the design, implementation, administration, optimization, security, and operational support of enterprise-scale database environments. The role focuses heavily on Azure cloud database technologies, data warehouse/lakehouse platforms, database performance tuning, high availability, disaster recovery, and DataOps practices within a regulated public-sector environment.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership in database architecture, cloud modernization initiatives, data integration, performance optimization, security compliance, and operational support for mission-critical systems.

Key Responsibilities

Database Administration & Engineering

• Design, implement, maintain, and optimize enterprise database systems.
  
• Create logical and physical database models for transactional and analytical workloads.
  
• Install, configure, migrate, upgrade, and modernize database platforms.
  
• Develop and optimize data pipelines from source systems to end users.
  
• Perform database performance tuning, capacity planning, growth forecasting, and lifecycle management.
  
• Implement backup, recovery, and disaster recovery strategies.
  
• Support database security, monitoring, auditing, and compliance requirements.
  

Cloud Database Administration

• Administer Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure VMs.
  
• Manage Azure cloud data services including:
  
• Azure Storage
  
• Azure Data Lake
  
• Azure Data Factory
  
• Azure Key Vault
  
• Azure Data Warehouse
  
• Databricks Lakehouse
  
• Support structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data ingestion and integration.
  
• Design scalable and cost-effective cloud database architectures.
  

Performance & Optimization

• Perform advanced troubleshooting and performance tuning:
  
• Query optimization
  
• Index tuning
  
• Query Store analysis
  
• Wait statistics analysis
  
• IO performance analysis
  
• TempDB optimization
  
• Azure automatic tuning features
  
• Azure throttling mitigation
  
• Monitor database health and optimize system performance.
  

Security & Compliance

• Implement Azure AD authentication and RBAC.
  
• Manage database encryption and security controls including TDE.
  
• Enforce network security, firewall configurations, and access management.
  
• Conduct vulnerability assessments and remediation activities.
  
• Ensure compliance with PHIPPA and public-sector security standards.
  

Operations & Governance

• Support Incident, Change, and Configuration Management processes.
  
• Apply DataOps principles for monitoring, alerting, and operational excellence.
  
• Collaborate with infrastructure, security, application, and data teams.
  
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and operational guidance.
  

Required Technical Skills

Database Technologies

• Azure SQL Database
  
• Azure SQL Managed Instance
  
• SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines
  
• SQL Server Administration
  
• Relational Database Systems
  
• Distributed Database Systems
  
• Database Design & Modeling
  

Azure Cloud Services

• Azure Storage
  
• Azure Data Lake
  
• Azure Data Factory
  
• Azure Key Vault
  
• Azure Databricks Lakehouse
  
• Azure Data Warehouse
  

Performance Tuning

• Query optimization
  
• Indexing strategies
  
• Query Store
  
• Wait statistics analysis
  
• IO optimization
  
• TempDB optimization
  
• Capacity planning
  
• Performance monitoring
  

Security

• Azure AD Integration
  
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
  
• Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
  
• Network security
  
• Firewall management
  
• Vulnerability remediation
  

Data Management

• Data Warehousing
  
• Data Lakehouse Architecture
  
• Data Integration
  
• DataOps
  
• Data Governance
  
• Data Security
  

Oracle DBA (Desirable Skills)

• Oracle 12c/19c Administration
  
• Oracle RAC
  
• Oracle Data Guard
  
• Oracle E-Business Suite R12.2
  
• Oracle RMAN
  
• ASM
  
• OEM Grid Control
  
• WebLogic Administration
  
• Oracle Advanced Compression
  
• Partitioning
  
• Online Patching
  
• Oracle Cloning
  
• Oracle Security and Data Masking
  
• Oracle Linux / Red Hat Enterprise Linux
  
• UNIX/Linux Shell Scripting
  

General Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
  
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
  
• Stakeholder management and consulting experience.
  
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
  
• Leadership and mentoring capabilities.
  
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
  
• Experience working in governed and regulated environments.
  

Public Sector Experience

Candidates should demonstrate:

• Experience working within government or regulated public-sector organizations.
  
• Knowledge of Ontario Public Service (OPS) standards and governance practices.
  
• Experience supporting legacy systems and formal governance frameworks.
  
• Knowledge of PHIPPA and public-sector compliance requirements.
  
• Experience with audit controls, data classification, and regulatory standards.
  

Mandatory Qualifications

✔ 7–10+ years of Database Administration experience
✔ Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server on Azure VMs
✔ Azure Storage, Data Lake, Data Warehouse, Databricks Lakehouse, Key Vault
✔ Database design, implementation, operations, and optimization
✔ Advanced performance tuning and troubleshooting expertise
✔ High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) experience
✔ Cloud database administration (Azure PaaS/IaaS)
✔ DataOps and operational support experience
✔ Public-sector or regulated-environment experience preferred

Ideal Candidate: Senior Azure Database Administrator / Cloud DBA with strong Azure SQL, Data Lakehouse, DataOps, performance tuning, security, and public-sector experience.

Requirements
Mandatory Skills & Experience Cloud & Infrastructure Engineering Proven experience designing, deploying, and maintaining hybrid infrastructure environments across: Microsoft Azure Amazon Web Services (AWS) Linux-based environments SaaS solutions COTS solutions On-premises systems Strong experience with Windows and Linux server administration including: CentOS Ubuntu CoreOS Experience supporting modern web technology stacks including: LAMP MEAN Drupal Elasticsearch Experience with virtualization platforms, storage solutions, networking, and enterprise infrastructure services. Strong understanding of cloud architecture frameworks, technology assessments, and cloud solution strategies. Identity & Access Management Experience managing and supporting identity and access controls using: Active Directory Microsoft Entra ID Enterprise IAM solutions Experience implementing authentication, authorization, and access governance controls. DevOps & CI/CD Automation Strong experience designing, building, and administering CI/CD pipelines for continuous integration and deployment. Experience with development and collaboration tools including: Azure DevOps JIRA Confluence Maven Jenkins Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and version-controlled deployments. Strong knowledge of DevOps methodologies, automation frameworks, and release management best practices. Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies including: Docker Kubernetes AKS / EKS Experience automating operational and compliance-related activities using: PowerShell Bash Python Programming & Scripting Hands-on experience with scripting and programming languages including: Python Bash PHP Java JavaScript Node.js Experience with build and configuration management tools including: Git Ansible Chef Puppet API & Integration Experience Experience building and consuming APIs and integration endpoints. Experience integrating cloud platforms, enterprise systems, and deployment pipelines. Understanding of enterprise integration architectures and service-based deployments. Security, Monitoring & Compliance Strong understanding of infrastructure security, cloud security, and DevOps security best practices including: Least privilege access Secure logging Secrets management Vulnerability remediation Experience with security and monitoring tools including: Radware Dynatrace Splunk Azure Monitor / Log Analytics AWS CloudTrail / CloudWatch ELK Stack / SIEM solutions Experience implementing centralized audit logging and monitoring across enterprise platforms. Ability to support internal and external audits through reporting, evidence gathering, and log analysis. Experience supporting forensic investigations, audit remediation, and incident reviews. Familiarity with Government of Ontario I&IT Directives, Policies, and Information Technology Standards. Release Management & Operational Support Experience coordinating infrastructure and application releases across technical and business teams. Knowledge of change management processes, deployment approvals, rollback planning, and release governance. Experience with release readiness reviews, deployment validation, and post-release monitoring. Ability to maintain release documentation, operational records, and audit artifacts. Project Management & Communication Strong project planning, coordination, and resource management skills. Experience with roadmap planning, modernization initiatives, and infrastructure investment planning. Strong stakeholder communication and cross-functional collaboration skills. Ability to explain complex technical concepts to business users, leadership teams, and non-technical stakeholders. Strong documentation, reporting, presentation, and technical writing skills. Mobile Device Management Experience supporting mobile device management for cellular devices and tablets across multiple platforms and operating systems. Desirable Skills Experience supporting Government of Ontario enterprise environments. Experience with enterprise modernization and cloud transformation initiatives. Familiarity with enterprise governance, compliance frameworks, and audit readiness programs. Experience mentoring and coaching junior DevOps and infrastructure resources. Strong understanding of operational resilience, disaster recovery, and enterprise monitoring strategies. Additional Information Strong hands-on DevOps, cloud infrastructure, automation, CI/CD, security, and enterprise release management experience is mandatory for this role.