My SQL

Job Title: Senior MSSQL & Azure DBA

Job Type: Full Time

Location: Montreal, QC

Work Model: Hybrid

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Senior MSSQL & Azure DBA with 8 14 years of database administration experience, specializing in Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL services, performance optimization, high availability, disaster recovery, and production support. The ideal candidate will have strong L3 troubleshooting skills, automation expertise, and experience managing enterprise database environments across on-premises and Azure platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer and support SQL Server across on-premises environments, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines.

• Perform database performance diagnostics and tuning using Query Store, execution plans, Dynamic Management Views (DMVs), Extended Events, wait statistics, and Azure monitoring tools.

• Optimize T-SQL queries, stored procedures, indexing, statistics, partitioning, TempDB, memory, parallelism, locking, blocking, deadlocks, CPU, storage I/O, and transaction logs.

• Identify query-plan regressions and workload bottlenecks, establish performance baselines, forecast capacity, and validate improvements.

• Manage Azure SQL automatic tuning, Database Advisor recommendations, and production safeguards.

• Design and maintain high-availability and disaster-recovery solutions using Always On Availability Groups, failover groups, clustering, replication, log shipping, and backup and recovery strategies.

• Plan and execute database migrations, upgrades, patching, consolidation, modernization, and cloud adoption with minimal disruption.

• Manage Azure SQL service tiers, elastic pools, scaling, geo-replication, private connectivity, firewall rules, and cost-performance optimization.

• Implement database security controls, including least-privilege access, Microsoft Entra authentication, managed identities, encryption, auditing, secrets management, and vulnerability remediation.

• Automate database provisioning, configuration, health checks, maintenance, backup validation, and reporting using PowerShell, T-SQL, Azure CLI, and infrastructure-as-code practices.

• Lead P1/P2 incidents, outages, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, vendor escalations, and stakeholder communications.

• Maintain database standards, operational runbooks, recovery procedures, dashboards, and knowledge articles.

• Mentor L1/L2 support teams and contribute to change management and release readiness.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 8 14 years of relevant database administration experience, including strong L3 Microsoft SQL Server and Azure DBA expertise.

• Advanced hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines.

• Strong expertise in database performance monitoring, Query Store, execution-plan analysis, T-SQL optimization, indexing, blocking, deadlocks, and capacity management.

• Proven experience with Always On Availability Groups, replication, clustering, backup and recovery, migrations, upgrades, and patching.

• Automation experience using PowerShell, T-SQL, Azure CLI, and infrastructure-as-code practices.

• Strong production incident management, troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, change management, and stakeholder communication skills.

• Graduate degree or equivalent education.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Azure SQL automatic tuning, Database Advisor, elastic pools, geo-replication, and cost optimization.

• Knowledge of Microsoft Entra authentication, managed identities, encryption, auditing, vulnerability remediation, and compliance evidence.

• Experience mentoring database support teams and improving operational runbooks.

• Ability to reduce recurring incidents through preventive engineering and automation.

• Strong communication skills and experience managing major production outages.