At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage and optimise SQL databases in a dynamic SaaS environment.
- Company: Join Lead Forensics, a fast-growing leader in B2B sales and marketing.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, remote work options, and a vibrant company culture.
- Other info: Collaborate with talented teams and enjoy opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on our core data platforms and innovative cloud technologies.
- Qualifications: 8+ years of DBA experience with strong SQL Server skills required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
- Senior SQL Server DBA - Saa S software production environment
- About Lead Forensics
Lead Forensics is a rapidly growing Saa S leader in the B2B sales and marketing space.
We are seeking an accomplished Senior SQL Server Database Administrator to join our engineering organisation.
In this key role, you will partner with our existing DBA to manage, optimise, and protect the database platforms powering our customer-facing products and critical internal systems.
Role Overview
As a Senior SQL Server DBA, you will have end-to-end responsibility for our core Microsoft SQL Server estate and our expanding cloud database environment, including Single Store.
You’ll drive production operations, performance engineering, availability, security, automation, and lifecycle management for both transactional and analytical workloads.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced, pragmatic, and hands-on DBA who excels in technical leadership and is passionate about service quality.
You’ll closely collaborate with software engineering, architecture, infrastructure, and security teams to maintain robust existing databases and modernise delivery with cloud and Dev Ops practices.
Key Responsibilities
- Collaborate with the current DBA to administer, monitor, and support all production and non-production Microsoft SQL Server instances and cloud database services, including Single Store.
- Ensure the highest levels of availability, reliability, performance, scalability, and security for our business-critical Saa S workloads.
- Take ownership of proactive monitoring, alerting, capacity planning, and health reporting; identifying trends and addressing risks before they affect customers.
- Diagnose and resolve complex issues including queries, blocking, deadlocks, resource contention, storage, replication, and connectivity, and contribute to root-cause analysis and permanent solutions.
- Tune queries, indexes, execution plans, schemas, and configurations, working alongside developers to maximize application performance and data access efficiency.
- Design, manage, and regularly test robust backup, restore, high-availability, and disaster-recovery processes aligned with recovery objectives.
- Protect database security through least-privilege access, intelligent role design, encryption, auditing, vulnerability management, and regular access reviews in line with ISO 27001 standards.
- Plan and lead database installations, upgrades, patching, migrations, refreshes, and decommissioning following controlled change management and validation procedures.
- Automate repeatable administration, monitoring, and deployment tasks using T-SQL, scripting, and infrastructure or CI/CD pipeline tools.
- Support and review database changes throughout the software delivery lifecycle, ensuring safe releases using mature Dev Ops practices.
- Maintain up-to-date runbooks, architecture records, operational documentation, and knowledge sharing to reduce key-person dependency.
- Participate in a structured on-call/out-of-hours rota to support critical production services and planned maintenance.
About You
Experience & Background
- 8+ years of experience administering business-critical production databases, with significant recent experience in a senior DBA role.
- Strong, hands-on expertise with Microsoft SQL Server, including installation, configuration, upgrades, patching, backups, recovery, security, and performance tuning.
- Proven experience supporting high-volume OLTP systems and large datasets in demanding 24×7 environments, ideally Saa S.
- Advanced knowledge of SQL Server high-availability and disaster-recovery (HA/DR) options, such as Always On Availability Groups, clustering, replication, log shipping, and performing tested restores.
- Experience working effectively with software engineers, platform teams, and information security professionals across distributed teams.
- Technical & Methodological Strengths
- Expert-level T-SQL skills, with deep understanding of execution plans, indexing, statistics, locking, isolation levels, and query optimization.
- Solid experience in database observability, baselining, and troubleshooting with native and third-party monitoring tools.
- Demonstrated ability to automate operational tasks using scripting, source control, and CI/CD pipelines.
- Hands-on experience managing databases in Azure or AWS, including managed services, resilient architecture, monitoring, and cost control.
- Experience with Single Store or a distributed SQL platform, or the drive and aptitude to quickly build expertise here.
- Strong understanding of data modeling, schema design, partitioning, lifecycle management, and the differing needs of OLTP and analytical workloads.
- Excellent knowledge of secure database operation, privacy, auditing, and change management in a regulated environment.
- Mindset & Style
- Calm, methodical, and accountable during production incidents with a strong sense of ownership for service reliability.
- Highly analytical, with the ability to transition between detailed troubleshooting, long-term improvement, and commercial priorities.
- Proactive about reducing manual effort through automation, standardization, and operational controls.
- Clear communicator capable of translating database risks, trade-offs, and recommendations for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Committed to continuous learning and adopting new database technologies when they create meaningful value.
- Ideal Candidate Will Demonstrate
- A strong record of improving the reliability and performance of complex production SQL Server environments supporting Saa S products.
- Evidence of incident prevention through monitoring, capacity planning, disciplined operational practices, and proactive improvements.
- Experience managing successful database migrations or modernization projects with minimal service disruption and robust rollback plans.
- The ability to constructively challenge database designs and collaborate with engineering to balance performance, resilience, speed, and cost.
- Relevant Microsoft, cloud, or database certifications are welcomed, but demonstrable expertise is paramount.
Why Join Lead Forensics?
- Senior, hands-on role with significant influence over the reliability and evolution of our core data platforms.
- Opportunity to work with both established SQL Server services and innovative cloud database technologies like Single Store.
- Collaborate with talented engineering, architecture, infrastructure, and security professionals at scale.
- Be part of a fast-paced, forward-thinking company focused on delivering high-performance, commercially effective Saa S solutions.
- Remote-first culture with occasional onsite collaboration.
What We Offer
- Employment with a rapidly growing UK Saa S company.
- Remote role (hybrid working in our Cosham office available if preferred) with availability to visit for occasional in-person workshops.
- Competitive salary and benefits.
- Exceptional company culture - displaying strong DNA, a “One Team” ethos, and focus on growth.
- Opportunities to give back through volunteer days, fundraisers, and charity events.
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Senior Sql Database Administrator in Portsmouth employer: Lead Forensics
Lead Forensics is an exceptional employer that prioritises a supportive and collaborative work culture, allowing employees to thrive in a fully remote environment or opt for hybrid working at our Cosham office. We are committed to employee growth, offering opportunities for mentorship and leadership development, while also encouraging community engagement through volunteer days and charity events. Join us to be part of a dynamic team that values innovation and continuous improvement in the field of security compliance.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Sql Database Administrator in Portsmouth
✨Tap into Local Tech Meetups
Get yourself to local tech meetups or database management conferences. It's a really great way to meet industry professionals and potentially uncover unadvertised full-time roles. When chatting with people, mention your skills and interests in database management; you never know who might be looking for someone just like you!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Diving into open-source projects can not only sharpen your database skills but also get you noticed by employers. Many companies look for candidates who actively contribute to projects – it shows initiative and a real passion for the field. Plus, it's a perfect excuse to connect with other developers and expand your professional network.
✨Utilise Professional Bodies
Sign up for professional bodies related to database management, like the British Computer Society. They often host events and networking opportunities that can lead directly to job openings in the full-time market. Plus, it adds a nice touch to your professional profile!
✨Showcase Your Skills in a Public Portfolio
As you’re on the hunt for that full-time role, make sure to have a public portfolio that displays your best database projects. This can easily set you apart from the competition. And when you apply for roles, definitely mention it – it shows employers you mean business and are proud of your work!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Sql Database Administrator in Portsmouth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your database skills:When applying for a full-time role in database management, it’s super important to highlight your skills with specific database technologies like SQL, NoSQL, or any relevant data visualisation tools. We want to see how you've used these tools in real projects, so don't shy away from detailing your hands-on experience!
Tailor your CV for data:Make sure your CV is structured clearly, focusing on your previous experience in database management. Use specific metrics to demonstrate your impact, like how you improved data retrieval times or reduced errors. This isn't just about what you've done; it’s about what you’ve achieved with your skills!
Craft a compelling cover letter:In your cover letter, share what excites you about database management and how you can contribute to Lead Forensics. Mention any relevant projects where you tackled challenges or implemented new solutions. Let us know why you want to join our team and how your passion aligns with our goals.
Document your projects:If you've worked on interesting database projects—maybe during your studies or in previous roles—be sure to include those in your application. If you can, link to a portfolio or GitHub repo where we can see examples of your work. Having a tangible showcase of your skills will really make your application stand out!
How to prepare for a job interview at Lead Forensics
✨Brush Up on Database Tools
Make sure you're well-versed with popular database management systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB. Incorporating real-world examples of how you've used these tools in past projects will show that you can put theory into practice, which is something Lead Forensics will definitely appreciate.
✨Know Your SQL Inside Out
Get ready for some technical questions focused on SQL queries and database design. We should anticipate coding challenges where you might need to optimise queries or design a database schema on the spot. Practising these problems will build our confidence to impress in the interview.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
Besides just technical know-how, be prepared to answer scenario-based questions that test your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Think about how you would approach data integrity issues or handle performance bottlenecks — Lead Forensics will want to see your analytical side!
✨Show Your Collaboration Spirit
Since this is a full-time role, it's crucial to highlight how you've collaborated with cross-functional teams or contributed to team projects in the past. Emphasising our interpersonal skills will demonstrate that you’re not just a tech wizard, but also a team player who fits well with Lead Forensics's culture.
