MS-SQL DBA Expert

Location: Lahore/Islamabad/Karachi

Experience: 8+ years

NorthBay is looking for a hands-on Microsoft SQL Server expert who can own the performance, stability, and availability of multiple clustered SQL Server environments running on AWS Windows-based EC2. The role is focused on assessment/discovery, deep-dive/troubleshooting & performance optimization against high-volume production systems. You will be the go-to expert for identifying bottlenecks, tuning SQL & T‑SQL (Including SPs/Functions), Stabilizing Cluster/DR failovers, and designing/improving observability including proactive monitoring and alerting

Requirements:

Overall 8+ years of experience with at least 5 years of Core SQL Server hands-on experience as a SQL Server DBA / Engineer, with a strong focus on performance and HA/DR in mission-critical environmentsDeep understanding of SQL Server internals (storage engine, query optimizer, plan cache, buffer pool, TempDB behavior etc.).Expert-level experience in diagnosing Wait stats, DMVs, Extended Events, Profiler/Tracing, Execution plan analysis, query rewrites, indexing strategy designTroubleshooting CPU spikes, I/O bottlenecks, memory pressure, TempDB contention, log bottlenecks (e.g. WRITELOG waits) etc.Expert in SQL & T‑SQL optimizations including SPs, Triggers, Views, Functions etc. along with in depth understanding of locking, blocking, deadlocks, and transaction-related performance issuesAbility to identify & analyze resource-heavy queries/processes and systematically optimize them (indexing, hints, plan guides, code refactoring, re-architecture where needed)Hands-on expertise in designing, deploying, and troubleshooting Windows Failover Clustering (WSFC), Always On Availability Groups (AGs), Failover Cluster Instances (FCI), Log Shipping, Mirroring & ReplicationExperience with AWS Cloud, EC2, Instance Families/Sizes, EBS Volumes, IOPS, Throughput, Networking, and Multi‑AZ Designs in relation to MSSQL Server Performance, HA/DR & Monitoring & ObservabilityStrong experience with database monitoring tools and enterprise level monitoring/observability expectations, including SQL Server dashboards (performance, waits, blocking, deadlocks, availability), Focus on Implementing actionable Alerting to reduce the noiseExperience with T-SQL, PowerShell & SQL Server Agent etc.Having experience with Reporting Services (SSRS) performance and optimization will be preferredStrong communication skills with the ability to explain complex database issues to non-DBA stakeholders and mentor developers on SQL best practices.

Responsibilities:

Optimize database architecture, configuration, indexing strategy, statistics, TempDB, log & data file layout in line with SQL Server best practicesReview MS SQL Server Configurations, Analyze and resolve performance bottlenecks across CPU, memory, I/O, and networkConduct wait stats, DMVs, execution plans, and XEvents analysis to identify root causesReview and refine MAXDOP, cost threshold for parallelism, memory settings, TempDB configuration, and disk layout to improve performance and stabilityReview, tune, and refactor complex SQL and T‑SQL stored procedures, views, and functionsIdentify and resolve locking, blocking, deadlocks, transactional contentions, and long-running queries by optimizing indexing and/or query tuning and rewritesAssess and document existing HA/DR implementations across clusters, Troubleshoot and stabilize cluster switchovers/failovers, including issues seen during planned and unplanned eventsDefine and implement HA/DR designs to meet RPO/RTO targets & Develop/Test failover/runbooksImprove the Proactive & Reactive Monitoring / Observability with recommending/implementing comprehensive monitoring & alerting across SQL Server health and performance, HADR/Cluster state, sync latency etc.Recommend and implement best-fit monitoring tools (e.g. advanced Datadog usage, plus tools such as SQL Sentry, Redgate SQL Monitor, SolarWinds DPA, native SQL tools, etc.).Incident Response & Root Cause Analysis as lead on critical incident investigations for production performance and availability issuesRecommendations based on Architecture, Design Best Practices by reviewing existing SQL Server architecture, and configurations and bring them in line with current best practicesAdvise on capacity planning, scaling strategies, backup/restore strategy, indexing & maintenance plansAutomate repetitive tasks e.g., index maintenance, stats updates, log cleanups, data archivingContribute to documentation, standards, and knowledge sharing for DB usage across teams

What We Offer 

Competitive salary and benefitsFuel expense reimbursementPaid holidays and vacationsMedical outpatient reimbursement & health insurance facility Career path to make a difference in a highly productive environment

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