Senior SQL Server DBA
Role description and responsibilities
A senior SQL Server DBA role with strong ownership of production database operations, deeply integrated with Azure cloud services. The role requires solid technical autonomy, cloud-native expertise and the ability to operate independently across the full DBA lifecycle — from performance tuning to incident resolution and release management. Infrastructure partners provide support but the DBA maintains direct operational responsibility.
- Administer Microsoft SQL Server databases in production, integrated with Azure cloud services, with strong operational ownership
- Manage Always-On Availability Groups, Failover Cluster Instances and storage account operations
- Lead technical resolution of SQL Server incidents: diagnose, remediate and produce structured root cause analysis independently
- Execute and validate production releases using Azure DevOps and UrbanCode Deploy (UCD)
- Perform query tuning, T-SQL optimisation and execution plan analysis
- Administer and optimise Azure SQL, Azure Pipelines, Azure Monitor and Azure Event Hub
- Enforce security, permissions management and audit-quality documentation
- Collaborate with application teams, infrastructure partners and release management
- Contribute to runbook quality and continuous improvement of database operations
Requirements
- University degree in Computer Science, Engineering or comparable technical field
- 5–10 years of hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server in production environments
- Proven track record in incident management, production support and performance tuning
- Strong Azure platform experience is mandatory
- SQL Server installation and configuration
- Always-On Availability Groups (must)
- Failover Cluster Instances (FCI)
- T-SQL scripting (must)
- PowerShell automation (must)
- Execution plan analysis
- Storage account management
- Azure SQL, Azure DevOps, Azure Pipelines, Azure Alerts, Azure Event Hub, Azure Monitor (must)
- PostgreSQL, PowerShell, SQL
- Tools: MS SQL Server, UrbanCode Deploy, Jira, DBeaver
- Professional English C1 (spoken and written) — mandatory
- Strong ownership and accountability; comfortable operating with autonomy in complex production environments
- Structured troubleshooting mindset; clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Generalizing-specialist profile — open to working across multiple database technologies
- Must own a valid work permit or EU/Schengen Space nationality to legally work in Portugal
- Lisbon/Portugal-based — hybrid working model
Nice to have
- Azure Database Administrator certification is a plus
- Microsoft SQL Server certifications valued
- French and/or Dutch is a plus
- Experience in regulated environments (e.g., financial services) is a strong plus
Perks
- Company Car (level 9 and above);
- 3000€ expenses (level 7 - Manager)
- Annual bonus (level 9 - 5% / level 8 - 6% / level 7 - 23%)
- +12 vacation days (compensation days)
- Health insurance;
- Life Insurance and Pension Plan Programs;
- Free medical services at the office (Physician, Nutritionist, Psychologist);
- Wellness programs;
- Flexben Program (Support for Education, Kindergarden, Training, Technology, Health);
- Employee Share Purchase Plan;
- Personalized training paths and access to Udemy and Plurisight Plataforms;
- Flex-ability program (financial and flexible support for people with disabilities);
- Special banking conditions;
- Hybrid working model.