Position Summary:
Windward Risk Managers is seeking a highly skilled Senior Database Administrator to serve as the primary administrator for the company's Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL database estate across on-prem and cloud environments. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in SQL Server administration, high-availability architecture, and Azure SQL / Managed Instance, with a focus on continuously improving, optimizing, and validating database performance, protection, and recoverability. This role owns database-level backup, recovery, and disaster-recovery readiness in close partnership with the Systems, Network, Security, and broader Infrastructure teams to keep business-critical data protected, performant, and recoverable.
Key Responsibilities:
- Serve as the primary administrator for the company's Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL / Managed Instance environments across on-prem data centers and Azure, including installation, configuration, patching, upgrades, and instance consolidation.
- Design, implement, and maintain database high-availability and disaster-recovery architecture, including Always On Availability Groups, failover clustering, log shipping, and replication, aligned to defined Recovery Time Objective and Recovery Point Objective targets, and partner with the System Administrator on infrastructure-level DR planning, runbooks, and failover testing.
- Own the database backup strategy, covering native and third-party backups, transaction-log management, point-in-time recovery, retention, and immutability, and coordinate with the Systems team so database backups integrate cleanly with the Veeam, storage, and Azure data-protection environment.
- Validate recoverability through regular restore testing and automated verification; confirm all critical databases are covered, configurations follow best practices, and gaps are identified and remediated.
- Continuously monitor, tune, and optimize database performance, including query and index tuning, execution plans, wait-statistics analysis, capacity and growth planning, and resource governance, to sustain performance and availability as data volumes grow.
- Size and scale the company's database estate across both Azure and on-premises data centers, right-sizing compute, memory, and storage capacity and expanding or consolidating resources appropriately as workloads change to meet performance, business continuity, backup, and DR targets while maintaining access control and cost governance.
- Administer database security, including authentication, role-based access control, encryption (TDE, Always Encrypted), key management, and least-privilege enforcement, in coordination with the Security team.
- Contribute to the company's business continuity program, supporting business impact analysis, recovery strategies for critical data assets, and the ongoing maintenance and testing of continuity plans as systems change.
- Monitor database health, capacity, and SLA compliance; perform root cause analysis on failures and performance incidents and implement preventive measures.
- Support compliance and audit requirements related to data protection, retention, access, and recoverability, including evidence gathering and remediation of audit findings.
- Automate administration, verification, and reporting with PowerShell and T-SQL; maintain runbooks and documentation; serve as the escalation point for database and recovery issues.
- Serve as a subject matter expert for database administration, performance, high availability, and recovery operations.
Why Windward Risk Managers:
- Windward Risk Managers is proud to be recognized on Fortune's 2026 Best Medium Workplaces list, ranking #28 among the Top 100 companies
- 100% employer paid health insurance for employees
- Up to 6% 401(k) match with immediate vesting
- Long-term and short-term disability insurance
- 3 weeks PTO to start + generous paid holidays
- Tuition reimbursement and continuing education support
- Collaborative and growth focused culture
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- 7 to 10 years of database administration experience in a hybrid (cloud and on-premises) environment.
- Hands-on production experience designing and managing Microsoft SQL Server, including high-availability configurations (Always On Availability Groups, failover clustering).
- Administrator-level experience with Azure SQL Database and / or Azure SQL Managed Instance (provisioning, access control, storage, cost governance).
- Solid understanding of database backup and disaster-recovery concepts, including Recovery Point Objective and Recovery Time Objective, replication, log shipping, snapshots, immutability, point-in-time recovery, and DR testing.
- Strong performance-tuning skills, including query optimization, indexing strategy, execution-plan analysis, and capacity planning.
- Practical PowerShell and T-SQL scripting skills; working knowledge of Windows Server and enterprise storage.
- Strong problem-solving skills, the ability to prioritize effectively, and clear written and verbal communication.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP-300)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
- Experience with SQL Server on VMware vSphere and with Veeam application-aware / database backups
Due to current business and operational considerations, we currently hire employees residing in the following states at this time: AL, AR, CA, CT, FL, GA, KY, MO, NC, NV, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WI.
Candidates must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. without requiring visa sponsorship now or in the future.
WRM is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, or veteran status. We take affirmative action to ensure that all employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities.
Notice to Third Party Agencies: WRM does not accept unsolicited resumes from third party recruiting firms. Absent a signed Service Agreement by WRM's Human Resources Department, WRM reserves the right to pursue and hire these candidates without financial obligation to recruiters or agencies.