The Senior Enterprise Database Administrator (Senior DBA) is responsible for the performance, integrity, security, and availability of BerryDunn's database platform, which supports operational, financial, healthcare, and analytical applications across on-premises SQL Server and Microsoft Azure environments. This is BerryDunn's first dedicated database role and serves as the firm's senior technical authority for database operations.

The Senior DBA takes full ownership of database backups and recovery, migrations, patching and lifecycle management, security and permissions, provisioning, performance tuning, and capacity planning. Beyond traditional administration, this role is expected to modernize how the firm operates its data layer: automating database operations, applying source control and DevOps practices to database code, contributing to data engineering and pipeline standards, and helping prepare the data platform for analytics, Power Platform, and AI workloads.

The role partners closely with the Engineering, Systems, Applications, Analytics, and Data Governance teams across BerryDunn's consulting practices to ensure our databases are reliable, secure, performant, and well-documented. As the senior subject-matter expert, the Senior DBA is also expected to mentor and cross-train others, build runbooks that enable Service Desk and Systems staff, and reduce the firm's reliance on any single individual for database operations.

The ideal candidate is data-driven, proactive, highly organized, and analytical, with the ability to troubleshoot complex issues, influence technical standards, and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.

Travel Expectations: This role requires minimal travel, less than 10% per year.

Database Operations, Reliability & Recovery

• Own backup, restore, and disaster recovery strategies across on-premises and cloud databases.
• Maintain database maintenance plans, including indexing, integrity checks, statistics updates, and transaction log management.
• Monitor database health, availability, and jobs; proactively identify and resolve issues before they impact users.
• Design, implement, and maintain high availability and resiliency solutions such as SQL Server Always On Availability Groups, failover clustering, and log shipping.
• Ensure all databases remain on supported, patched, and secure versions of SQL Server and Azure database services.

Performance Tuning & Capacity Planning

• Lead proactive query tuning, index optimization, and performance troubleshooting across operational and analytics workloads.
• Optimize disk, I/O, and storage for large (4 TB+) analytics databases, including SSISDB health and performance management.
• Monitor system performance and storage utilization; forecast and plan for future database growth, capacity, and cloud cost efficiency.
• Support the healthcare analytics SAS environment with performance and reliability improvements.

Migrations, Lifecycle & Cloud Modernization

• Plan and execute database migrations, including on-premises to Azure, lateral server moves, version upgrades, and vendor transitions (e.g., EOL server consolidations).
• Manage SQL Server patching, upgrades, and end-of-life planning across the estate.
• Provision and configure new database instances and databases to firm standards.
• Evaluate and recommend modern data platform services (e.g., Azure SQL, Azure MySQL Flexible Server, Microsoft Fabric, Databricks) and support adoption where they meet firm needs.

Security, Compliance & Access Controls

• Administer database security, including logins, roles, and least-privilege permission models, with clear separation of duties.
• Manage vendor and application access controls and ensure auditable, well-governed changes.
• Support the firm's compliance, backup/retention, and risk-assessment requirements as they relate to data.
• Support data classification and sensitivity mapping efforts in coordination with the Security and Data Governance functions.

Data Engineering & Pipeline Support

• Develop and support ETL/ELT processes and pipeline orchestration using SSIS, Azure Data Factory, or equivalent tooling.
• Contribute to repeatable practices for data warehouse implementation, view/virtual data object logic, and reliable data delivery.
• Establish and maintain SQL code repository practices, including source control, branching, review, and deployment standards for database code.
• Partner with the Analytics team and outsourced database developers to ensure database designs are performant, secure, and supportable.

Data Quality, Lineage & Governance Support

• Contribute to and help maintain data source inventories, relationship mapping, and data lineage documentation.
• Help define and monitor data quality measures and service level objectives for key databases and reporting workloads.
• Partner with Data Governance and the M365 Platform Owner on shared accountabilities for data platform standards, retention, and classification.

AI & Power Platform Data Enablement

• Support data platform readiness for AI and Power Platform workloads, including data source inventory for AI agents and supporting Dataverse data practices.
• Ensure data feeding AI, reporting, and low-code solutions is accurate, secure, appropriately classified, and performant.

Application & Integration Support

• Support custom and vendor-managed application databases (approximately 30% custom applications and 60% vendor-managed).
• Manage data gateways and connectivity that bridge on-premises data to Azure, Tableau, and Tableau Bridge.
• Install and support related SQL Server components such as SSIS (integration services) and SSRS (reporting services).
• Collaborate with the Applications and Systems/Engineering teams to support development work and safely deploy database changes into production.

Automation, Standards & Documentation

• Leverage PowerShell (including the dbatools and sqlserver modules) to automate routine DBA tasks, standardize configurations, and reduce manual effort.
• Implement and maintain automated maintenance solutions with Ola Hallengren's SQL Server Maintenance Solution.
• Apply infrastructure-as-code and CI/CD practices (e.g., Bicep, Azure DevOps Pipelines, GitHub Actions) to database provisioning and deployments in partnership with Platform Engineering.
• Establish, document, and enforce database standards, runbooks, and operational procedures, and align them with enterprise architecture and platform standards.
• Maintain accurate documentation of database architecture, configurations, and processes, and keep production code in source control (Azure DevOps / GitHub).

Leadership, Mentoring & Knowledge Transfer

• Serve as the firm's senior subject-matter expert and escalation point for database issues.
• Mentor and cross-train Systems, Service Desk, and Applications staff, including building runbooks that enable Tier 1 and Tier 2 support to handle routine database requests.
• Provide backup coverage and knowledge transfer so that database operations are no longer dependent on a single individual.
• Represent database considerations in project planning, change advisory, and architecture discussions.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
  (Equivalent experience or technical certifications may be considered.)
• Typically 5+ years of progressive experience as a SQL Server DBA or in a similar dedicated database administration role, including senior-level ownership of a production database estate.
• Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL Database; experience with Azure MySQL Flexible Server a plus.
• Demonstrated experience with backup, recovery, security, integrity, high availability (Always On/clustering), and performance tuning.
• Experience with database migrations, including on-premises to cloud (Azure) migrations.
• Experience supporting large-scale and/or analytics databases (multi-terabyte) is strongly preferred.
• Experience with PowerShell automation and the dbatools module.
• Experience with Ola Hallengren's maintenance solution and standardized maintenance frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with SSIS, SSRS, and data integration/reporting components; experience with Azure Data Factory or similar orchestration tooling preferred.
• Experience with source control and DevOps practices for database code (Git, Azure DevOps, GitHub); familiarity with CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code a plus.

Certificates, License & Registrations (Preferred but not required)

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate.
• Microsoft Certified: Fabric Data Engineer Associate or similar data platform certification.
• Relevant Microsoft SQL Server or Azure certifications.

The base salary range targeted for this role is $150,000 - $170,000.  This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus based on factors such as company and personal performance.  This salary range represents BerryDunn’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. If an applicant possesses experience, education, or other qualifications more than the minimum requirements for this posting, that applicant is encouraged to apply, and a final salary range may then be based on those additional qualifications; compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to years of experience, depth of experience, seniority, merit, education, training, amount of travel, and other relevant business considerations.

Our people are what make BerryDunn special, and in return we strive to support our employees and help them thrive. Eligible employees have access to benefits that go beyond what’s expected to support their physical, mental, career, social, and financial well-being. Visit our website for a complete list of benefits and a look into our culture: Experience BerryDunn.

We will ensure that individuals are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process or perform essential job functions. Please contact careers@berrydunn.com to request an accommodation.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

About BerryDunn

BerryDunn is the brand name under which Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC and BDMP Assurance, LLP, independently owned entities, provide services. Since 1974, BerryDunn has helped businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies throughout the US and its territories solve their greatest challenges. The firm’s tax, advisory, and consulting services are provided by Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC, and its attest services are provided by BDMP Assurance, LLP, a licensed CPA firm. 

BerryDunn is a client-centered, people-first professional services firm with a mission to empower the meaningful growth of our people, clients, and communities. The firm has been recognized for its efforts in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, and for its focus on learning, development, and well-being. Learn more at berrydunn.com.

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