Location: On Site at location listed in posting
Weekly Schedule: Monday- Friday, 9am-5pm
We are seeking an experienced Azure Database Administrator to design, implement, secure, and optimize cloud database platforms supporting mission-critical applications for our associates and clients. The ideal candidate brings hands-on expertise across Azure SQL Database/Managed Instance, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, and Cosmos DB, with strong performance tuning, automation, and governance skills.
Key Responsibilities:- Administration and Operations
- Provision, configure, and maintain Azure database services: Azure SQL Database/Managed Instance, Azure Database for PostgreSQL (Flexible Server/Single Server), and Cosmos DB (including MongoDB API.
- Manage backups, restores, disaster recovery, and geo-replication; establish RPO/RTO targets and failover procedures/runbooks.
- Monitor health, capacity, and cost; implement alerting and proactive remediation using Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, and related tooling.
- Maintain schema changes, index strategies, and maintenance routines (reindex, vacuum/analyze for PostgreSQL, etc).
- Performance and Reliability
- Conduct query optimization and tuning (execution plans, indexing, partitioning, caching strategies).
- Optimize Cosmos DB partition keys, RU throughput, consistency levels, and indexing policies.
- Tune PostgreSQL settings (autovacuum, checkpointing, work_mem, pg_stat_statements) and SQL Server configurations (tempdb, memory, MAXDOP, I/O).
- Security, Compliance, and Governance
- Implement least privilege access, RBAC/ABAC, and Managed Identities; integrate with Azure AD and Privileged Identity Management.
- Enforce encryption in transit and at rest; manage secrets with Azure Key Vault; configure network isolation (VNets, private endpoints, firewall rules, NSGs).
- Enable auditing, data masking, and threat detection; maintain compliance with relevant industry standards and internal governance.
- Collaborate with InfoSec, risk, and audit teams to ensure policy adherence and support periodic reviews.
- Automation and DevOps
- Automate administrative tasks using PowerShell, Azure CLI, and scripting (Python/Bash as needed).
- Implement infrastructure-as-code for database provisioning and configuration (Bicep/ARM/Terraform).
- Integrate database changes into CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps/GitHub), supporting migration scripts, validation, and rollback strategies.
- Data Lifecycle and Migrations
- Plan and execute migrations between on-prem and Azure or across Azure services using Azure Database Migration Service, pg_dump/pg_restore, and native SQL tools.
- Validate data integrity and performance post-migration; coordinate cutover with application teams and associates.
- Document data retention policies, archival strategies, and lifecycle management.
- Incident Response and Support
- Troubleshoot production issues across the data stack; perform root cause analysis and implement permanent fixes.
- Create clear operational documentation, runbooks, and knowledge base articles.
- Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
- Partner with application development, SRE, architecture, security, and platform teams to deliver stable, scalable solutions for our clients.
- Advise on schema design, data modeling, and capacity planning.
- Provide guidance on best practices for multi-tenant architectures, sharding, and high availability patterns.
Required Qualifications:- 5+ years of hands-on database administration experience, including:
- SQL Server (Azure SQL Database/Managed Instance): performance tuning, maintenance, backup/restore, HA/DR.
- PostgreSQL: configuration, tuning, extension management, replication, backup/restore.
- Cosmos DB: partitioning strategy, RU management, indexing, consistency, global distribution.
- Strong Azure expertise: Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Alerts, Key Vault, Private Link, VNets, RBAC, Managed Identities, Defender for Cloud.
- Proficiency with scripting and automation: PowerShell and Azure CLI (Python/Bash a plus).
- Experience with infrastructure-as-code (Bicep/ARM/Terraform) and CI/CD integration (Azure DevOps/GitHub).
- Proven track record in security hardening, auditing, and compliance-oriented database management.
- Solid understanding of networking concepts impacting databases (latency, bandwidth, DNS, private endpoints).
Preferred Qualifications:- Experience with hybrid environments (on-prem SQL Server/PostgreSQL/CosmosDB) and migration to Azure.
- Familiarity with AKS or containerized workloads interacting with databases.
- Knowledge of data governance, retention, and archival strategies.
- Exposure to streaming and integration patterns (Event Hubs, Kafka) and ETL/ELT workflows.
- Experience supporting highly regulated environments with robust controls and documentation.
Education and Certifications:- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field; or equivalent experience.
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP-300) strongly preferred.
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) or Azure Solutions Architect (AZ-305) a plus.
- MongoDB Certified DBA and/or PostgreSQL certifications are advantageous.
- Redis certification or equivalent practical experience appreciated.
Core Competencies:- Ownership, accountability, and a bias for automation.
- Clear written and verbal communication with both technical and non-technical associates.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; calm under pressure during incidents.
- Collaboration and stakeholder management across multiple teams and priorities.
Work Environment:- On site in Memphis Tennessee or in First Horizon footprint.
- After-hours support for deployments, DR tests, and incident response.
Compensation:- Competitive and commensurate with experience.
Benefit Highlights• Medical with wellness incentives, dental, and vision
• HSA with company match
• Maternity and parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement
• Mentor program
• 401(k) with 6% match
• More -- FirstHorizon.com/First-Horizon-National-Corporation/Careers/Our-Benefits
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