Aderant is seeking a Principal Database Administrator to serve as the technical authority for SQL Server architecture, high availability, and disaster recovery across our Sierra cloud operations environment. This is a senior, hands-on role: you will own the design decisions behind our multi-tenant database platform's resilience, lead the DBA team's technical depth through collaboration and knowledge transfer, and serve as the escalation point for our most complex database challenges - including direct engagement with client-side DBA and IT teams, whose SQL Server environments. This is an excellent opportunity to shape database operations strategy for a cutting-edge global software company at cloud scale.
Responsibilities:- Serves as the DBA team's technical authority for SQL Server operations, high availability, disaster recovery and replication architecture across the Sierra platform
- Acts as the escalation point for complex or high-severity SQL Server incidents, leading root-cause analysis and remediation (connectivity loss, memory pressure, blocking/deadlocks, storage exhaustion)
- Exercises independent judgment on architectural tradeoffs (e.g., edition-aware maintenance strategy, recovery-chain integrity) and proactively identifies systemic risk before it becomes an incident
- Design, configure, and maintain SQL Server Always On Availability Groups and Distributed Availability Groups across the Sierra tenant fleet, including DR read-node validation and cross-region replica topology
- Own transactional replication and Change Data Capture (CDC) lifecycle management, including coordinated teardown and reinstatement around client upgrade and go-live events
- Serve as the direct technical point of contact with client-side DBA and IT teams on complex data integration, migration, and cutover activities
- Monitor and tune database performance (queries, indexes, resource usage) at scale across a multi-tenant environment
- Ensure database security, integrity, stability, and system availability across the tenant fleet
- Build and maintain automation (PowerShell, Ansible) for routine and complex database maintenance tasks
- Create and maintain architecture-level documentation, standards, and procedures for the DBA team
- Collaborate on service delivery within a global operations team
Skills & Qualifications:- 7+ years of hands-on experience as a SQL Server DBA (2016 or later versions), with demonstrated ownership at a principal or lead level
- Deep expertise in SQL Server Always On Availability Groups and Distributed Availability Groups - design, configuration, and troubleshooting
- Strong database design and administration skills
- Proficient in T-SQL, SSMS, and SQL Server Agent
- Proven disaster recovery and backup architecture experience, including recovery-chain integrity across full/differential/log backup strategies
- Advanced database troubleshooting, tuning, and performance triage experience
- Experience with transactional replication and Change Data Capture (CDC)
- Experience with MSSQL on cloud platforms (AWS and Azure preferably)
- Experience leveraging PowerShell, and ideally Ansible, for DBA automation at scale
- Solid understanding of version control systems (e.g., git) for managing operational scripts
- Demonstrated ability to mentor and upskill other engineers
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including direct client/firm-facing technical engagement
- Ability to convey technical content clearly to audiences with varying levels of technical depth
- Ability to balance multiple deliverables with prioritization and responsiveness in a fast-moving environment
- Experience with any of the following is a plus:
- Experience with SQL Server Reporting Services
- Experience with SQL Server Integration Services
- Agile Software Development including Scrum
- Microsoft Certifications (SQL, DBA, etc.).
