Seasoned Senior Database Administrator responsible for architecting, operating, and optimizing enterprise database platforms across AWS EC2 and RDS environments with a primary focus on Microsoft SQL Server. This role will lead database reliability, performance at scale, disaster recovery, security and automation efforts. This role includes proactive incident troubleshooting and clear communication with engineers, stakeholders, and support teams. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with proven leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to drive cross-functional initiatives to completion. The role requires the individual to work independently and exercises sound judgment and escalates issues appropriately.
This position allows for telework flexibility, but candidates must be based within the DMV area and open to occasional onsite at Patuxent River NAS, MD. Essential Duties & Responsibilities- Lead database architecture and operations for production and non-production environments on Amazon RDS and EC2-hosted SQL Server instances, and guide migrations to managed or cloud-native database services
- Drive performance engineering: own query tuning, index strategy, schema design, resource allocation, and capacity planning to meet and exceed SLA and latency targets
- Design and validate enterprise backup and DR strategies, including point-in-time recovery, cross-region failover, runbooks, and regular DR testing
- Implement high availability and replication solutions such as Always On Availability Groups, clustering, multi-AZ configurations, read replicas, and cross-region replication
- Lead incident response and postmortems as incident commander when required; define remediation, track action items, and drive continuous improvement
- Automate platform operations using robust scripting (PowerShell, Python, Bash) and Infrastructure as Code to provision, patch, and scale databases with repeatability and auditability
- Own upgrades, patching, and migrations with risk mitigation plans and minimal downtime, including major version upgrades and platform consolidations
- Enforce security and compliance: implement IAM, encryption (TDE, TLS), auditing, least-privilege access, and support compliance audits (SOC2, PCI, GDPR)
- Establish observability and alerting using CloudWatch, Datadog, Prometheus, or equivalent; define meaningful SLOs and actionable alerts
- Collaborate cross-functionally with application teams, engineers, stakeholders, and support teams to define capacity, scaling, and release strategies
- Create and maintain authoritative documentation: Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), change requests, architecture diagrams, and operational playbooks
Required Skills & Experience - Clearance Required: Secret
- Proven expertise with Microsoft SQL Server (2016, 2019, and newer), including SSMS, Query Store, Extended Events, DMVs, and advanced performance tuning
- Deep experience with AWS database services (RDS, Aurora) and EC2-hosted database operations, including migrations and hybrid architectures
- Strong automation skills using PowerShell, Python, Bash, and experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or CloudFormation)
- Demonstrated track record diagnosing and resolving complex performance and availability incidents, including leading incident response
- Comprehensive knowledge of backup architectures, DR planning, and regular DR validation
- Experience with monitoring and observability tooling (CloudWatch, Datadog, Prometheus, New Relic) and defining SLOs/SLAs
- Solid understanding of database security best practices, IAM, encryption, audit logging, and compliance requirements
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, able to translate technical risk and tradeoffs to non-technical audiences
- Proven leadership and project ownership in remote or distributed environments, with the ability to prioritize and deliver complex initiatives
Desired Skills & Experience - Certifications such as AWS Certified Database Specialty, AWS Solutions Architect, Microsoft Certified Database Administrator, or equivalent
- Experience with clustering, Always On, log shipping, replication topologies, and cross-region failover
- Familiarity with other RDBMS platforms (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Aurora) and cloud-native database patterns
- Experience integrating database changes into CI/CD pipelines and using tools for safe schema migrations (Flyway, Liquibase)
- Exposure to containerized environments and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) and running databases in containers
- Background in cost optimization, licensing management, and vendor relationships
- Track record of mentoring teams, improving runbook maturity, and raising operational excellence
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Application Deadline: 12/4/2025The SMX salary determination process takes into account a number of factors, including but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories, relevant prior work experience, specific skills, education and certifications. At SMX, one of our Core Values is to Invest in Our People so we offer a competitive mix of compensation, learning & development opportunities, and benefits. Some key components of our robust benefits include health insurance, paid leave, and retirement.
The proposed salary for this position is:
$105,200-$175,300 USD
At SMX®, we are a team of technical and domain experts dedicated to enabling your mission. From priority national security initiatives for the DoD to highly assured and compliant solutions for healthcare, we understand that digital transformation is key to your future success.
We share your vision for the future and strive to accelerate your impact on the world. We bring both cutting edge technology and an expansive view of what's possible to every engagement. Our delivery model and unique approaches harness our deep technical and domain knowledge, providing forward-looking insights and practical solutions to power secure mission acceleration.
SMX is an Equal Opportunity employer including disabilities and veterans.
Selected applicant may be subject to a background investigation and/or education verification.
SMX does not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization or immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-2, E-3, L-1 and O-1, or any EADs or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).
