Location: Essex
Salary: £75,000 + benefits
Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week (Mon-Fri)
Working Pattern: Fully on-site, with 1 day WFH per week available after probation
A leading Transportation business is seeking an experienced Senior Database Administrator to join their specialist IT function. This role is ideal for a seasoned DBA who thrives in mission‑critical operational environments and enjoys working across both on‑prem and cloud database platforms.
You will join a wider technical team of around 20, working alongside System Specialists, Business Application Specialists, and Technical Engineers. As the dedicated DBA, you will take ownership of core database platforms that underpin terminal operations, analytics, and reporting.
The Role - Key Responsibilities
* Install, configure, and maintain Microsoft SQL Server (2016-2022) across on‑premise and Azure environments.
* Manage high‑availability solutions including Always On Availability Groups, clustering, replication, and DR strategies.
* Produce weekly and monthly health checks, performance reviews, capacity reporting, and backup validation.
* Administer and optimise monitoring tools such as SolarWinds, SQL Sentry, and Azure Monitor.
* Drive performance optimisation through indexing, query tuning, and automation using PowerShell and DB Tools.
* Manage SQL Server licensing, compliance, and cost‑optimisation reporting.
* Work closely with BI & analytics teams to support integrations with technologies such as Power BI, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, and Azure Data Factory.
* Provide advanced DBA support to multiple UK terminal locations.
* Maintain database governance, documentation, and ITIL‑aligned change controls.
* Lead backup, recovery planning, testing, and execution.
What We're Looking For
* 5+ years' experience as a SQL Server DBA in an enterprise or mission‑critical environment.
* Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server (2016 onwards), Azure SQL, Postgres, and T‑SQL.
* Expertise with high availability (Always On), monitoring tools, and performance tuning.
* Strong PowerShell scripting and automation experience (DB Tools desirable).
* Understanding of SQL licensing, capacity management, and cost optimisation.
* Familiarity with modern data platforms including Databricks, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, and Azure Data Factory.
* Good knowledge of GDPR, data security, and compliance frameworks.
* Confident working across multiple sites and liaising with internal teams and third parties.
* Excellent problem-solving skills, especially around incident response and operational urgency.
Additional Role Information
* 37.5 hours per week
* Full-time office-based role, with hybrid option (1 day WFH per week) after probation
* Working in a fast-paced operational IT environment supporting port automation and data-driven decision making