ASA Recruitment’s client, a Public Sector organisation in Edinburgh, are currently looking to recruit a SQL DBA on a hybrid basis (a couple of days onsite per month), for an initial 12 month contract (with potential extensions) on a rate of c.£500/day outside of IR35 (based on experience).
Responsibilities:
Database Operations
* Administer, configure, and support SQL Server environments across development, test, and production.
* Manage, optimise, and monitor Azure Cosmos DB workloads, ensuring cost-effective, scalable performance.
* Perform proactive capacity planning, patching, and upgrades to meet operational needs.
Performance & Optimisation
* Identify and resolve database performance issues impacting legacy systems.
* Improve query and indexing strategies, schema design, and execution plans to reduce latency.
* Introduce monitoring and alerting improvements aligned to operational SLAs and KPIs.
Data Quality, Governance & Security
* Ensure compliance with data legislation and security standards, including GDPR and government policy.
* Manage access controls, auditing, and data protection measures.
* Maintain documentation that supports transparency, continuity, and operational resilience.
Continuous Improvement
* Support the evolution of data platforms with modern architectures where appropriate.
* Collaborate closely with engineering and delivery teams to support service transformation initiatives.
Essential Experience:
* Strong SQL Server administration experience in live service environments.
* Demonstrable expertise in performance tuning and troubleshooting database bottlenecks.
* Practical experience with Azure Cosmos DB, including throughput, indexing, and partitioning strategies.
* Understanding of HA/DR design principles and tooling.
* Commitment to secure, well-governed data management practices.
* Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, service-focused environment.
Desirable Experience:
* Experience in public sector IT services and associated compliance standards.
* Familiarity with cloud-hosted operational databases and Azure infrastructure.
* Knowledge of automation (PowerShell, ARM/Bicep, Terraform, DevOps pipelines).
* Experience supporting legacy application transformation or migration projects.