Database Administrator (DBA)

Database Administrator (DBA) — Contract (Remote) Type: Contract | Hourly Rate: ~$10/hour USD Location: Remote (Worldwide) Experience Required: 6+ years Conversion: Strong performers may be considered for full-time engagement About the Role We're looking for an experienced Database Administrator to join our team on a contract basis. You'll take ownership of enterprise database environments — keeping them healthy, secure, and performant across production and non-production systems. This is a hands-on role: you'll be deep in query tuning one day and designing DR strategies the next. We work across a modern stack that includes both on-prem and cloud databases (AWS/Azure), and we need someone who can operate independently, communicate clearly, and deliver reliably in a remote-first environment. What You'll Do 1. Day-to-day administration Install, configure, patch, and maintain database platforms across production, dev, test, and DR environments Monitor health, availability, performance, and capacity — and act proactively on findings Perform migrations, upgrades, and version management 2. Performance & optimization Tune SQL queries, stored procedures, and database objects Diagnose and resolve locking, deadlock, and resource contention issues Conduct periodic performance assessments and implement improvements 3. Backup, HA & DR Design and own backup/recovery strategies; validate regularly Implement and maintain HA/DR solutions (clustering, replication, log shipping, failover) Ensure RPO/RTO targets are met 4. Security & compliance Manage access controls, roles, permissions, and authentication Implement encryption at rest and in transit Conduct security audits; monitor for unauthorized access 5. Cloud & automation Manage cloud database services (AWS RDS/Aurora, Azure SQL/Managed Instance) Automate routine DBA tasks with scripting; support CI/CD database pipelines Collaborate with DevOps on infrastructure automation 6. Documentation & collaboration Maintain architecture diagrams, runbooks, and SOPs Prepare capacity planning and health reports Work closely with developers, DevOps, and business stakeholders Required Skills & Experience 6+ years of hands-on Database Administration experience in production environments Proficiency in one or more of: Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, Oracle Database Advanced SQL writing, query optimization, and execution plan analysis Solid experience with HA/DR design and implementation Database security and access management Cloud database experience: AWS RDS/Aurora or Azure SQL Database / Managed Instance Scripting in PowerShell, Bash/Shell, or Python for automation Familiarity with monitoring tools (Grafana, CloudWatch, Datadog, Prometheus, or similar) Nice to Have Experience with MongoDB or other NoSQL databases Infrastructure automation (Terraform, CloudFormation) CI/CD integration for database schema management (e.g., Flyway, Liquibase) Kubernetes / containerized database deployments Data warehousing or ETL experience Industry background in finance, healthcare, or other regulated sectors Relevant certifications: AWS Certified Database – Specialty, Azure Database Administrator Associate, OCP, or similar What We're Looking For in a Person Works independently without hand-holding Communicates blockers and updates clearly and proactively Strong documentation habits Comfortable in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment Reliable availability and responsiveness during agreed hours Engagement Details Contract type: Hourly, ongoing Rate: ~$10/hour USD Hours: Part-time to full-time depending on workload Time zone flexibility: Remote-friendly; overlap with [your time zone] preferred Path to full-time: Top performers will be considered for a permanent role