Senior SQL Server DBA — Hybrid Manchester, Azure & HA/DR

Role Title: SQL Server DBA

Duration: contract to run until 30/11/2026

Location: Manchester. Hybrid 3 days per week onsite

Rate: up to £414 p/d Umbrella inside IR35

Role purpose / summary

• Experienced SQL Server DBA responsible for the design, administration, optimisation, and support of mission-critical database platforms within a regulated financial services environment.
• Ensures high availability, performance, security, and compliance across production systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer and support Microsoft SQL Server environments (on-prem and cloud/Azure)
• Manage installation, configuration, patching, and upgrades of SQL Server instances
• Monitor database performance and carry out tuning, optimisation, and capacity planning
• Implement and maintain high availability and disaster recovery solutions (e.g. Always On, clustering, backups)
• Troubleshoot and resolve production issues, ensuring minimal downtime and service impact
• Design and maintain backup, recovery, and maintenance strategies
• Automate DBA activities using scripting (e.g. PowerShell, T-SQL)
• Support database migrations, upgrades, and cloud transformations (e.g. Azure)
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, security, and data governance requirements (e.g. GDPR)
• Collaborate with development, infrastructure, and DevOps teams to support application delivery

Required Skills & Experience

• Strong hands-on experience with SQL Server
• Proven experience in performance tuning, troubleshooting, and production support
• Experience with HA/DR technologies (Always On, failover clustering, log shipping)
• Knowledge of Azure SQL / cloud database platforms
• Proficiency in T-SQL scripting, monitoring tools, and automation
• Experience working within financial services or other regulated environments
• Understanding of data security, audit, and compliance controls
• Desirable Experience with DevOps tooling / CI-CD integration Exposure to SSIS, SSRS, SSAS or data migration frameworks Knowledge of data warehousing or large-scale transaction systems

All profiles will be reviewed against the required skills and experience. Due to the high number of applications we will only be able to respond to successful applicants in the first instance. We thank you for your interest and the time taken to apply!

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