Database Manager

Description: Database Manager Work Location Remote Duration 6-Month Contract-to-Hire Travel Occasionally up to 25% How you will make a difference We are seeking a visionary leader to manage a team of SQL Server DBAs and serve as the Principal Architect for our enterprise data ecosystem. This is not a passive management role; it requires a deep, hands-on understanding of how databases interact with the entire IT stack-from the application layer down to the bare metal. You will drive and support the strategy for reliability, scalability, and modernization. You will look beyond keeping the lights on to implement AI-driven tooling, automation, and next-generation architecture that allows us to work smarter, not harder. Key Responsibilities: Strategic Architecture & Ecosystem Management: Holistic Design: Architect the SQL Server environment not as isolated instances, but as a critical component of the larger IT infrastructure. Ensure optimal configuration across the stack: Storage (SAN/NVMe), Compute, Hypervisor (VMware), OS, and Network. Modernization & Innovation: Actively research and implement AI-assisted monitoring, predictive analytics, and automated tuning tools to reduce manual toil and shift the team toward proactive engineering. High Availability: Support the Business Continuity strategy, utilizing Always On Availability Groups and geo-redundant disaster recovery solutions. Application & Connectivity Integration: The "Middle" Layer: Serve as the expert on application-to-database connectivity. Debug complex issues involving ODBC/JDBC drivers, connection pooling, latency, and ORM-generated SQL. Developer Collaboration: Partner with software architects to ensure database code is scalable. Provide guidance on efficient data access patterns before code reaches production. Team Leadership & Operations: Mentorship: Lead, mentor, and grow a team of DBAs. Translate complex architectural goals into actionable tasks for the team. Capacity Planning: Analyze trends in CPU, RAM, and Storage consumption to forecast hardware needs years in advance. Requirements: What you bring to your new team Experience: Minimum 10+ years in Database Administration with at least 3 years in a Lead, Architect, or Management role within an enterprise environment. Core Engine Mastery: Expert-level knowledge of SQL Server internals (Locking/Blocking, Latches, Wait Statistics, Query Store, Plan Cache analysis). Infrastructure Fluency: Virtualization: Deep understanding of VMware/Hyper-V regarding SQL Server workloads (vNUMA, CPU Ready, Memory Ballooning, VMotion impacts). Storage & OS: Understanding of IOPS, latency, RAID levels, and Windows Failover Clustering (WSFC). Networking: Knowledge of TCP/IP, DNS, Subnets, and how network latency impacts synchronous replication. Application Fluency: Ability to troubleshoot connectivity from the application side (connection strings, timeouts, driver versions). Automation: Proficiency in PowerShell, Ansible, or similar tools for managing infrastructure as code. Education: bachelor’s degree. How you add even MORE value Experience implementing AI/ML-based monitoring tools (e.g., SentryOne, SolarWinds, or cloud-native anomaly detection). Experience managing hybrid environments (On-Premises SQL extending to Azure SQL/AWS RDS). Knowledge of Containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) as it pertains to stateful database workloads. The Ideal Candidate: You are a technologist at heart who understands that the Database does not live in a vacuum. You can discuss execution plans with developers, IOPS with storage engineers, and budget strategy with the CIO. You are constantly asking, "How can we use technology to automate this workflow?" At this time, XTIVIA cannot transfer nor sponsor a work visa for this position. Get to know XTIVIA XTIVIA is an innovative B2B technology enterprise solutions company committed to providing integrated technology solutions and services, delivering measurable results as a trusted industry thought leader for 30 years. Our services include managed services and business solutions, like DevOps, CRM, and ITSM; database support and management; application solutions, including mobile apps; ERP solutions for GovCon and the private sector; and platform integration, with APIs as well as digital experience CMS solutions. If you can imagine the business outcome, XTIVIA can create it with technology. XTIVIA has offices in Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia. xtivia.com This position has an expected pay range of $70-$80 an hour. Your compensation is based on your skills and experience - talk with your recruiter to learn more. What We Promise At XTIVIA, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, parental status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. XTIVIA believes that diversity and inclusion among our team members are critical to our success as a global company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.