Senior Database Engineer

Senior Database Engineer – Database Management Washington, DC (100% Onsite at DOT HQ) Clearance: Public Trust (U.S. Citizens or Green Card Holders with 3+ Years U.S. Residency) Contract: 6 Months with Possible Extension | Potential Leidos Full-Time Hire Role Summary The Senior Database Engineer is responsible for end-to-end installation, configuration, maintenance, performance tuning, security, and optimization of enterprise-level Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and PostgreSQL environments across on-premises, virtualized, and cloud (Azure/AWS) platforms. This role ensures stability, reliability, scalability, and compliance of mission-critical data platforms supporting business operations, analytics, and 24x7 enterprise workloads. The ideal candidate brings expert-level database administration experience, leads complex projects, develops innovative technical solutions, and collaborates across development, DevOps, and infrastructure teams to streamline deployments, automate workflows, and drive continuous improvements. This position is full-time onsite in Washington, DC at the Department of Transportation headquarters. Key Responsibilities • Install, configure, and maintain Microsoft SQL Server instances and tools (SSMS, SSRS, SSIS, SSAS). • Install and configure Oracle databases, Oracle binaries, and supporting tools on Linux/Windows platforms. • Deploy, configure, and maintain MySQL and PostgreSQL environments both on-premises and in the cloud. • Set up new databases, servers, clusters, and supporting infrastructure across VMWare, Azure (IaaS/PaaS), and AWS. • Manage SQL Server clustering, Always-On clusters, replication, high availability, mirroring, log shipping, and transaction replication. • Configure and manage Oracle RAC, Oracle Data Guard (including 19c), RMAN backups, OEM monitoring, and quarterly patching. • Perform ongoing performance tuning, optimization, index maintenance, and query analysis across all supported DB platforms. • Analyze SQL execution plans for SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and PostgreSQL; resolve slow-running queries and deadlocks. • Execute database upgrades, patches, migrations, STIG compliance, and security hardening (including TDE). • Troubleshoot database performance issues, cluster-related issues, and platform-specific bottlenecks. • Manage user provisioning, accounts, roles, and permissions following least-privilege best practices. • Perform DR testing, develop recommendations, and support on-call rotation. • Support enterprise configuration management and ongoing standardization initiatives. • Generate reports on performance metrics, capacity, growth trends, and utilization. • Maintain accurate documentation of environments, configurations, policies, and change history. • Participate in mandatory monthly database patching cycles. • Provide mentorship to junior DBAs and work collaboratively across multi-disciplinary teams. Required Technical Skills Database Platforms (All Required): • Microsoft SQL Server (2022/2019/2017/2016/2014/2012/2008R2) • Oracle (including RAC, OEM, RMAN, Data Guard 19c) • MySQL (large, high-availability environments) • PostgreSQL (large, high-availability environments) Core DBA Expertise: • Installation, configuration, upgrades, migrations, and performance tuning. • SQL Server Always-On clusters, clustering, replication, mirroring, log shipping, and AG configuration/troubleshooting. • Oracle RAC setup (including Windows environments), Data Guard, RMAN, and performance tuning. • MySQL and PostgreSQL architecture, deployment, scaling, and performance troubleshooting. • Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and database security hardening. • SQL Server STIG and Oracle STIG compliance. • Query tuning and execution plan analysis across SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. • Database health checks, monitoring, capacity planning, and proactive maintenance. Cloud & Infrastructure: • Azure Managed Instance, Azure Managed Databases, Azure IaaS & PaaS. • AWS RDS and EC2-based database management; AWS concepts required for DBA operations. • VMWare-based deployments. Scripting & Automation: • Strong Linux shell scripting experience. • Automation of operational workflows for database maintenance and monitoring. • Use of SQL Profiler, Extended Events, Performance Monitor, OEM, and custom scripts for monitoring. Security & Compliance: • User provisioning and access management based on least-privilege principles. • Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). • STIG compliance (SQL Server & Oracle). • Audit logging and change tracking. DR, Backup, & Recovery: • Disaster recovery strategy development and testing. • RMAN (Oracle), native SQL Server backup/restore, replication-based recovery. • Cloud-based and on-premises backup solutions. Other Required Skills: • Experience supporting 24x7 operational environments. • Availability for rotational on-call support. • Strong documentation, collaboration, and communication capabilities. Qualifications & Experience • Bachelor’s degree with 8–12 years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree with 6–10 years, or a Doctorate in a technical domain. • Oracle and SQL certifications required. • Demonstrated expert-level knowledge and ability to apply advanced database engineering principles. • Proven ability to develop solutions to complex technical challenges spanning multiple disciplines. • Must be a U.S. citizen or green card holder with at least 3 years of U.S. residency. • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance. • Full-time onsite availability (Washington, DC). • No telework permitted. About the Team / Company This position supports the Department of Transportation (DOT) under Leidos as the prime contractor. The role is part of the Digital Modernization group (Information Technology | Database Management IV), working onsite at 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, DC The Senior Database Engineer contributes to major modernization initiatives and plays a key role in ensuring data platforms remain secure, stable, and optimized across mission-critical government operations.