MS SQL Database Administrator (Lead) | For Pooling

Things to know before applying:

• You must have your own work equipment

• You are able to work remotely

• You can work full-time for this role under independent contractor arrangement

• Experience working with clients/companies outside PH is an advantage

• Only candidates who meet the requirements will be contacted

• The role is currently in Active Pooling, meaning it is not fully open yet. However, we anticipate that the role will officially open within the next 1–2 months.

Job Description: We are seeking an experienced MS SQL Database Administrator (Lead) to lead a critical infrastructure migration project and provide ongoing database support thereafter. The first phase of this engagement (approximately 4 months) will focus on migrating the organization's database environment from SQL Server Standard 2019 to a new SQL Server Enterprise cluster. Following the migration, the role transitions into ongoing support and administration of the new environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Migration Phase (Months 1–4)

• Design and set up the new SQL Server Enterprise cluster environment, including configuration for high availability and performance

• Plan and execute a staged migration approach for 80+ databases from the existing SQL Server Standard 2019 environment to the new Enterprise cluster

• Develop and document migration runbooks, rollback plans, and cutover schedules for each staged batch

• Conduct pre- and post-migration validation, including data integrity checks, performance benchmarking, and application compatibility testing

• Coordinate migration windows with application owners and stakeholders to minimize downtime

• Troubleshoot and resolve migration-related issues across staged batches

• Optimize the new Enterprise cluster configuration (e.g., Always On Availability Groups, clustering, indexing, storage) post go-live

Ongoing Support Phase (Post-Migration)

• Provide day-to-day administration, monitoring, and maintenance of the SQL Server Enterprise cluster environment

• Manage backups, disaster recovery processes, and failover testing

• Monitor database performance and proactively tune queries, indexes, and server configuration

• Manage user access, security, and compliance across the database environment

• Apply patches, updates, and version upgrades as needed

• Support application teams with database-related troubleshooting and change requests

• Maintain documentation for database architecture, configurations, and processes

Qualifications:

• Proven experience as a SQL Server DBA, with demonstrated experience leading or executing large-scale database migrations

• Hands-on experience migrating from SQL Server Standard to Enterprise editions

• Strong knowledge of SQL Server Enterprise features (Always On Availability Groups, clustering, partitioning, advanced security)

• Experience managing large volumes of databases (80+) in staged/phased migration projects

• Strong understanding of backup/recovery strategies, performance tuning, and index optimization

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate migration schedules across teams

• Ability to work independently and lead migration planning end-to-end

Tech Stack requirements:

Database Platform

• SQL Server Standard 2019

• SQL Server Enterprise (target cluster environment)

• Always On Availability Groups, clustering, partitioning

Tools & Languages

• T-SQL

• SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio)

Nice to Have

• SQL Server on Azure or other cloud-hosted environments

• PowerShell scripting for automation of DBA tasks

• Monitoring tools (e.g., SQL Sentry, Redgate, SolarWinds)

About Adaca: 
Adaca was founded in 2015 to assist Australian companies in their software development initiatives. Over the past 10 years, we have successfully built and scaled a distributed team across Australia and the Philippines to over 100 staff. Now, we are entering a whole new era of artificial intelligence. Our authentic, values-led approach has allowed us to attract and retain magnificent people. Adaca operates a high-performance core team with a network of customer-facing people who have catalysed our growth. This emphasises the value that each individual holds in influencing the growth of the business.