Senior Microsoft SQL Server DBA – 3‑Month Contract

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Microsoft SQL Server DBA to join Talan’s technology operations team on a three‑month contract. The role focuses on ensuring the stability, performance, scalability and security of the company’s enterprise‑wide SQL Server estate while supporting both continuous‑improvement and project‑based initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Administer, monitor and optimise Microsoft SQL Server environments across the enterprise.
• Define and enforce database standards, governance and best‑practice guidelines.
• Design data architectures, including integration approaches, schema development and storage decisions.
• Install, configure, patch and manage SQL Server instances and related products.
• Own backup, recovery and disaster‑recovery processes to guarantee operational continuity.
• Implement security controls in line with corporate and regulatory requirements.
• Perform performance tuning, query optimisation, archiving and data‑lifecycle management.
• Act as a subject‑matter expert on SQL scalability and advanced storage topics.

Required profile

• Proven experience as a senior SQL Server DBA or database engineer.
• Strong understanding of database administration, resilience and performance optimisation.
• Ability to work collaboratively with infrastructure, architecture and engineering teams.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and a proactive attitude toward continuous improvement.

Required skills

• Microsoft SQL Server
• SQL Server administration
• Backup and recovery
• Disaster recovery planning
• Performance tuning and query optimisation
• Data integration
• Schema development
• Database security controls