Cloud Database Platform Engineer

Location: Remote Clearance Requirement: Must be a US citizen and hold a current Tier 1 DOD background investigation or DoD clearance We are seeking a Cloud Database Platform Engineer to design, scale, and automate our next-generation data platform. This is not a traditional, server-bound DBA role; it is a highly technical, engineering-focused position centered on automated cloud platforms, infrastructure as code, and data engineering fundamentals. In this role, you will transition our traditional database infrastructure into fully automated, cloud-native architectures, ensuring high availability, robust security, and peak performance for enterprise workloads. Key Responsibilities Database Engineering & Optimization: Maintain core database health with a deep focus on SQL Server and T-SQL performance tuning. Analyze execution plans, design advanced indexing strategies, manage statistics, resolve blocking/deadlocks, and proactively troubleshoot query regressions. Cloud Architecture & Lifecycle Management: Architect, provision, and maintain Azure SQL Managed Instances (MI). Define service tiers, calculate vCore/storage sizing, configure instances, and establish robust automated backup and restore testing procedures. Data Platform Migrations: Lead complex migration initiatives transferring workloads from on-premises SQL Server (and ideally Oracle) to Azure SQL MI. Own the entire lifecycle: dependency discovery, compatibility assessment, migration rehearsal, validation, cutover, and rollback planning. Infrastructure as Code & Automation: Treat database infrastructure as software. Utilize PowerShell, Azure CLI, Git, and Bicep/ARM or Terraform to construct repeatable, automated database environments and standard operations. Database DevOps Implementation: Establish database DevOps paradigms. Implement source-controlled schema changes, build CI/CD deployment pipelines, execute peer reviews, and orchestrate pre/post-deployment validation with clear rollback procedures. Cloud Security & Identity Management: Secure the data estate by enforcing least-privilege access using Microsoft Entra ID, database roles, and managed identities. Oversee secrets management, auditing, encryption, and regular privileged-access reviews. Telemetry & Operational Discipline: Design end-to-end monitoring using Azure Monitor and Log Analytics. Build query telemetry pipelines, establish proactive alerting, author runbooks, and manage capacity, service-level objectives (SLOs), and cost-to-performance ratios. Modern Data & AI Platform Awareness: Support AI-enabled enterprise applications by bridging the gap between database platforms and data pipelines. Provide foundational support for data governance, quality, metadata management, embeddings/vector search, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) patterns, advising on when to integrate MI with specialized analytics or search engines. Qualifications Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field. Must be a US citizen and hold a current Tier 1 DOD background investigation. Active DoD security clearance is preferred. Core Database Expertise: Mastery of SQL Server internals, advanced T-SQL engineering, concurrency control, and relational database design. Azure Data Platforms: In-depth, practical experience managing Azure SQL Managed Instances and associated high-availability architectures. Cloud Networking: Strong command of Azure networking concepts, including VNets, subnets, DNS, custom routing, private connectivity, network security groups (NSGs), hybrid connectivity, and latency optimization. Automation & DevOps Tooling: Proven experience with Git, CI/CD platforms, and Infrastructure as Code frameworks (Terraform, Bicep, or ARM templates). Security Frameworks: Solid understanding of modern identity management, encryption at rest/in transit, and cloud auditing compliance. Preferred Qualifications Proven track record of executing large-scale Oracle-to-Azure database migrations. Familiarity with vector databases, AI integration frameworks, and specialized big data analytics solutions.