Job Summary
We are seeking a highly experienced L3 SQL Server Database Administrator with a strong track record of migrating on-premises SQL Server workloads to Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The successful candidate will serve as the senior technical authority for all SQL Server database matters within the cloud migration programme — owning database assessment, migration strategy selection, execution, infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and comprehensive documentation. At L3 level, this role goes beyond day-to-day DBA administration. The candidate is expected to design the target database architecture on GCP, contribute to programme-level decisions on cloud-to-cloud and on-prem-to-cloud migration patterns, mentor junior DBAs, and produce design artefacts (HLD / LLD / runbooks) that serve as the canonical reference for the migration programme.
Key Responsibilities
We are seeking a highly experienced L3 SQL Server Database Administrator with a strong track record of migrating on-premises SQL Server workloads to Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The successful candidate will serve as the senior technical authority for all SQL Server database matters within the cloud migration programme — owning database assessment, migration strategy selection, execution, infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and comprehensive documentation. At L3 level, this role goes beyond day-to-day DBA administration. The candidate is expected to design the target database architecture on GCP, contribute to programme-level decisions on cloud-to-cloud and on-prem-to-cloud migration patterns, mentor junior DBAs, and produce design artefacts (HLD / LLD / runbooks) that serve as the canonical reference for the migration programme. 2. Key Responsibilities 2.1 Database Assessment & Migration Planning • Lead a comprehensive discovery of all on-premises SQL Server instances: versions (2012–2022), editions, databases, sizes, schemas, stored procedures, SSIS packages, linked servers, replication topologies, and AG/FCI configurations. • Produce a Database Migration Inventory with dependency maps, business criticality ratings, SLA requirements, RTO/RPO targets, and migration complexity scoring per database. • Evaluate and recommend the appropriate migration strategy per workload based on complexity, downtime tolerance, and target platform: ◦ Lift-and-Shift (Rehost): SQL Server on GCE using Windows VMs. ◦ Replatform: Migrate to Cloud SQL for SQL Server (fully managed PaaS). ◦ Refactor / Re-architect: Decompose monolithic databases into Cloud Spanner, AlloyDB, Cloud SQL (PostgreSQL/MySQL), or BigQuery where justified. ◦ Cloud-to-Cloud: Migrate from AWS RDS / Azure SQL to GCP Cloud SQL or Cloud Spanner. • Define migration waves with prioritisation based on risk, dependency, and business value; present roadmap to architecture and programme boards. • Produce effort estimates, resource plans, and risk registers for each migration wave. 2.2 GCP Database Architecture Design (HLD & LLD) • Author High-Level Design (HLD) documents for the GCP SQL Server target landscape, covering: instance topology, network architecture (VPC / Private Service Access), HA/DR configuration, backup strategy, security controls, and monitoring design. • Produce Low-Level Design (LLD) documents with full configuration specifications: ◦ Cloud SQL for SQL Server: tier selection, storage type/size, flags, maintenance windows, authorised networks, SSL enforcement, point-in-time recovery. ◦ SQL Server on GCE: VM sizing, disk layout (data/log/tempdb on separate Persistent Disks or Hyperdisk), Always On AG setup on Windows Server, cluster configuration, load balancing via ILB. ◦ Backup & Recovery: automated Cloud SQL backups, transaction log shipping to GCS, PITR configuration, cross-region replica for DR. ◦ Replication: Cloud SQL read replicas, cross-region replicas, DMS continuous replication for cutovers. • Define data migration approach: Database Migration Service (DMS), SQL Server backup/restore to GCS, SSMA (SQL Server Migration Assistant), bcp/bulk copy, Striim, or custom ETL via Dataflow. • Ensure all designs meet security, compliance (GDPR, PCI-DSS, SOC 2), and organisational governance standards. 2.3 Migration Execution – Hands-On • Lead and execute database migrations end-to-end across all waves, working hands-on with GCP tooling and SQL Server native tools. • Configure and execute migrations using Google Database Migration Service (DMS) for homogeneo
Skill Requirements
Mentor L1/L2 DBAs: knowledge transfer on GCP database services, Terraform IaC, and migration tooling. • Conduct design reviews, code reviews (Terraform, SQL scripts), and architecture walkthroughs. • Collaborate with Application, Cloud Architecture, Security, Networking, and DevOps/SRE teams. • Present database migration status, risks, and technical decisions to senior stakeholders and the architecture review board. • Work with Google TAM / PSO and third-party vendors (Striim, SolarWinds) for complex problem resolution. 3. Technical Skills & Platform Expertise 3.1 SQL Server Core (Expert Level Required) Skill Area Required Depth SQL Server Versions 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 — production administration of all versions High Availability Always On AG (sync/async replicas, listener, AG failover), FCI, log shipping, mirroring (legacy)
Other Requirements
Conduct database vulnerability assessments and implement remediation (patch management, privilege review, unused account cleanup). 2.8 Observability & Reliability • Design and implement a comprehensive monitoring framework for SQL Server on GCP: ◦ Cloud Monitoring dashboards: CPU, memory, disk IOPS/throughput, connection count, replication lag, backup success/failure. ◦ Cloud Logging: SQL Server error logs, agent logs, slow query logs forwarded via Cloud Logging agent. ◦ Alerting policies: critical threshold alerts (replication lag > 30s, backup failure, disk > 85%, AG health degraded). • Define and track SLOs for database services: availability (99.95%+), query P99 latency, RTO/RPO compliance, backup success rate. • Implement automated failover testing and chaos engineering for Cloud SQL HA instances and GCE AG clusters. • Maintain disaster recovery runbooks and conduct quarterly DR drills with documented RTO/RPO results. 2.9 Leadership, Mentoring & Collaboration • Serve as the senior technical authority and go-to escalation for SQL Server issues across the migration programme. •