Senior SQL Server DBA

<!--block-->Role description and responsibilities<!--block-->A senior SQL Server DBA role with strong ownership of production database operations, deeply integrated with Azure cloud services. The role requires solid technical autonomy, cloud-native expertise and the ability to operate independently across the full DBA lifecycle — from performance tuning to incident resolution and release management. Infrastructure partners provide support but the DBA maintains direct operational responsibility.

• <!--block-->Administer Microsoft SQL Server databases in production, integrated with Azure cloud services, with strong operational ownership
• <!--block-->Manage Always-On Availability Groups, Failover Cluster Instances and storage account operations
• <!--block-->Lead technical resolution of SQL Server incidents: diagnose, remediate and produce structured root cause analysis independently
• <!--block-->Execute and validate production releases using Azure DevOps and UrbanCode Deploy (UCD)
• <!--block-->Perform query tuning, T-SQL optimisation and execution plan analysis
• <!--block-->Administer and optimise Azure SQL, Azure Pipelines, Azure Monitor and Azure Event Hub
• <!--block-->Enforce security, permissions management and audit-quality documentation
• <!--block-->Collaborate with application teams, infrastructure partners and release management
• <!--block-->Contribute to runbook quality and continuous improvement of database operations

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<!--block-->Requirements

• <!--block-->University degree in Computer Science, Engineering or comparable technical field
• <!--block-->5–10 years of hands-on experience with Microsoft SQL Server in production environments
• <!--block-->Proven track record in incident management, production support and performance tuning
• <!--block-->Strong Azure platform experience is mandatory
• <!--block-->SQL Server installation and configuration
• <!--block-->Always-On Availability Groups (must)
• <!--block-->Failover Cluster Instances (FCI)
• <!--block-->T-SQL scripting (must)
• <!--block-->PowerShell automation (must)
• <!--block-->Execution plan analysis
• <!--block-->Storage account management
• <!--block-->Azure SQL, Azure DevOps, Azure Pipelines, Azure Alerts, Azure Event Hub, Azure Monitor (must)
• <!--block-->PostgreSQL, PowerShell, SQL
• <!--block-->Tools: MS SQL Server, UrbanCode Deploy, Jira, DBeaver
• <!--block-->Professional English C1 (spoken and written) — mandatory
• <!--block-->Strong ownership and accountability; comfortable operating with autonomy in complex production environments
• <!--block-->Structured troubleshooting mindset; clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• <!--block-->Generalizing-specialist profile — open to working across multiple database technologies
• <!--block-->Must own a valid work permit or EU/Schengen Space nationality to legally work in Portugal
• <!--block-->Lisbon/Portugal-based — hybrid working model

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<!--block-->Nice to have

• <!--block-->Azure Database Administrator certification is a plus
• <!--block-->Microsoft SQL Server certifications valued
• <!--block-->French and/or Dutch is a plus
• <!--block-->Experience in regulated environments (e.g., financial services) is a strong plus