Lead Database Administrator (SQL Server)

Location: Chicago, Illinois; hybrid work arrangement

Salary: $123,000–$169,000 per year if located in Illinois, plus bonus eligibility and comprehensive benefits.

Company

hirify.global is a law firm operating mission-critical enterprise database environments and modernizing its data platforms.

What you will do

• Serve as the primary technical escalation point for complex SQL Server performance, replication, availability, and infrastructure issues.
• Design, maintain, and enhance hub-and-spoke data distribution architecture, staging tables, MERGE-based synchronization procedures, intermediary databases, and SQL Server ETL solutions.
• Lead root cause analysis, capacity planning, infrastructure roadmap initiatives, and long-term database reliability improvements.
• Develop and support enterprise reporting, data integration, and automation solutions using SSRS, SSIS, Visual Studio, PowerShell, and related SQL Server technologies.
• Maintain database performance, availability, security, backup and recovery, disaster recovery, replication, log shipping, failover clustering, and Availability Groups.
• Support SQL Server modernization and migrations across on-premises, Azure, and Databricks environments while participating in a rotating 24x7 on-call schedule.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 6 years administering Microsoft SQL Server 2016–2022 in enterprise environments, including 3 years in a senior or lead technical capacity.
• Expert SQL Server performance tuning and troubleshooting skills, including execution plans, indexing strategies, and systemic root cause analysis.
• Hands-on experience with large-scale ETL and data distribution architectures, SSRS, SSIS, Visual Studio, replication, Availability Groups, monitoring tools, patching, upgrades, and change management.
• Advanced PowerShell scripting, Azure SQL Server administration in hybrid environments, Windows Server, and physical and VMware-based SQL Server configurations.
• Experience mentoring junior or mid-level database administrators and providing technical guidance without direct management authority.

Nice to have

• Experience modernizing legacy SSRS reporting to Power BI.
• Experience automating SQL Server administration with PowerShell and CI/CD practices.
• Exposure to Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure Synapse, Databricks, or database modernization roadmaps.
• Experience supporting mission-critical SQL Server environments in regulated enterprises.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work environment in Chicago, Illinois.
• Participation in a rotating 24x7 on-call schedule with off-hours support as required.
• Bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program.
• Work requiring confidentiality, discretion, strong judgment, collaboration, and the ability to manage competing priorities.