Position Purpose:

The Senior Database Administrator is responsible for providing technical leadership for the enterprise database environment including overseeing and performing the development and organization of corporate databases and providing Information Services with a long term perspective on the relationship of database technology to the business opportunities facing the enterprise.

Problems and Challenges:

The on-line processing database systems are the heart of the enterprises systems.  It is extremely important to the enterprise that these systems offer the highest reliability and performance possible.  The Senior Database Administrator is challenged to work with technical support, applications and operations to help achieve a state-of-the-art environment that meets the enterprises current and future business objectives.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Trains and develops technical support and applications staff to better utilize on-line processing databases and the enterprises computing environment.
• Provides and designs tools to assist in the management of the database and transaction processing environment.
• Provides a working model of our transaction processing environment for capacity assessment and planning.
• Supports a methodology for preventative maintenance efforts, the ongoing assessment of database performance and the identification of problem areas.
• Researches, tests and employs database and query tuning techniques to maximize database performance.
• Supports a security and backup scheme for the database environment, as well as executing a disaster recovery plan if necessary.
• Develops and enhances the enterprise’s production databases including working with applications, technical support and operations during the design, development and implementation of applications to ensure the efficient use of the database engine.
• Evaluates requirements to determine their relevancy and impact on the database as well as to provide work estimates where necessary.
• Creates and validates logical and physical data models and implements them into a physical database.
• Provides technical leadership and mentors Database Administrators as well other Senior Database Administrators in advanced database modeling, tuning and administration techniques.
• Creates and maintains database management documentation ensuring that it is timely, accurate and complete.
• Recognizes and identifies potential areas where existing policies and procedures require change, or where new ones need to be developed, especially regarding future business expansion.
• Fulfills departmental requirements in terms of providing work coverage and administrative notification during periods of personnel illness, vacation, or education.
• Performs at or above the enterprises Information System performance standards.
• Develops and extends the enterprises reputation as a state-of-the-art data processing organization.  This would include:
• Presents at local and national user groups;
• Publishes articles describing both the enterprises activities and assessments of technology; and
• Participates with vendors in the assessment of advanced transaction processing and database productions including beta and field test participation.

Authority:

• Work with the transaction processing area to develop both the physical and the logical database administration functions and assist in the development of our processing database and computing environments.
• Work with others in IS to build the logical and physical database area and provide technical guidance during all phases of the development process.
• Main point of contact for database issues during on-call support rotation.
• Work with vendors in evaluating and implementing new technologies.

Interactions:

This position requires contact with applications and technical support personnel from computer hardware and software companies.  Within the enterprise, contacts will be made with the help desk, with development and operation staff, and occasionally with enterprise personnel outside of IS for troubleshooting and the development of specifications.

Educational Requirements:

•  BS or BA degree in computer science or related field required 

Knowledge and Skills:

• 2-3 years of programming and support using the relational database management system of the installation (Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle)
• Experience with database administration tasks, tools and techniques.
• Experience in logical and physical data modeling.
• Experience with data normalization, replication, integrity and security.
• Ability to express complex technical concepts effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Ability to work well with people from many different disciplines with varying degrees of technical experience