SQL Server DBA

Location(s)

Details

Kemper is one of the nations leading specialized insurers. Our success is a direct reflection of the talented and diverse people who make a positive difference in the lives of our customers every day. We believe a high-performing culture valuable opportunities for personal development and professionalchallenge and a healthy work-life balance can be highly motivating and productive. Kempers products and services are making a real difference to our customers who have unique and evolving needs. By joining our team you are helping to providean experiencetoour stakeholders that delivers on our promises.

Kemper is seeking an SQL Server DBA. This Database Administrator (DBA) is a principal-level Microsoft SQL Server technical expert responsible for the architecture administration performance security and operational excellence of enterprise SQL Server database environments within a large Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance organization. This role provides advanced technical leadership in designing implementing optimizing and supporting highly available secure and resilient SQL Server platforms that support mission-critical business applications and regulatory requirements.

As a trusted SQL Server subject matter expert the DBA establishes database standards drives SQL Server modernization and automation initiatives and provides technical guidance on database platform strategy and operational best practices. This individual leads complex SQL Server initiatives mentors database professionals and collaborates with application teams infrastructure teams cloud engineering cybersecurity enterprise architecture and business stakeholders to ensure database platforms deliver exceptional performance reliability security and business continuity.

Position Responsibilities

• Serves as a senior technical authority for Microsoft SQL Server database platforms providing expertise in architecture administration performance optimization security and operational support.
• Designs installs configures upgrades patches and maintains enterprise Microsoft SQL Server environments across development test staging and production environments.
• Provides advanced administration and support for SQL Server technologies including SQL Server Database Engine Always On Availability Groups Failover Cluster Instances replication SQL Agent SSIS SSRS and related components.
• Develops and implements SQL Server architecture standards configuration baselines operational procedures and best practices to ensure consistency reliability and scalability.
• Performs advanced SQL Server performance tuning including query optimization execution plan analysis indexing strategies statistics management database configuration tuning and workload analysis.
• Monitors SQL Server environments using database monitoring tools and proactively identify issues related to performance availability capacity storage and resource utilization.
• Designs and maintains SQL Server high availability and disaster recovery solutions including backup strategies restore procedures replication failover testing and recovery planning.
• Implements and manages SQL Server security controls including authentication authorization role-based access encryption auditing vulnerability remediation and compliance requirements.
• Supports SQL Server environments hosted in AWS and hybrid cloud platforms collaborating with cloud and infrastructure teams to deploy and optimize database solutions using services such as Amazon EC2 Amazon RDS Amazon EBS Amazon VPC AWS IAM AWS KMS Amazon CloudWatch S3 and AWS Backup.
• Leads SQL Server migration modernization and consolidation initiatives including migrations to AWS and implementation of cloud-based database solutions where applicable.
• Develops automation solutions using PowerShell scripting Python Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and database administration tools to improve operational efficiency and reduce manual processes.
• Partners with application development teams to support database design data modeling schema changes release deployments and production application support.
• Troubleshoots complex SQL Server incidents performs root cause analysis and implements permanent corrective actions to improve platform stability.
• Provides technical guidance during production incidents change activities upgrades and major database-related initiatives.
• Maintains SQL Server documentation architecture diagrams standards configuration records and operational runbooks.
• Mentors and provide technical guidance to database administrators promoting knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Evaluates SQL Server tools technologies and industry practices to improve database reliability performance and operational maturity.
• Participates in on-call support incident response and critical production issue resolution as required.

Position Qualifications

• Minimum of ten (10) years of hands-on experience administering enterprise database environments with a strong focus on Microsoft SQL Server.
• Extensive experience installing configuring upgrading patching securing and supporting Microsoft SQL Server in large-scale enterprise environments including AWS.
• Advanced knowledge of SQL Server architecture including SQL Server Database Engine Always On Availability Groups Failover Cluster Instances replication backup/recovery and performance tuning.
• Strong experience with query optimization execution plan analysis indexing strategies and database troubleshooting.
• Experience supporting SQL Server environments across on-premises hybrid and AWS cloud platforms.
• Working knowledge of AWS services supporting SQL Server database platforms including Amazon EC2 Amazon RDS Amazon VPC Amazon EBS AWS IAM AWS KMS Amazon CloudWatch AWS Backup Route 53 S3 and Elastic Load Balancing.
• Experience implementing database security practices access controls encryption masking auditing and compliance requirements.
• Experience designing and supporting high availability disaster recovery backup and recovery solutions for enterprise SQL Server environments.
• Hands-on experience with database monitoring performance analysis and observability tools such as SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer (DPA) AppDynamics SQL Server Extended Events SQL Server Profiler and similar monitoring platforms.
• Ability to analyze database monitoring metrics identify performance bottlenecks correlate application and database performance issues and implement corrective actions to improve system reliability.
• Experience with database automation scripting monitoring and operational improvement initiatives using PowerShell Python Terraform AWS CloudFormation or similar technologies.
• Ability to analyze complex database performance issues and provide solutions that improve availability scalability and reliability.
• Experience collaborating with application developers infrastructure teams cloud engineers cybersecurity teams and business stakeholders.
• Experience developing and maintaining technical documentation standards procedures and operational runbooks.
• Bachelors or masters degree in computer science Information Technology Information Systems or a related technical field; equivalent combination of education training and professional experience will be considered.
• Relevant professional certifications are preferred such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Fundamentals Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) / Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) in SQL Server (legacy) AWS Certified Database Specialty AWS Certified Solutions Architect or other database/cloud-related certifications.
• This position works onsite at the Kemper office.

The range for this position is $111000 to $186700. Whendeterminingcandidate offers we consider experience skills education certifications and geographic location among other factors. This job is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus and Kemper benefits (Medical Dental Vision PTO 401k etc.).

Kemper is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin veteran disabilitystatusor any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where weoperate. We are committed to supporting diversity and equality across ourorganizationand we work diligently to maintain a workplace free from discrimination.

Kemper does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property ofKemperand Kemper will not beobligatedto pay a placement fee.

Kemper will never request personal information such as your social security number or banking information via text or Kemper does not use external messaging applications like WireApp or Skype to communicate with you receive such a messagedeleteit.

#LI-AK1