Database Administrator (10-month Contract)

We are Two Circles. We are a Sports & Entertainment Marketing business. We grow audiences and revenues. We do that by knowing fans best. We work with clients to help them understand & influence what their fans are doing – the way fans spend their money, the events that fans attend, the channels fans respond to, the content fans watch and more. And we use the understanding this gives us to help our clients grow. Grow their audiences and grow their revenues - both direct to consumer and business to business revenues. Our platforms and services are trusted by over 900 clients globally, including the English Premier League, Red Bull, UEFA, VISA, the NFL, Nike and Amazon. We are almost 1000 people, based out of 14 offices, and we deliver work for sports and entertainment businesses of all shapes and sizes all over the world. 

We are seeking a skilled Database Administrator to join our team on a fixed-term contract, covering a maternity leave. This role focuses primarily on SQL Server database administration, with approximately 30% involvement in DevOps-related tasks. The first stage interviews may be conducted remotely, but final interviews are ideally in-person. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Manage and support mission-critical SQL Server environments across Production, QA, and Development.  

• Install, configure, and maintain enterprise-wide SQL Server instances (2016 and higher).  

• Perform Windows Server administration (2016/2019/2022) and manage OS/SQL Server patching via AWS tools (SSM, RunCommand).  

• Configure and manage SQL Server AlwaysOn availability groups and failover clustering.  

• Optimize database performance through query optimization, index tuning, and execution plan analysis.  

• Manage backup/restore processes and perform point-in-time recovery.  

• Administer database security, users, roles, and permissions, including AWS IAM roles and permissions.  

• Develop and maintain SSIS packages and SSRS reports.  

• Monitor and rightsize infrastructure using tools like CloudWatch and NewRelic.  

• Understand and configure ODBC clients and HAProxy as needed.  

• Perform capacity planning, forecasting, and proactive performance tuning.  

• Conduct root cause analysis for outages and performance issues.  

• Automate tasks using T-SQL scripts, SQL Agent jobs, and basic PowerShell scripting.  

• Troubleshoot connectivity and network issues, including TCP/IP, DNS resolution, and hostname configuration.  

• Use Performance Monitor (Perfmon) to monitor OS-level metrics (CPU, memory, disk I/O).  

• Basic understanding of Windows Firewall rules, VPN access, and private vs public network configurations.  

• Experience with AWS services (RDS, S3, DynamoDB, EC2, IAM); Azure experience is a plus.  
  

Required Skills & Experience: 

• Strong expertise in SQL Server administration and performance tuning.  

• Hands-on experience with Windows Server environments.  

• Knowledge of DevOps practices and cloud platforms, particularly AWS.  

• Solid troubleshooting skills across database, network, and server layers.  

• Familiarity with monitoring, automation, and reporting tools.  

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to guide less experienced team members.  
  

This is an excellent opportunity for a SQL DBA with DevOps capabilities to join a dynamic team and contribute to critical enterprise systems.