Junior Database Administrator (Junior DBA)
Prior relevant experience: 0+ months
Time typically spent in this role: 2-3 years
Important note: Junior DBAs aren’t usually required to possess all skills and experience listed below.
Responsibilities
- Reviewing daily backups
- Controlling database health
- Executing change tickets
- Performing ad hoc requests, including starting and stopping databases, adding space, and terminating user sessions
- Reporting on capacity, privileges, locking issues, etc.
- Attending meetings with development teams
- Asking for help when needed
Skills & traits
- Basic Unix and Windows administration
- Fundamentals of shell scripting
- Some experience with Python and SQL
- Some familiarity with cloud administration (e.g. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services)
- Interest in database administration
- Willingness to learn
- Ability to follow schedules and meet deadlines
- Good teamwork and communication skills
- Attention to detail and problem-solving mindset
- Proactive approach
Tools
- Red Hat Ansible and/or other Database Management Systems (DBMS)
- Microsoft Excel
Database Administrator (DBA)
Prior relevant experience: 2-3 years
Time typically spent in this role: 2-3 years
Responsibilities
- Overseeing the database in terms of space, performance, and security
- Upgrading and patching databases
- Devising backup and recovery solutions
- Performing disaster recovery drills
- Performing migrations
- Developing new builds
- Resolving ad hoc database issues reported by development teams
- Actively participating in meetings with development teams
- Risk assessment
- Performance tuning
- Creating scheduling, and executing change tickets
Skills & traits
- Good understanding of Unix and Windows administration
- Proficiency in shell scripting
- Good knowledge of Python and SQL-based servers
- Working experience with cloud administration (e.g. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services)
- Very good teamwork and communication skills
- Ability to plan and organize one’s work
- Good understanding of development teams’ requirements
- Good problem-solving skills
- Very good analytical skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to explain complex technical ideas to non-technical stakeholders
- Patience - needed for thorough testing and documentation
- Proactive approach
Tools
- Red Hat Ansible and/or other Database Management Systems (DBMS)
- Microsoft Excel
- Tectia
- Oracle SQL Developer
- Cloud solution-specific tools (e.g. RMAN, Data Pump, and Enterprise Manager for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure)
Senior Database Administrator (Senior DBA)
Prior relevant experience: 4-5 years
Time typically spent in this role: 4+ years
Responsibilities
- Building databases from scratch
- Performing the most complex database-related tasks
- Managing databases
- Planning upgrades and patches
- Designing backup and recovery solutions
- Planning and overseeing disaster recovery drills
- Planning and performing migrations and new builds
- Leading meetings with development teams and other database stakeholders
- Guiding junior team members
- Giving recommendations for security strategy
Skills & traits
- Thorough experience with Unix and Windows administration
- Proficiency in shell scripting
- Very good knowledge of Python and SQL
- Expertise in cloud administration across various cloud solutions (e.g. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services)
- Very good teamwork, leadership, communication, and presentation skills
- Ability to think out-of-the-box
- Experience in planning and work organization
- Thorough understanding of development teams’ requirements
- Being business-focused
- Ability to prioritize tasks based on business needs
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Excellent analytical skills
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Ability to clearly explain complex technical ideas and advocate for the best solutions
- Ability to stay calm in the face of pressure
- Proactive approach
Tools
- Red Hat Ansible and/or other Database Management Systems (DBMS)
- Microsoft Excel
- Tectia
- Oracle SQL Developer
- Cloud solution-specific tools (e.g. RMAN, Data Pump, and Enterprise Manager for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure)
Database Architect
Prior relevant experience: 8+ years
Time typically spent in this role: 5+ years
Responsibilities
- Analyzing business requirements and recommending solutions
- Performing database analysis
- Designing ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes
- Designing efficient and scalable databases
- Data modeling
- Assuring data security and data integrity
- Overseeing solution implementation
- Facilitating the maintenance of thorough documentation
- Database performance optimization
- Providing guidance to database administrators and developers
- Being a subject matter expert for all database stakeholders
- Leading meetings with teams and stakeholders
- Creating reports
- Coaching DBAs and other team members
- Assisting the development team in implementing correct data access policies
- Keeping up-to-date with database technologies
Skills & traits
- Excellent knowledge of SQL
- At least some working experience with Python, Java, or C#
- Excellent understanding of database architectures
- Very good understanding of cloud computing
- Working experience with Agile methodology
- At least some experience with non-SQL database technologies like Postgres, Vertica, Snowflake, DynamoDB, MongoDB, or DocumentDB
- Proficiency in database task automation, data modeling, and performance tuning
- Good understanding of the database middleware layer
- Excellent leadership, decision-making, and organizational skills
- Complex problem-solving, critical thinking, and strong analytical skills
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Very good teamwork, communication, and presentation skills
- Experience in thinking outside of the box and finding creative solutions
- Thorough understanding of development teams’ requirements
- Excellent understanding of the client's business goals and requirements
- Ability to clearly explain complex technical ideas and advocate for the best solutions
- Ability to work and lead a team under pressure
Tools
- Reporting tools (e.g. SQL Server Reporting Services)
- Red Hat Ansible and/or other Database Management Systems (DBMS)
- SQL database tools (e.g. Oracle SQL Developer, Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio)
- Microsoft Power BI or similar tools
Recommended courses and certifications
Obtaining an Oracle Database Administration associate-level certificate at Oracle University is considered a validation of DBA knowledge by many companies, and having a professional-level certification may help in acquiring a senior DBA role.
Various cloud infrastructure certifications, such as Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Certified Architect Associate, AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate, and Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, are generally considered nice to have for DBAs.
Remember that every database technology has its own courses and certifications, so choosing one that benefits you the most depends on which technology you work with. However, in most cases, certifications are not a mandatory requirement as long as the candidate has good relevant experience.
Join Maxima Consulting
With offices in the US, Europe, India, and Australia, there are always at least some job positions we’re looking to fill. All of Maxima Consulting’s employees enjoy a flat organizational structure, an open-door policy, support in their professional growth, a friendly work environment, and stability. We hope you will join us!
