Associate Lead Consultant - SQL

8 - 12+ Years

Key Responsibilities
-Own technical discovery and assessment of the SQL Server reporting environment.
-Understand the BHSDB and LTDS architecture, data lifecycle and reporting data-retrieval flow.
-Analyze slow reports, associated SQL queries, stored procedures, tables and database objects.
-Perform SQL Server performance analysis covering CPU, I/O, waits, blocking, deadlocks, memory and other relevant indicators.
-Analyze actual/estimated execution plans and identify inefficient operators, scans, joins, sorting, aggregation and excessive data retrieval.
-Optimize complex T-SQL queries and stored procedures where the required change is within the database layer.
-Assess indexing strategy, including clustered/non-clustered indexes, missing indexes, redundant indexes, index utilization and covering-index opportunities.
-Analyze statistics and parameter-related performance issues, including parameter sniffing where applicable.
-Establish performance baselines and capture before/after measurements for significant optimizations.
-Perform evidence-based root-cause analysis for report/database performance issues.
-Prepare a comprehensive technical assessment report with findings, evidence, root causes, recommendations, priorities and dependencies.
-Clearly identify application/business-logic issues that require action by the client development team.
-Develop implementation and rollback scripts for approved database/DB-server changes.
-Implement approved database and SQL Server-level changes in Test and Production in accordance with client change-management procedures.
-Validate implemented changes and document performance results.
-Coordinate technically with client DBA, development, reporting and infrastructure teams.
-Provide technical status, risks, issues and dependencies to the Project/Delivery Manager.

Required Technical Skills

SQL Server - Strong hands-on SQL Server DBA experience in enterprise environments
T-SQL - Advanced T-SQL, complex queries, stored procedures, views, CTEs, temp objects and query optimization
Performance Tuning - Execution plans, Query Store, DMVs, wait statistics, CPU/I/O analysis, blocking and deadlocks
Query Optimization - Query rewrites, access paths, joins, predicates, aggregation, sorting and high-cost operations
Indexing - Clustered/non-clustered indexes, covering indexes, included columns, missing/duplicate/unused indexes and index utilization
Diagnostics - SQL Server Profiler/Extended Events, Query Store, DMVs and other performance diagnostic methods
Database Administration - Database health, configuration, statistics, maintenance, backup/restore and production support fundamentals
Root-Cause Analysis - Ability to move from symptoms to evidence-based technical root cause and measurable remediation
Documentation - Ability to produce clear, comprehensive technical assessment and recommendation reports
Client Interaction - Strong technical communication and ability to work with DB, application, reporting and infrastructure teams

Preferred / Good-to-Have Skills
-Experience with SSRS and enterprise reporting environments.
-Experience with high-volume databases and performance-sensitive reporting workloads.
-Azure SQL / SQL Server on Azure experience.
-PowerShell or SQL-based automation/scripting.
-Experience working closely with application development teams on database performance issues.
-Experience with formal change-management and production implementation processes.
Mandatory Experience Profile
-8-12+ years of overall SQL Server experience, with significant hands-on DBA responsibilities.
-Strong recent experience in SQL Server performance tuning and optimization.
-Demonstrated experience troubleshooting production performance issues.
-Ability to independently analyze execution plans, queries, stored procedures and indexing problems.
-Experience delivering measurable performance improvements.
-Strong written and verbal communication skills.
-Comfortably working directly with client technical stakeholders.

Accountability:

• Takes responsibility for and ensures accuracy of results and deadlines of the function and/or team and in completing own work.

Collaboration:

• Reaches out to others in team to ensure connections are made and team members are working together.
• Looks for ways to integrate work with other teams, identifying similarities and opportunities, making necessary changes in work to ensure successful integration.

Agility:

• Demonstrates openness to the possibilities that change presents and begins to plan for how role may change.
• Works with others to prepare for change.

Customer Focus:

• Identifies trends and patterns emerging from customer preferences and works towards customizing/ refining existing services to exceed customer needs and expectations.

Communication:

• Communicates well-organized ideas, information, and data to broad and diverse audiences across the Organization (through formal and informal presentations).
• Helps others identify their appropriate audience.

Drives Results:

• Sets realistic stretch goals for self & others and perseveres to follow through with resilience and remains calm in a crisis or stressful situation to exceed organization/client expectation.

Resolves Conflict:

• Identifies and understands the source of conflict, addresses, and overcomes.