DBA Manager

Camping World•Lincolnshire, IL

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The DBA Manager is the primary owner of Camping World's structured data infrastructure — the systems underpinning our retail, e-commerce, and enterprise platforms across 180+ locations. This role leads a team of Database Administrators responsible for the availability, performance, security, and scalability of our SQL Server environment (on-premises and Azure), while actively driving cloud migration, automation, and DR modernization initiatives. The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on SQL Server expertise, a track record of leading enterprise DBA teams, and the communication skills to operate as a peer to engineering, DevOps, and analytics leadership. This is both a technical leadership and a people management role.

Requirements

15+ years of hands-on database administration experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management role.
Expert-level SQL Server administration (2016–2022): Always On AG, failover clustering, replication, log shipping, TDE, and auditing.
Proven experience with Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, or equivalent cloud database platforms.
Deep proficiency in performance tuning, query plan analysis, index strategy, and troubleshooting complex production database issues.
Strong knowledge of database security, compliance frameworks (PCI-DSS, SOX), and data governance best practices.
Experience designing and executing database DR strategies with defined RPO/RTO commitments.
Familiarity with ITSM processes, change management, and operating in a structured enterprise IT environment.
Excellent communication skills — able to translate technical depth into clear executive and cross-functional narratives.
Track record of delivering mission-critical database projects on time and within budget.
Ability to manage competing priorities across geographically distributed teams and stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Azure Data Factory, Synapse Analytics, or other Azure-native data integration services.
Familiarity with database DevOps tooling: Flyway, Liquibase, Redgate, or equivalent schema change management.
Scripting and automation experience: PowerShell, Python, or T-SQL for operational automation.
Exposure to NoSQL or document databases (Azure Cosmos DB, MongoDB) in a hybrid enterprise environment.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate or equivalent certification.
Retail, e-commerce, or multi-site enterprise experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and grow a team of Database Administrators, setting day-to-day priorities, long-term direction, and providing escalation support.
Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and knowledge sharing across the DBA team.
Define and own team hiring, onboarding, and skills development roadmaps.
Participate in an on-call rotation and maintain 24/7 escalation coverage for P1 database incidents.
Own the design, implementation, and maintenance of high-availability database systems, primarily SQL Server 2016–2022 on-premises and Azure SQL / Managed Instance.
Administer and optimize Always On Availability Groups, log shipping, and replication topologies to meet defined RPO/RTO targets.
Lead performance tuning, query optimization, and root-cause analysis for complex database issues across production environments.
Develop and enforce database policies, standards, and best practices for backup/recovery, patching, and security hardening.
Manage capacity planning, monitoring, and cost optimization across on-prem SQL clusters and cloud database tiers.
Lead and execute cloud migration strategies for existing on-premises SQL workloads to Azure SQL, Azure Managed Instance, or Azure Data Factory pipelines.
Partner with engineering, DevOps, and analytics teams to design scalable, cloud-native data architectures for new applications.
Evaluate and implement automation tools, infrastructure-as-code approaches (Terraform, ARM templates), and database DevOps practices (CI/CD for schema changes).
Assess and recommend emerging database technologies aligned with the company's Azure-first cloud strategy.
Own DR strategy and execution for all database systems, including RPO/RTO definition, failover testing, and documentation.
Coordinate with the IT Disaster Recovery Architect on enterprise DR exercises and ensure database recovery procedures are integrated into the broader DR runbook.
Maintain and enforce database security, data governance, and compliance standards (PCI-DSS, SOX where applicable).
Ensure audit logging, access control, and encryption standards are implemented and continuously validated.
Serve as the primary technical liaison between the DBA team and engineering, DevOps, analytics, and business stakeholders.
Provide executive-level reporting on database health, performance metrics, incident trends, and strategic initiatives.
Manage vendor relationships, licensing, and support contracts for database and monitoring tooling.
Operate within the company's ITSM and change control framework (CAB participation, change ticketing, and incident management).
Broker technical solutions across geographically distributed teams and time zones.