Manager, Database Administration

Starr Insurance•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Manager, Database Administration is responsible for the administration, security, stability, performance, and governance of the enterprise data platform supporting a global Property & Casualty insurance organization. The role leads operational management of on-premises and cloud database environments, including Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse and Warehouse platforms, and leads offshore database administrators. It is the primary owner of enterprise database administration services and works with Data Engineering, Infrastructure, Security, Governance, Application Development, and Data Operations teams to provide highly available, secure, and compliant data platforms. The position also oversees ETL platform administration, deployment processes for Informatica and SSIS solutions, enterprise workload scheduling through Skybot, and audit and regulatory requests. The manager drives modernization initiatives involving platform upgrades, security enhancements, cloud adoption, automation, and enterprise data governance while maintaining operational excellence and service reliability.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.
At least 8 years of hands-on database administration experience supporting enterprise-scale Microsoft data platforms.
At least 3 years of experience leading technical teams, including offshore resources, vendors, or managed service providers.
Experience supporting highly regulated business environments, preferably Property & Casualty insurance, financial services, or related industries.
Advanced expertise administering Microsoft SQL Server in on-premises and Azure environments.
Strong experience with Azure SQL Database and related Azure data services.
Experience with Microsoft Fabric administration, including Lakehouse and Warehouse environments.
Strong understanding of database security, auditing, encryption, backup and recovery, and disaster recovery practices.
Experience with high availability features such as mirroring, AG, and clustering.
Experience supporting Informatica PowerCenter and/or Informatica Cloud Data Integration (CDI-PC).
Strong knowledge of SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS).
Experience administering enterprise scheduling and workload automation platforms; Skybot is preferred.
Experience with Git-based source control and CI/CD processes for database deployments.
Strong scripting and automation skills using PowerShell, T-SQL, or related technologies.
Demonstrated ability to lead complex infrastructure and data platform modernization initiatives.
Strong project management and organizational skills.
Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration capabilities.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills focused on operational excellence.
Proven ability to manage audit requests, compliance reviews, and governance processes.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Microsoft Fabric administration and governance.
Microsoft Azure, SQL Server, or Fabric certifications.
Experience in enterprise data governance initiatives.
Knowledge of DevOps and DataOps practices.
Experience supporting global database environments across multiple regions and data centers.
Familiarity with insurance data platforms, regulatory requirements, and operational processes within the P&C insurance industry.

Responsibilities

Lead administration, maintenance, monitoring, and support of enterprise SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and Microsoft Fabric data platforms.
Manage database availability, performance tuning, capacity planning, backup and recovery, disaster recovery, and high availability solutions.
Lead offshore DBA resources through workload management, prioritization, mentoring, and performance oversight.
Establish and maintain database administration standards, policies, and operational procedures.
Own database security management across on-premises and cloud environments, including SQL Server access controls, least-privilege models, password rotation, and security monitoring.
Drive initiatives involving Transparent Data Encryption, SQL Server auditing, Extended Events monitoring, database ownership governance, and administrative credential management.
Partner with Security, Infrastructure, Governance, and Application teams to meet organizational standards and regulatory requirements.
Serve as the primary contact for audit requests and evidence collection; maintain database inventories, ownership records, security reviews, and compliance documentation.
Own administration and deployment support for Informatica and SSIS environments, including Informatica migration, upgrades, and modernization.
Support ETL release management and deployment processes in partnership with DataOps teams.
Manage the Skybot enterprise scheduling platform, monitor its operational stability and governance, and maintain a job success rate target exceeding 99.9%.
Lead scheduling workload migrations as enterprise tools and platforms are implemented.
Lead SQL Server version upgrades across global development, testing, and production environments; drive database modernization and cloud adoption.
Work with application and infrastructure teams to validate compatibility, testing, and deployment plans for platform upgrades.
Develop and implement Git-based version-control standards and processes for database development projects.
Establish proactive monitoring and alerting for databases, ETL workflows, and scheduling platforms; identify automation and operational efficiency opportunities.
Lead root cause analysis and problem management for critical incidents, and provide metrics, reporting, and service-level monitoring.
Collaborate with technical teams and business stakeholders; lead cross-functional projects and communicate platform health, risks, priorities, and project status to leadership.
Manage vendor relationships and support engagements related to database, ETL, and scheduling technologies.
Promote best practices for database administration, deployment management, and operational governance.