Azure SQL DBA (Contract, Remote – Anywhere)

Azure SQL DBA (Contract, Remote – Anywhere)

Engagement Type: Contract (2–3 days per week for 2–3 months or full-time for approximately 1 month)
Location: Remote – Anywhere (fully remote with no location restrictions; strong spoken English required)
Start Date: ASAP
Industry: Business rates and taxation software (public and private sector clients)

The Client

The client operates in the business rates and taxation sector, supporting public and private sector organisations. They are undertaking a structured migration from on-premise infrastructure to Microsoft Azure and are rebuilding elements of their database estate following best practice principles.

The Role

The client seeks an Azure SQL DBA to support the migration and optimisation of their SQL Server environments as they transition from on-premise to Azure.

Rather than executing a large-scale lift-and-shift migration, the client is creating new SQL environments in Azure to allow for a phased and controlled transition. This role will focus on implementing solid DBA foundations, improving security and performance, and supporting migration activities.

This is a short-term contract engagement with meaningful impact, ideal for someone confident working independently while collaborating closely with the engineering lead.

Key Responsibilities

Azure SQL Setup & Configuration

• Configure and optimise SQL Server instances in Azure VMs

• Set up appropriate data and log file structures

• Configure file growth settings and storage layouts

• Tune memory allocation and parallelism settings

• Apply SQL Server configuration best practices

Security & Access Management

• Implement security hardening measures

• Transition from named-user access to role- and group-based permissions

• Establish structured access controls aligned to best practice

Maintenance & Reliability

• Implement backup routines using native SQL tools

• Configure index maintenance and statistics updates

• Perform integrity checks and routine health monitoring

• Support replication setup where required

Migration Support

• Assist with phased migration from on-premise to Azure

• Troubleshoot database-level connectivity and configuration issues

• Support account setup and database transitions

Performance & Process Improvement

• Review legacy database jobs and data processing approaches

• Identify performance bottlenecks

• Support improvements and modernisation efforts, including potential use of Azure Data Factory
  

Required Skills & Experience

• Solid experience as a SQL Server DBA

• Hands-on experience working with SQL Server in Azure VM environments

• Understanding of database performance tuning and optimisation

• Experience configuring backups, index maintenance, and server settings

• Knowledge of SQL security best practices

• Comfortable working independently within a short-term engagement

• Strong spoken English
  

Engagement Structure

The client is flexible and open to either:

• 2–3 days per week over 2–3 months, or

• A full-time short-term engagement of approximately one month

Evening work can be accommodated if needed. The focus is on outcomes and deliverables rather than strict working hours.

This role is fully remote – anywhere.

About Tribes

Tribes is committed to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and believe that diverse perspectives create stronger outcomes for both our clients and our communities.