Senior Database Administrator (DBA) – Contract

Location:  (Inland Empire / Eastern LA County) – Onsite Employment Type: Contract 

Position Overview

Our client, a well-established higher education institution in Southern California, is seeking an experienced Database Administrator (DBA) to support the administration, maintenance, performance optimization, and security of enterprise database environments. This contract role works closely with IT teams, developers, and business stakeholders to ensure database reliability, availability, and efficiency across institutional systems.

The ideal candidate has strong hands-on experience managing relational databases, troubleshooting complex database issues, performing upgrades and migrations, and implementing best practices around security, backup, and performance tuning.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer, monitor, and maintain enterprise database environments to ensure optimal performance and availability
• Install, configure, upgrade, patch, and troubleshoot database management systems
• Perform database tuning, optimization, and capacity planning to improve system performance
• Manage database backups, recovery procedures, and disaster recovery processes
• Monitor database health, troubleshoot errors, and resolve performance-related issues
• Implement and maintain database security standards, including access controls and permissions
• Support database migrations, upgrades, and system integrations
• Collaborate with application developers, infrastructure teams, and business users to resolve database-related issues
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, procedures, and operational standards
• Assist with data integrity, auditing, and compliance requirements
• Participate in projects involving database architecture, enhancements, and improvements

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Database Administrator or in a similar database-focused role
• Strong experience with relational database management systems (RDBMS)
• Experience with database administration, troubleshooting, performance tuning, and optimization
• Knowledge of backup/recovery strategies and disaster recovery planning
• Strong understanding of database security, permissions, and access management
• Ability to analyze complex technical issues and provide effective solutions
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Bachelor''s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting enterprise environments (higher education or healthcare a plus)
• Experience with SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, or similar database platforms
• Experience with cloud database environments (AWS, Azure, or similar)
• Familiarity with scripting/automation tools (PowerShell, Python, SQL scripting)
• Experience supporting integrations, reporting environments, and data warehouses