L3 Database Support Engineer Oracle DBA
Location Des Moines, IA/ Hybrid
Key Responsibilities
L3 Oracle Database Support
- Provide L3 support for Oracle database environments, including complex production incidents and technical escalations.
- Install, configure, maintain, patch, upgrade, and troubleshoot Oracle databases.
- Perform advanced troubleshooting of database availability, connectivity, performance, locking, blocking, and resource-utilization issues.
- Act as the technical escalation point for database issues that cannot be resolved by L1/L2 support.
- Provide technical guidance and knowledge transfer to L1/L2 support teams.
- Work with application teams to diagnose database and application performance issues.
Oracle Administration
- Administration and support of Oracle Database environments.
- Strong knowledge of Oracle RAC and high-availability configurations.
- Experience with Oracle Data Guard and disaster-recovery environments.
- Manage tablespaces, data files, control files, redo logs, archive logs, and database storage.
- Perform database cloning, refresh, migration, and recovery activities.
- Support Oracle listener, connectivity, and database service issues.
- Plan and execute database upgrades and patching activities.
Performance Tuning
- Troubleshoot complex database performance issues.
- Analyze SQL execution plans and identify poorly performing queries.
- Perform SQL and database-level performance tuning.
- Analyze wait events, sessions, blocking, locking, CPU, memory, I/O, and storage-related database issues.
- Use Oracle diagnostic and performance tools such as AWR, ADDM, and ASH.
- Identify recurring performance issues and recommend permanent corrective actions.
Backup, Recovery & Disaster Recovery
- Administer and troubleshoot Oracle RMAN backup and recovery.
- Monitor backup jobs and resolve backup failures.
- Perform database restore and point-in-time recovery when required.
- Support disaster-recovery testing and failover/failback activities.
- Monitor and troubleshoot Data Guard replication.
- Maintain and validate database recovery procedures.
Incident & Problem Management
- Provide technical leadership during high-priority database incidents.
- Participate in Major Incident Management and service-restoration activities.
- Perform detailed technical Root Cause Analysis for critical and recurring incidents.
- Identify corrective and preventive actions.
- Ensure incidents, service requests, problems, and changes contain meaningful technical updates.
- Work with Oracle and other technology vendors for complex product-related issues when necessary.
Security, Patching & Compliance
- Perform database security patching and vulnerability remediation.
- Support database hardening and security requirements.
- Manage database users, roles, privileges, and access based on approved processes.
- Support audit and compliance requirements.
- Coordinate database patching with application and infrastructure teams.
- Ensure database changes follow established change-management procedures.
Automation & Operational Improvement
- Develop scripts to automate recurring DBA activities.
- Strong knowledge of SQL and PL/SQL.
- Working knowledge of Shell scripting, PowerShell, or other automation technologies.
- Identify opportunities to automate health checks, monitoring, reporting, and maintenance activities.
- Develop and maintain SOPs, runbooks, troubleshooting guides, and technical documentation.
SQL Server Knowledge Added Advantage
Working knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server would be beneficial, including:
- SQL Server installation and administration
- Backup and restore
- SQL Server performance troubleshooting
- SQL Server Always On Availability Groups
- Database patching and upgrades
- SQL Server Agent jobs
- Database security and access management
- SQL Server monitoring and troubleshooting
The primary requirement, however, is strong hands-on Oracle L3 expertise.
Required Skills
- Strong hands-on Oracle Database Administration experience.
- Advanced Oracle production troubleshooting capabilities.
- Strong understanding of Oracle RAC.
- Experience with Oracle Data Guard.
- Strong RMAN backup and recovery knowledge.
- Expertise in database performance analysis and tuning.
- Strong SQL and PL/SQL knowledge.
- Experience with Oracle patching and upgrades.
- Experience supporting high-availability, business-critical production environments.
- Understanding of Linux/Unix operating environments.
- Knowledge of ITIL-based Incident, Problem, Change, and Request Management processes.
- Experience working within enterprise ITSM tools such as ServiceNow or similar platforms.
Experience
- 7+ years of overall database administration experience preferred.
- Strong hands-on experience supporting Oracle enterprise production environments.
- Demonstrated experience handling L3 escalations and critical production incidents.
- Experience supporting large-scale or 24x7 managed-services environments preferred.
- SQL Server administration experience is an added advantage.
Preferred Certifications
- Oracle Database Administration certification
- Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) or equivalent
- Microsoft/Azure database certification is an added advantage
- ITIL Foundation is desirable
Key Competencies
- Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities
- Production-support and service-ownership mindset
- Ability to handle critical incidents under pressure
- Strong root-cause-analysis skills
- Clear technical documentation
- Strong ownership and accountability
- Effective communication across technical and business teams
- Ability to lead complex troubleshooting involving multiple infrastructure teams
Key Success Measures
- Database availability and stability
- SLA adherence
- Reduction in recurring database incidents
- Faster resolution of L3 escalations
- Successful backup and recovery
- Database performance improvements
- Timely patching and vulnerability remediation
- Successful change implementation
- Reduction in aging incidents
- Effective knowledge transfer to L1/L2 teams
