Hello
Database Migration Lead - Oracle, Sql & Cloud
Santa Clara, California Open Fully On-Site
Long-term contract 12+ Months
No Markup/Discount
We are looking for Database Migration Lead - Oracle, SQL Server & Cloud Modernization. Need strong candidates as this is a lead role.
Location: Hillsborough, Oregon or Santa Clara, CA (5 days onsite)
Role Summary
We are seeking a seasoned Database Migration Expert to lead the migration of Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases as part of a data center modernization program. The role owns the end-to-end migration lifecycle: assessment, planning, execution, validation, and cutover. Target environments may include a new data center, private cloud or public cloud (AWS, Azure, OCI). The ideal candidate combines deep hands-on DBA expertise with strong migration planning skills and can deliver complex migrations with minimal downtime and zero data loss.
Key Responsibilities
- Assessment & discovery: inventory and assess existing Oracle and SQL Server estates. This covers versions, sizes, dependencies, licensing, performance baselines, and application integrations.
- Migration strategy: define the approach for each database, whether rehost, replatform or refactor, and covering homogeneous moves (Oracle Oracle, SQL Server SQL Server) and heterogeneous moves (e.g., Oracle SQL Server or PostgreSQL).
- Migration planning: build detailed wave plans, runbooks, rollback plans and cutover schedules in line with business downtime windows.
- Execution: perform migrations using the right tools and techniques, such as Oracle Data Guard, RMAN, Data Pump, GoldenGate, SQL Server Always On, log shipping, backup/restore, AWS DMS or Azure DMS.
- Data validation: design and run reconciliation checks covering row counts, checksums and data integrity, to confirm complete and accurate migration.
- Performance tuning: benchmark pre- and post-migration performance, and tune queries, indexes and configurations in the target environment.
- High availability & DR: design and configure HA/DR in the target environment (RAC, Data Guard, Always On Availability Groups, clustering).
- Cutover & hypercare: lead cutover activities and provide post-migration stabilization support.
- Stakeholder coordination: work closely with application owners, infrastructure, network, security and business teams to align migration windows and resolve dependencies.
- Documentation: produce migration runbooks, as-built documentation, lessons learned and handover materials for operations teams.
- Risk management: identify migration risks (data loss, downtime, compatibility, licensing) and drive mitigation plans.
Required Qualifications
- Experience: 10+ years as an Oracle and/or SQL Server DBA, including at least 4 years leading database migrations as part of data center or cloud migration programs.
- Oracle expertise: strong hands-on knowledge of Oracle 12c/19c and later, RMAN, Data Pump, Data Guard, RAC, ASM and GoldenGate.
- SQL Server expertise: strong hands-on knowledge of SQL Server 2016 and later, Always On Availability Groups, log shipping, SSIS and backup/restore strategies.
- Migration tooling: experience with migration and replication tools such as Oracle GoldenGate, AWS DMS/SCT, Azure Database Migration Service or equivalent.
- Scale: proven record of migrating large, business-critical databases (multi-TB) with minimal downtime.
- Scripting: proficiency in SQL, PL/SQL, T-SQL and scripting (PowerShell, Bash or Python) for automation and validation.
- Infrastructure knowledge: working understanding of storage, networking, virtualization (VMware) and OS platforms (Linux, Windows Server).
- Communication: ability to explain technical migration plans, risks and status clearly to technical and business stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with cloud database services: Amazon RDS, Azure SQL / Managed Instance, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) or Exadata Cloud
- Heterogeneous migration experience (e.g., Oracle PostgreSQL or SQL Server)
- Knowledge of Oracle and Microsoft licensing implications during migrations
- Familiarity with ITIL change management and formal cutover governance
- Certifications such as Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate, or AWS Certified Database Specialty
Success Measures
- Databases migrated on schedule within agreed downtime windows
- Zero data loss, validated through documented reconciliation
- Post-migration performance at or above baseline
- Complete runbooks and smooth handover to operations
