Manager, Database Administration

Join Starr, a global leader in commercial insurance with over a century of expertise. We empower our employees to innovate, make impactful decisions, and build lasting client relationships worldwide. At Starr, you'll work in an entrepreneurial culture alongside accessible leaders, leveraging our financial strength and vast industry experience to deliver solutions for our clients, no matter how complex. Grow your career with a rapidly growing company that invests in its people and their ability to drive real progress.

Job Title: Manager, Database Admin

Location: Atlanta

Reports to: Director, Data Engineering

Department: Starr Technology Group

Overview:

The Manager, Database Administration is responsible for the overall administration, security, stability, performance, and governance of the enterprise data platform supporting a global Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance organization. This role leads the operational management of on-premises and cloud-based database environments, including Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse and Warehouse platforms, while providing leadership to a team of offshore database administrators.

The position serves as the primary owner for database administration services across the enterprise and works closely with Data Engineering, Infrastructure, Security, Governance, Application Development, and Data Operations teams to ensure highly available, secure, and compliant data platforms. In addition to database administration, this role oversees ETL platform administration, deployment processes for Informatica and SSIS solutions, enterprise workload scheduling through Skybot, and management of audit and regulatory requests.

The Manager will drive strategic modernization initiatives, including platform upgrades, security enhancements, cloud adoption, automation, and enterprise data governance programs while ensuring operational excellence and service reliability.

Responsibilities:

Database Platform Management

- 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.
- Provide leadership and direction to offshore DBA resources, including workload management, prioritization, mentoring, and performance oversight.
- Establish and maintain database administration standards, policies, and operational procedures.

Security, Governance, and Compliance

- Own database security management across on-premises and cloud environments.
- Lead implementation and ongoing administration of SQL Server security controls, including login management, least-privilege access models, password rotation, and security monitoring.
- Drive enterprise initiatives related to Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), SQL Server auditing solutions, Extended Events monitoring, Database ownership governance, and Administrative credential management
- Partner with Security, Infrastructure, Governance, and Application teams to ensure compliance with organizational standards and regulatory requirements.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for audit requests and evidence collection from Governance, Risk, and Compliance teams.
- Maintain database inventories, ownership records, security reviews, and compliance documentation.

ETL, Integration, and Scheduling Administration

- Own administration and deployment support for Informatica and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) environments.
- Oversee migration, upgrade, and modernization initiatives for Informatica platforms.
- Support ETL release management and deployment processes in partnership with DataOps teams.
- Manage the enterprise scheduling platform (Skybot), ensuring operational stability and governance.
- Monitor scheduling environments and maintain a job success rate target exceeding 99.9%.
- Lead migration efforts for scheduling workloads as new enterprise tools and platforms are implemented.

Strategic Initiatives and Platform Modernization

- Lead SQL Server version upgrade programs across development, testing, and production environments globally.
- Drive database modernization and cloud platform adoption initiatives.
- Partner 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.

Operational Excellence

- Proactive monitoring and alerting processes for databases, ETL workflows, and scheduling platforms.
- Identify opportunities for automation and operational efficiencies.
- Drive root cause analysis and problem management activities for critical incidents.
- Provide metrics, reporting, and service-level monitoring for database and scheduling operations.

Collaboration and Leadership

- Collaborate with Data Engineering, DataOps, Infrastructure, Security, Governance, Application Development, and business stakeholders.
- Lead cross-functional projects involving database, integration, and data platform technologies.
- Communicate platform health, risks, priorities, and project status to leadership.
- Manage vendor relationships and support engagements related to database, ETL, and scheduling technologies.
- Promote adoption of best practices for database administration, deployment management, and operational governance.

Required Qualifications:

Education & Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.
- 8+ years of hands-on database administration experience supporting enterprise-scale Microsoft data platforms.
- 3+ years of experience leading technical teams, including offshore resources, vendors, or managed service providers.
- Experience supporting highly regulated business environments, preferably within Property & Casualty insurance, financial services, or related industries.

Technical Expertise

- Advanced expertise administering Microsoft SQL Server in both 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/recovery, and disaster recovery practices. High availability features like mirroring, AG, 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, preferably Skybot.
- 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.

Leadership & Business Skills

- 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 with a focus on operational excellence.
- Proven ability to manage audit requests, compliance reviews, and governance processes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

- 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.

Starr is an equal opportunity employer, which means we'll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and we're committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We offer first class training and development opportunities to all employees. Our aim is to grow our own talent and bring out the best in people.