Database Architect (SME)

DecisionPoint seeks a Database Architect to provide SME-level leadership for enterprise database architecture, operations, technical standards, performance, availability, recovery, security, and modernization supporting the USMEPCOM ENLIST program.

This position will guide the design and operation of reliable database environments, with an emphasis on Microsoft SQL Server. The Database Architect will resolve complex technical issues, establish consistent engineering and administration practices, oversee recovery readiness, and develop the capabilities of database administrators.

The architect will collaborate with Government stakeholders, data engineers, application teams, infrastructure personnel, cybersecurity specialists, and program leadership to ensure database services support mission operations, data analysis, and warehouse requirements., The Database Architect will: Lead enterprise database architecture and technical operations across assigned environments.

• Establish database design, configuration, administration, monitoring, security, and documentation standards.

• Translate mission, application, analytical, and warehouse requirements into database architecture decisions.

• Guide Microsoft SQL Server architecture, configuration, maintenance, troubleshooting, and modernization.

• Oversee database performance monitoring, capacity planning, query optimization, indexing, and resource utilization.

• Resolve complex database availability, connectivity, integrity, concurrency, and performance issues.

• Design and review high-availability and disaster-recovery approaches aligned with Government requirements.

• Oversee backup strategies, restore procedures, recovery testing, and documented recovery readiness.

• Validate recovery point and recovery time objectives with Government stakeholders and technical teams.

• Coordinate database recovery and restoration during outages, incidents, exercises, and planned transitions.

• Establish database security practices covering access, privileged accounts, encryption, auditing, and configuration controls.

• Coordinate with cybersecurity personnel on findings, remediation, authorization evidence, and approved security changes.

• Guide database upgrades, migrations, platform refreshes, consolidation, and modernization initiatives.

• Assess proposed changes for effects on availability, performance, security, integrations, and downstream consumers.

• Review database schemas, data models, interfaces, and integration patterns for scalability and maintainability.

• Coordinate database dependencies with data warehouse, application, infrastructure, analytics, and AI teams.

• Review technical designs, implementation plans, test results, rollback procedures, and operational handoffs.

• Develop architecture diagrams, technical decision records, standards, runbooks, and troubleshooting guidance.

• Mentor database administrators through technical coaching, design reviews, knowledge transfer, and development planning.

• Recommend improvements that strengthen database reliability, operational efficiency, recovery capability, and maintainability.

• Communicate database health, technical risks, modernization priorities, and recommended decisions to Government stakeholders and program leadership.

The following must-have qualifications are drawn from the supplied position requirements:

• Active Secret clearance or higher.

• Minimum of 12 years of relevant professional experience.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, database management, or a related field, or a permitted equivalent.

• Experience with enterprise database architecture.

• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server.

• Experience implementing or supporting database high availability.

• Experience with database backup, restoration, and recovery.

• Experience with database security.

• Experience planning or implementing database modernization.

• Ability to lead database operations and establish technical standards.

• Ability to oversee database performance, resolve complex technical issues, and guide database administrator development.

Preferred Qualifications

The following qualifications are preferred but are not required:

• Relevant database platform certification.

• CISSP certification, with alignment to the proposed DoD 8570 IASAE Level II qualification preference.

• Experience supporting federal or Department of Defense database environments.

• Experience with SQL Server Always On availability groups, failover clustering, replication, or comparable availability technologies.

• Experience planning and executing database migrations, major upgrades, and platform transitions.

• Familiarity with cloud-hosted databases, managed database services, and hybrid architectures.

• Experience supporting data warehouses, ETL/ELT processes, analytical workloads, or AI-ready data platforms.

• Experience automating database administration, monitoring, maintenance, and recovery tasks.

• Experience conducting recovery exercises and validating recovery objectives.

• Strong technical mentoring, architecture documentation, troubleshooting, and stakeholder communication skills.