Short Description:
The DBA is responsible for data analysis and database management. DBAs typically are involved in maintenance, enhancement, designing of data dictionaries, physical and logical database models, and performance tuning.
Complete Description:
The Database Administrator (DBA) in this position has primary responsibility for the administration of Health's Enterprise Data Warehouse to ensure the timely and confidential delivery of accurate data to authorized users. This DBA will also provide assistance as needed for the administration of the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) database. These duties require the ability to make independent decisions of a highly technical nature.
Primary responsibilities include the daily monitoring of the Enterprise Data Warehouse databases for performance problems, errors, job statuses, and the processing of developer and user requests, while maintaining change management standards. The DBA will trouble-shoot out of tolerance conditions and take action to return the database state to one in tolerance. The DBA will undertake necessary recovery procedures in the event of a loss of data or a disaster.
The DBA will also do the following:
Maintain a schedule for database backups, and corresponding backup retention policies to ensure data recovery expectations. Monitor backups for successful completion. Document and maintain database backup and recovery procedures. Periodically test backups by utilizing partial, full and point in time recovery methods, some of which may be satisfied by data migrations/refreshes to new and existing databases.
Grant users access to the databases as required. Enforce security standards, procedures and best practices for controlling and monitoring user access to data.
Help to resolve client connection issues to the database.
Routinely monitor database growth and disk storage space utilization. Allocate/size/move/remove files as required to ensure continued operation and optimal performance. Provide projected storage requirements for planned hardware replacements.
Regularly identify common queries with poor performance. Analyze query plans to ascertain the root causes of the poor performance. Identify unused, redundant or missing indexes and statistics. Identify old statistics. Make recommendations to improve query response consistent with an improvement in total database performance.
Rebuild tables and indexes as necessary to reduce performance issues due to fragmentation and the retrieval of non-contiguous data segments. Utilize appropriate fill factors and properly size tables and indexes at creation time to minimize subsequent fragmentation.
Participate in application design & development sessions to review database design, SQL code and stored procedures. Provide expert level advice to developers regarding efficient queries, coding and performance optimization. Attend bi-weekly status meetings. Prepare meeting reports.
Maintain and document data models for assigned databases. Maintain a data dictionary. Maintain and promote standards and best practices associated with indexes, entity relationships, data types, naming, data constraints, records retention, data sharing and change management.
Manage Extract, Transform and Load (ELT) processes from the NEDSS transactional database to the Enterprise Data Warehouse. Load data from other systems as requested.
Provide support to the database administrator primarily assigned to the NEDSS transactional database.
Maintain a high degree of proficiency in the current database platform utilized for the Enterprise Data Warehouse and NEDSS: SQL Server/Oracle RDBMS. Provide platform specific technical guidance to application developers and other agency personnel as needed. Stay abreast of database vendor software changes. Apply periodic software and security update patches. Research, plan, install, configure, test and evaluate new software versions. Migrate or upgrade the databases to newer versions as required. Contact and work with software customer support to address and correct/work-around problems associated with the database software.
Use and maintain database software utilities for administration, monitoring, change management, modeling and job management. These include SQL Server Management Studio, SQL Server Data Tools, SQL Server Integrated Services, SQL Server Reporting Services, SQL Server Analysis Services, Quest TOAD, Computer Associates ERWin, AppWorx UC4, etc.
Adhere to software licensing requirements and be able to provide documentation of such on demand.
Regularly make entries to the bureau’s Time and Accounting Report (TAR) application. Post overtime records to the Employee Self Service application. Provide weekly status reports.
Carry out essential job functions or assigned emergency duties which may involve assignments within the DOH Command Center, deployment to a field location to participate in public health activities or other duties as required during periods of emergency. If received, emergency assignments may be performed under adverse conditions and continue for periods ranging from a few hours to several weeks.
Skills:
Skill
Required / Desired
Amount
of Experience
Experience working as a DBA
Required
5
Years
Oracle 9g or higher
Required
2
Years
SQL Server 2008R2 or higher
Required
2
Years
Experience with Integrated Services, Reporting Services and Analysis Services
Required
2
Years
Solid experience solving technical problems that are caused by database design or malfunction
Required
Strong knowledge of recovery processes and best practices to prevent lost productivity
Required
Solid communication and organizational skills
Required
Experience making recommendations and providing solutions. Ability to create written documentation backing up and supporting the recommendations
Highly desired