Senior Azure Cloud DBA Engineer - Freelance

Daily rate: 600€/700€ ou CDI Belge (5500€/6200€ brut mensuel + voiture/pack mobilité + full package)

Context

The Database Administration & Engineering (DAE) team is responsible for the complete lifecycle of operational database platforms, both On-Premises and Cloud. The team is actively expanding Azure SQL Database services, introducing CosmosDB into the ecosystem, and building enterprise-grade governance, automation, and operational frameworks around these technologies.

The Senior Azure Cloud DBA Engineer will contribute to the design, implementation, and operation of the Azure Database Platform and become a key contributor to the Cloud Database Engineering strategy. The role is within the Database Administration & Engineering team composed of System DBAs (SQL Server), Developer DBAs, Database Support Specialists, and Domain Architects.

The position involves close collaboration with Cloud Architects, Cloud Platform Engineers, Infrastructure Architects, Cyber Security Teams, Application Development Teams, Data Governance Teams, and Operational Support Teams.

The main mission is to design, build, automate, secure, and operate enterprise-grade database platforms and services in Azure, while helping transition from traditional DBA practices towards a cloud-native database engineering model. The role focuses on CosmosDB, NoSQL governance, Azure SQL Database, automation, and data protection.

Missions

Engineering & Build Activities (approximately 65%)

• Database platform engineering

• Cloud architecture design

• Terraform development

• DevOps automation

• Database service industrialization

• Governance framework design

• Cloud adoption roadmaps

• Technical studies and proof of concepts

Operational Excellence & Coaching (approximately 35%)

• Tier-3 support

• Root cause analysis

• Performance troubleshooting

• Security reviews

• Knowledge sharing

• Coaching of junior DBA profiles

The balance may vary according to project phases and production rollouts.

Mission Period

• Expected start date: 01/2027

• Duration: 12 months (extension possible depending on project evolution)

Language Requirement

FR/UK or NL/UK

Location

• Brussels centre

Level of Education Required

• Master Degree

Required Knowledge and Experience

Personal Skills (soft skills) – Mandatory

• Strong analytical mindset

• Ownership and accountability

• Technical leadership

• Coaching capabilities

• Excellent communication skills

• Pragmatic decision making

• Solution-oriented attitude

• Ability to simplify complex technical topics

• Strong collaboration skills

• Continuous improvement mindset

Business Experience – Mandatory (Senior: 5 to 8 years)

• DBA experience on SQL Server

• Proven Azure database engineering experience

• Experience with CosmosDB, including data modelling, performance optimization, and governance considerations

• Experience with Azure SQL Database

• Proven experience designing and deploying Azure Database solutions through Terraform and CI/CD pipelines

• Experience in performance troubleshooting

Business Experience – Preferable

• Experience in highly regulated environments

• Experience building database governance frameworks

• Experience with cloud transformation programs

• Experience designing reusable platform capabilities

Technical Experience – Mandatory

• Database Technologies: Azure SQL Database, CosmosDB, SQL Server, SQL Server Administration, Performance Engineering, T-SQL, Database Security

• Cloud Technologies: Microsoft Azure, Azure Landing Zones, Private Endpoints, Private DNS, Network Security, Microsoft Entra ID, Managed Identities, Azure KeyVault, High Availability & Disaster Recovery, Backup & Recovery

• Automation & DevOps: Terraform, PowerShell, Git, Azure DevOps, CI/CD Pipelines, Infrastructure as Code

• Monitoring & Troubleshooting: Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Query Store, Extended Events, Root Cause Analysis, Performance Troubleshooting

• Architecture & Governance: Data Modeling, Database Architecture, Data Governance, Security Governance, Operational Governance

Technical Experience – Preferable

• SQL Managed Instance, Azure Functions, Logic Apps, Azure Batch, Container Apps, AKS, AppDynamics, SQL Sentry, Redgate Toolbelt, Redgate Monitor, Erwin Data Modeler, ER360, Azure Purview, Archimate, TOGAF

Key Responsibilities

Azure Database Platform Engineering
Support the design, deployment, and operation of enterprise-grade database services within Azure Landing Zones. This includes Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, networking integration, security, identity management, private connectivity, backup, high availability, and disaster recovery solutions. Contribute to architecture discussions and help define scalable, secure, and cost-effective database platform patterns across multiple Azure environments.

CosmosDB Engineering & NoSQL Governance
Play a key role in the adoption and governance of CosmosDB within the Cloud Database Platform. Design and operate CosmosDB environments, define data modelling standards, establish governance practices for NoSQL databases, and contribute to performance, security, capacity, and cost optimization strategies. Bridge traditional relational database practices with document-oriented architectures while ensuring adequate documentation, metadata management, and governance of NoSQL assets.

Non-production Data Management, Refresh & Scrambling
Design and industrialize data refresh, masking, and scrambling solutions for non-production environments. Ensure GDPR compliance by implementing automated and consistent anonymization processes across SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and CosmosDB platforms, while preserving business and referential integrity across applications.

Infrastructure as Code & DevOps
Build and maintain reusable deployment frameworks using Infrastructure as Code and DevOps best practices. Develop and maintain Terraform modules, CI/CD pipelines, and automation solutions that enable consistent, secure, and repeatable deployment of database services across environments.

SQL Server, Azure SQL Database & Performance Engineering
Act as a senior database expert for SQL Server and Azure SQL services. Responsible for performance analysis, troubleshooting, capacity planning, security reviews, and platform optimization. Leverage tools such as Query Store, Extended Events, Azure Monitor, AppDynamics, SQL Sentry, and Redgate solutions to ensure operational excellence and continuous improvement.