Senior Database Architect

Project Introduction

9th Way Insignia is looking for a Database Architect, Senior to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Enterprise Acquisition Systems Support (EASS) program, enabling the Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS) portfolio—an integrated environment of COTS, GOTS, and custom solutions that supports VA acquisition modernization and data-driven decision-making. This role provides senior-level database architecture and administration, ensuring secure, reliable, and high-performing data services that support operational continuity, integrations, and enterprise reporting.

Professional Level

The Database Architect, Senior position aligns as an E3 (Engineer 3) at 9th Way Insignia. An Engineer 3 is an experienced engineer who works independently on complex assignments, applies advanced problem-solving skills to design and implement durable technical solutions, and is expected to contribute to technical direction through mentoring, code quality leadership, and strong engineering judgment. This level typically operates with minimal supervision, collaborates effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholders, and consistently delivers high-impact outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide full-spectrum database architecture and DBA support across the EASS eCMS portfolio, ensuring performance, data integrity, scalability, and compliance with enterprise standards.
• Architect, administer, and optimize SQL Server environments, including schema management, stored procedures/functions, indexing strategies, query optimization, and performance tuning.
• Design and implement database structures, create tables, and establish data relationships to support application enhancements and integrations.
• Produce optimized SQL queries and data structures that support enterprise reporting and analytics consumption needs.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive data dictionary and ensure regular updates to reflect schema and data model changes.
• Analyze database performance improvement opportunities and support modernization efforts, including streamlining data movement patterns that support service reliability and reporting.
• Support identity and encryption-related implementation and maintenance activities impacting database access and protection, coordinating with security and platform stakeholders.
• Produce and maintain recurring database reporting artifacts, including schema management reports, system performance reports, and security compliance reporting.
• Ensure database work supports auditability, operational readiness, and predictable release implementation through clear documentation and disciplined change control.
• Collaborate with engineering, integration, and reporting teams to ensure database changes are implemented, tested, and deployed predictably and safely.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electronics Engineering, or other engineering/technical discipline (required); ten (10) additional years of directly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of meeting the degree requirement.
• Five (5)+ years of experience performing senior-level database architecture and/or DBA responsibilities in enterprise environments.
• Demonstrated expertise with Microsoft SQL Server, relational data modeling, T-SQL, stored procedures, indexing, query optimization, and performance tuning.
• Experience supporting data movement and reporting needs (e.g., ETL patterns, integrations, and analytics consumption).
• Proven ability to produce and maintain technical database documentation and recurring operational reports (e.g., data dictionary, schema change documentation, performance and compliance reporting).
• Strong stakeholder communication skills and ability to coordinate work across engineering, security, and reporting teams in a structured delivery environment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance at the Tier 2 (Moderate Risk) level (active preferred).

Preferred

• Experience supporting federal programs and governance-heavy environments with strong documentation and compliance expectations.
• Experience supporting authentication/authorization and encryption patterns that impact database access and data protection.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server, Azure/AWS database specialty, security-focused credentials).