Lead SQL Database Engineer - AI & Automation

General Information LocationCary, North Carolina Working Schedule Full-Time Work Arrangement Hybrid Travel Required 10% Relocation Assistance Available No Grade 12T Posted Date 02-Jun-2026 Job ID 18009 Description and Requirements The Team You Will JoinWhen you join MetLife’s Global Technology team, you’ll be part of a forward-thinking group dedicated to shaping the future of digital solutions for customers worldwide. You’ll develop, maintain and support technology applications and delivery, leveraging AI, automation, and contemporary ways of working to enhance experiences and drive business outcomes. Your work will simplify complex processes, improve tech resiliency, and ensure high-performing, seamless solutions that power life’s most important moments. In this dynamic environment, you’ll collaborate with talented peers across teams and functions, expanding your skills in impactful ways. Ready to push boundaries and set new industry standards? Join us and help drive the future of technology forward.The OpportunityAs a Lead Database Reliability Engineer, you will serve as a Lead Platform engineer and technical authority for the SQL Server estate. This role is accountable for platform‑level reliability, automation, and architectural outcomes, rather than individual operational tasks. You will play a critical role in stabilizing the platform while accelerating modernization efforts through automation, observability, and AIOps engineering practices. This position is designed for a hands‑on technical leader who can reduce operational risk, eliminate toil, and raise the overall technical maturity of the team.Key ResponsibilitiesLead enterprise SQL Server platform engineering, driving automation-first operations and modernization across the database lifecycle.Create standardized automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and self-service capabilities to enable scalable and compliant database operations.Oversee platform reliability, including observability, HA/DR, backup, recovery, and AIOps-driven incident prevention and resolution.Manage database operations governance, ensuring security, compliance, and effective handling of high-severity incidents and root cause analysis.Develop team capability through technical leadership, mentorship, and collaboration with application, infrastructure, and security partners.Required Qualifications8 –10+ years of SQL Server DBA experience (performance tuning, HA/DR, backup & recovery); bachelor’s degree required.Strong automation/scripting experience (PowerShell, Ansible, T-SQL).Experience with AI-assisted engineering tools, AIOps, and intelligent automation.Exposure to CI/CD for database deployments (e.g., Azure DevOps or similar).Solid understanding of security, compliance, and audit controls.Preferred QualificationsExperience with Infrastructure as Code.Familiarity with observability and monitoring platforms.Exposure to modern developer tools (e.g., VS Code).Location Expectation: This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in office.The expected salary range for this position is$110,000 - $145,000. This role may also be eligible for annual short-term incentive compensation and stock-based long-term incentives. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms. Benefits We Offer Our U.S. benefits address holistic well-being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families. We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no-cost short- and long-term disability. We also provide company-paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more! For more information regarding MetLife’s U.S. benefits, please click here.About MetLifeRecognized on Fortune magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies", Fortune World’s 25 Best Workplaces, as well as the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. As part of our New Frontier strategy, MetLife is building an AI-enabled, people-centered future. We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset as we use AI to enhance how we serve customers, support communities, and evolve the way work gets done. At MetLife, AI is a responsible partner that supports human judgment, creativity, and continuous improvement while helping us build trust, inclusion, and long-term value.Our purpose is simple - to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by our core values - Win Together, Do the Right Thing, Deliver Impact Over Activity, and Think Ahead - we’re inspired to transform the next century in financial services. At MetLife, it’s #AllTogetherPossible. Join us!MetLife is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at View email address on click.appcast.io. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process.MetLife maintains a drug-free workplace.This posting is for a current vacancy and is anticipated to remain open for at least 90 days from the listed posting date.