Senior Database Architect

Senior Database ArchitectType: Direct Hire Location: Glendale, AZ Work Setting: Hybrid (3 Days Onsite, 2 Days Remote)Our client is seeking a Senior Database Architect to lead the design, performance, scalability, and modernization of enterprise database platforms supporting a mission-critical SaaS environment. This is a highly visible, hands-on architecture role responsible for defining data strategy, optimizing performance, leading cloud initiatives, and establishing database standards across the organization. This opportunity is ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex data challenges, modernizing legacy environments, leveraging AI-assisted development tools, and working closely with engineering, infrastructure, product, and security teams.Responsibilities:Design and architect scalable, secure, and high-performing database solutions.Lead database modernization initiatives, upgrades, migrations, and cloud adoption efforts.Own SQL Server performance tuning, indexing strategies, query optimization, and execution plan analysis.Design enterprise data models and establish database architecture standards.Evaluate and recommend appropriate relational and NoSQL database technologies based on business requirements.Build and enhance AWS-based data platforms, including data lakes, data warehouses, and data pipelines.Develop backup, disaster recovery, replication, and high availability strategies.Implement database security, encryption, access controls, and governance best practices.Automate database administration, monitoring, and maintenance using scripting and Infrastructure-as-Code practices.Build proactive monitoring and observability solutions to ensure database reliability and performance.Mentor development teams on database design, SQL optimization, and best practices.Collaborate with Engineering, Product, Security, Infrastructure, and SRE teams to support enterprise initiatives.Leverage modern AI tools to improve database design, optimization, documentation, and troubleshooting.Required Skills & Qualifications:5+ years of hands-on database engineering, architecture, or administration experience in enterprise production environments.Advanced expertise with Microsoft SQL Server, T-SQL, query optimization, indexing, partitioning, and performance tuning.Experience designing enterprise database architectures and data models.Strong understanding of relational and NoSQL database technologies, including platforms such as PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Cassandra, Redis, or Neptune.Experience with AWS database and data platform services including RDS, Aurora, Redshift, S3, Glue, Athena, Lake Formation, Kinesis, or similar technologies.Experience designing and supporting ETL processes, data pipelines, data lakes, or data warehouse solutions.Knowledge of data governance, data quality, lineage, validation, and anomaly detection frameworks.Experience with backup/recovery, replication, high availability, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning.Strong understanding of database security, encryption, authentication, authorization, and least-privilege principles.Experience automating administrative tasks using PowerShell, Python, Bash, or T-SQL.Experience with database monitoring and observability platforms such as New Relic, Datadog, or native cloud monitoring tools.Demonstrated experience incorporating AI tools into software or database engineering workflows.Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across technical and business teams.Prior technical leadership or mentoring experience is a plus.Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field is preferred.Microsoft SQL Server and AWS certifications are a plus.Kindly no C2C/C2H for this opportunity.