Role Description The Database Lead provides technical leadership for middleware-focused database environments that support integration platforms and application services across the enterprise. This role oversees the installation, configuration, and tuning of database and related middleware components used by service buses, application servers, and integration tools. The Database Lead works closely with developers and infrastructure teams to ensure data access patterns, schemas, and connection pools support performance, resilience, and security while establishing standards for backup, recovery, and lifecycle management in a highly regulated federal IT environment. Key Responsibilities - Administer and optimize databases that underpin middleware and integration platforms, including configuration of schemas, users, connection settings, and access controls to support reliable application services. - Implement monitoring, capacity planning, and tuning practices that keep middleware-backing databases performant and stable, analyzing trends and identifying opportunities for improvement. - Coordinate with middleware engineers, application teams, and infrastructure personnel to troubleshoot data-access, connectivity, and transaction-handling issues affecting integration platforms and service buses. - Define and execute backup, recovery, and archival procedures tailored to integration workloads and service-level agreements, ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery readiness. - Establish standards, controls, and procedures to ensure data integrity, security, and compliance with federal guidelines, including access control, encryption, and vulnerability management. - Plan and execute database upgrades, patches, and migrations for middleware environments, coordinating with stakeholders and adhering to change management processes to minimize service disruptions. - Evaluate the integration of new database tools or technologies based on existing infrastructure capabilities, conducting testing and providing recommendations for adoption. - Document and maintain comprehensive operational procedures, connectivity diagrams, lifecycle support plans, and configuration inventories to support knowledge transfer and operational excellence. Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience. - 5–10 years of experience in database administration or middleware engineering roles with hands-on exposure to integration platforms and middleware technologies. - Advanced knowledge of database backup and recovery strategies, performance tuning, and capacity planning for enterprise environments. - Demonstrated experience with database administration tools, monitoring solutions, and troubleshooting complex data-access and connectivity challenges. - Excellent attention to detail, analytical thinking, and advanced written and verbal communication skills with the ability to coordinate effectively across technical and business stakeholders. - Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust investigation and U.S. citizenship as required for this federal IT position. Preferred Qualifications - Experience with databases supporting Java or .NET middleware stacks, such as those used in WebSphere, WebLogic, JBoss, or similar enterprise integration environments. - Certification or advanced training in a major database platform (e.g., Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL) or relevant middleware technologies. - Prior experience in Department of Defense or federal government IT environments with familiarity with compliance, security baselines, and COOP operations. - Demonstrated ability to delegate tasks, provide input on performance management, and mentor junior database administrators in a team environment. Compensation Ranges Compensation ranges for ASM Research positions vary depending on multiple factors; including but not limited to, location, skill set, level of education, certifications, client requirements, contract-specific affordability, government clearance and investigation level, and years of experience. The compensation displayed for this role is a general guideline based on these factors and is unique to each role. Monetary compensation is one component of ASM's overall compensation and benefits package for employees. EEO Requirements It is the policy of ASM that an individual's race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation or national origin are not and will not be considered in any personnel or management decisions. We affirm our commitment to these fundamental policies. - All recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications is done without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, or age. - All decisions on employment are made to abide by the principle of equal employment. Physical Requirements The physical requirements described in "Knowledge, Skills and Abilities" above are representative of those which must be met by an employee to successfully perform the primary functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with qualifying disabilities, who are otherwise qualified, to perform the primary functions. Disclaimer The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.