This role leads the SQL Server platform engineering focusing on automation reliability and team capability development while managing database operations governance.

Description and Requirements
The Team You Will Join
When 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 Opportunity
As 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 Responsibilities

• Lead 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 Qualifications

• 8 -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 Qualifications

• Experience 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 $110000 - $145000 . 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!
About MetLife
Recognized 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.
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 [email protected]. 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.
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