Windows - SQL Server Upgrade Engineer

Job Title: Windows - SQL Server Upgrade Engineer
Location: Remote
Duration: 12 months’ contract
POSITION OVERVIEW
Our End-Client is looking for an experienced engineer to automate and support Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server upgrades across virtual machine and clustered environments.
Key Responsibilities

• Automate Windows Server in-place upgrades
• Automate SQL Server in-place upgrades
• Support standalone SQL Server environments
• Support SQL Server Failover Cluster Instances (FCI)
• Support SQL Always On Availability Groups
• Perform rolling cluster upgrades with minimal downtime
• Build PowerShell automation for upgrade, validation, and rollback activities
• Integrate upgrade workflows with GitLab CI/CD and GitLab Runners
• Integrate automation with MCM for orchestration and workflow tracking
• Perform automated pre-upgrade health checks
• Validate OS and SQL version compatibility
• Coordinate and validate VM snapshots and backups
• Validate SQL database and system database backups
• Automate DBCC CHECKDB and SQL health checks
• Automate cluster failover and failback
• Validate SQL services, databases, SQL Agent jobs, listeners, and application connectivity
• Build post-upgrade validation and reporting
• Develop rollback and recovery automation
• Troubleshoot failed Windows, SQL, cluster, and pipeline executions
• Maintain automation code in Git
• Follow change-management and production deployment processes

Core Technical Skills

• Windows Server 2016 / 2019 / 2022 / 2025
• Microsoft SQL Server 2016 / 2017 / 2019 / 2022+
• PowerShell automation
• Git and GitLab
• GitLab CI/CD pipelines
• GitLab Runner configuration and troubleshooting
• MCM workflow/orchestration integration
• Windows Server Failover Clustering
• SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (FCI)
• SQL Always On Availability Groups
• VMware / virtual machine environments
• SQL Server backup and recovery
• Windows and SQL upgrade automation
• REST API integration
• JSON / YAML
• Production change-management experience

Preferred Automation Flow
MCM → GitLab Pipeline → GitLab Runner → PowerShell Automation → Prechecks → Snapshot/Backup → Windows/SQL Upgrade → Cluster/AG Validation → Postchecks → Status back to MCM
Preferred Experience
Experience building large-scale automated Windows and SQL upgrade solutions using PowerShell, GitLab Runner, GitLab CI/CD, MCM, VM snapshots, backup validation, rolling cluster upgrades, post-validation, rollback, and centralized reporting.
Compensation:
The hourly rate for this position is between $64.00-68.00 per hour. 
Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include [geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate].
Benefits:
Sunrise offers ACA compliant medical coverage/dental insurance/vision insurance to all employees. We also offer Sick time benefits as required per State regulations.