Job Specifications
Deadline Date: Wednesday 11 February 2026
Requirement: Database MySQL Assistant
Location: Brussels, BE
Full Time On-Site: Yes
Time On-Site: 100%
Total Scope of the request (hours): 1500
Required Start Date: 19 March 2026
End Contract Date: 31 December 2026
Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET
Duties & Role:
Operational DBA Duties
Install, configure, maintain, and upgrade MySQL instances (standalone and/or clustered)
Perform routine maintenance (schema housekeeping, index maintenance, statistics updates, data retention support)
Manage users, roles, privileges, and authentication methods according to least-privilege principles
Manage storage growth and capacity forecasting (disk usage, table growth trends, partitioning/archiving recommendations)
Maintain environment consistency across DEV/UAT/PROD where applicable
Performance & Query Optimization
Analyze and optimize performance using tools and logs (slow query log, performance_schema, EXPLAIN/EXPLAIN ANALYZE)
Provide indexing strategy and implement approved indexes/changes
Tune MySQL/InnoDB parameters (buffer pool, redo logs, flush behaviour, connection/thread settings, temp tables, etc.)
Identify and remediate lock contention, deadlocks, replication delays, and inefficient access patterns
Availability, Replication & Disaster Recovery
Design and operate backup strategies (logical/physical backups, binlog retention, encryption where required)
Execute and document restore tests on a defined cadence to validate RPO/RTO objectives
Security & Compliance
Apply MySQL hardening standards (secure configs, TLS in transit, encryption at rest if supported, restricted remote access)
Manage patching and upgrades including risk/impact assessment and change planning
Support audit/compliance requirements (access reviews, evidence gathering, logging and retention)
Monitoring, Incident Response & Problem Management
Implement/maintain monitoring and alerting (e.g., PMM, Prometheus/Grafana, cloud-native monitoring)
Define alert thresholds and reduce noise (actionable alerts, escalation paths)
Provide incident triage and resolution within agreed service hours and severity targets
Conduct root cause analysis for major incidents and deliver corrective/preventive actions
Maintain operational documentation (backup/restore, failover, replication fixes, common performance issues)
Requirements
Skill, Knowledge & Experience:
The candidate must have a currently active NATO SECRET security clearance
Strong administration of MySQL (preferably 8.0+)
Knowledge of SQL optimization, indexing, and query execution plans
Expert knowledge on backup/restore (e.g., mysqldump, mysqlpump, Percona XtraBackup or equivalent) and point-in-time recovery
Linux fundamentals (system resources, I/O, file systems, network basics) relevant to database performance
Security best practices (TLS, privilege management, audit/logging, secure configuration)
Knowledge on a second database technology like PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server
Automation/SRE mindset: scripting (Bash/Python/Perl).
5+ years hands-on MySQL DBA experience in production environments
Demonstrated experience supporting business-critical systems with defined SLAs
Proven track record in performance troubleshooting and incident handling