Junior System Administrator - SQL & Server Migration (Contracted/Temporary)

This is a 4-month contracted/temporary position.

About the Organization

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) supports economic growth by fostering business development, infrastructure investment, industry advancement, and consumer confidence. EOED operates through nine state agencies and five quasi-public agencies (QPAs) that deliver essential public programs and services.  

EOED supports economic growth across Massachusetts through its network of agencies and partnerships, promoting business innovation, infrastructure investment, and consumer protection. The office embraces a culture of equity, inclusion, and collaboration—values that inform all aspects of its work.

The Executive Office of Economic Development is committed to creating and sustaining a work culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and mutually respectful to all its employees regardless of race, color, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran or disability status. We strive to reflect diversity in all facets and levels of our agency. The Executive Office of Economic Development values inclusiveness and diversity within their employee and management teams. Within our community we strive to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

The Executive Office of Economic Development is committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel respected, valued, and empowered to maximize their skills and talents to serve our citizens.

About the Role

The Executive Office of Economic Development is seeking a hands-on System Administrator Contractor to support the upgrade and migration of approximately six legacy SQL Server and Windows Server environments hosted on AWS EC2.

This role is ideal for a system administrator who is technically capable, eager to learn, and comfortable taking ownership of work with guidance from senior staff. The contractor will work closely with the EOED CISO, development leads, and EOTSS partners to plan and execute migrations from SQL Server 2012 to SQL Server 2019/2022 and corresponding Windows Server upgrades.

Key Objectives

• Successfully complete six SQL Server and OS upgrades (development and production) within the contract period.
• Ensure migrations are secure, tested, documented, and support business continuity.
• Coordinate effectively across EOED IT, development teams, and EOTSS stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Technical Execution

• Perform SQL Server upgrades and migrations (standalone instances) from legacy versions to SQL Server 2019 or 2022.
• Support Windows Server upgrades to supported versions (2019/2022).
• Execute SQL backup, restore, validation, and cutover activities.
• Assist in evaluating high availability and disaster recovery requirements (with guidance).
• Perform post-migration testing and validation with development teams.
• Conduct and document backup restoration testing.
• Produce RTO/RPO documentation for migrated systems.

Planning & Coordination

• Work with the CISO and development leads to build and manage migration plans.
• Track tasks, dependencies, risks, and timelines to ensure migrations complete on schedule.
• Coordinate with EOTSS as needed for infrastructure, access, or change activities.
• Participate in change planning and scheduled cutovers.

Documentation & Communication

• Create and maintain c