ENVIRONMENT:
Take complete ownership of the database environments of a dynamic Financial Services provider by building a roadmap of database products, and managing, coaching and developing a team of Database Specialists. Your role will require you to build and implement a Database DevOps team, and to use Agile methodologies to identify and implement operational efficiencies and automate repetitive tasks. The ideal candidate will have a postgraduate degree in Information Technology (Systems Engineering or Computer Science) and a Cloud Certification, as well as 10+ years’ experience in Database Management Systems within the Financial Services.
DUTIES:
- KPAs:
Functional strategy execution
End to End Database Ownership – Engineering and Operations
Database Cloud and On-Premise roadmap
Database support and availability
Database Capacity management
Database observability
Financial budgeting, control, and reporting
People management
Stakeholder management
- Functional Strategy Execution
- Work with Head: Technology Services Engineering and provide subject matter inputs towards the development of the Technology Services Engineering Departmental strategy.
- Develop a functional strategy for Database Engineering and Operations
- Provide overall direction on the functionality of database products and services, stipulating how database engine services can be provided in a consumable manner, thereby enabling the product teams to use and absorb products without being dependent on the database engineering team.
- Stay up to date with best practices, new tools, and changes in the Database Engineering landscape to ensure the organisation, and the function remains competitive.
- Identify enhancements and developments in the organisation’s database infrastructure, and deliver business cases that stipulate product roadmaps, delivery plans, business value and interaction points to other database products.
- Build and Automated Database products that supports our clients within the bank
- Work closely with our internal clients to ensure we deliver Database services that is fit for purpose
- Database Delivery
Architecture
- Develop and maintain a strategic database plan encompassing aspects such as systems, technology, procurement planning, standards, migration strategies and contingency aspects of the database infrastructure.
- Create Database Products, on premises and in cloud, that is able to support the agreed products, services and delivery mechanisms within the organization as applicable to the Production, Disaster Recovery (DR), Development, Integration & Quality Assurance (QA) environments in 2 or more major & geographically dispersed data centres.
Systems management
- Responsible for the design, implementation, and operations of the Database products across the enterprise.
- Ensure the ability to meet service level requirements in the areas of Database management, storage management, event management, patch management, configuration management, capacity management, enterprise systems monitoring, automation, integration, and asset management.
- Responsible for ensuring secure storage, back-up & integrity of all the organisation’s related information in line with relevant legislation (like POPIA and PCI) and data governance regulations.
Operational management and service delivery
- Manage the delivery of a continuous, efficient, and cost-effective Database products to the business.
- Responsible for the management and control of service level management, capacity management, continuity management, capability management, configuration management, incident management, problem solving management, change management, release management and the service/help desk function within the Database DevOps team.
- Negotiate service level agreements with the business and manage the dynamic planning, scheduling, measurement, and control of operational facilities to provide the agreed levels of service.
- Act as a first point of escalation and take responsibility for resolving escalated queries from the business.
- Financial Budgeting, Control and Reporting
- Prepare, manage, monitor, and report on annual OPEX & CAPEX budgets
- Review and plan IT procurement to ensure compliance with architectural planning and project and service delivery expectations.
- Manage and monitor the procurement and maintenance cycle about estimation, budgeting, ordering and payment.
- Prepare and submit proposed team expenditure to Head: Technology Services Engineering for approval.
- Ensure accurate database engineering inventory is reflected within the company asset register.
- Monitor and maintain compliance to database engineering software licensing.
- Responsible for compiling and delivering monthly and annual reports
- Review financial controls and variance reports to provide feedback on budget status, team progress and outputs
- Communicate an accurate insurance inventory to IT Operations and Risk Departments in a timely manner
- Deliver a detailed business case and plan as part of the Department’s annual budgeting process.
- People Management
- Work with Head: Technology Services Engineering to agree a structure and operating model of the function and participate in the allocation of resources in line with specific business needs/focus areas.
- Collaborate with Talent Acquisition during the recruitment of direct and indirect reports.
- Responsible for performance management of the team, including:
- Clearly establishing an understanding of key performance areas and objectives.
- Conducting performance review sessions with team members
- Overall responsibility for the contracting of team’s personal development plans (functional and soft skills).
- Mentoring and coaching of team members.
- Ensure transfer of knowledge, maintain motivation and personal development for team members.
- Responsible for on-the-job training of team (both functional and soft skills) to enable the sharing of knowledge and key learning with the team on a regular basis.
- Create and maintain a positive working environment.
- Responsible for the talent management of the team (assisting with talent review and succession planning) to ensure a continuous service to the business.
- Take responsibility for all operational people matters (leave and capacity management, task allocation, grievance management, etc.).
- Stakeholder Management
- Identify internal and external parties or stakeholders for the department and identify their criticality and appropriate engagement method.
- Undertake relationship building to build trust and ensure stakeholders understand the function, the department, operating model, and methods as well as their role and required contribution.
- Establish and manage stakeholder expectations and develop understanding of their drivers to enable effective interactions and relationships.
- Work cross functionally; network both internally and externally to ensure a relevant network which will enable and enhance the operation of the department.
- Work with Procurement and other internal Departments (Legal, IT Risk, etc.) and manage the relationships with, and the performance of vendors / suppliers
- Responsible for cost-effective negotiations with key suppliers to ensure service delivery against contracted SLAs with regards to quality, cost, and time of delivery. Set up and onboard suppliers.
- Ensure consistency of supplier service delivery, and drive improvement of supplier efficiencies.
- Act as a contract owner for related supplier contracts.
- Coordinate contract approval and annual review process of suppliers.
REQUIREMENTS:
- A B.Sc in Information Technology (Systems Engineering or Computer Science) OR NSC/Vocational Training with at least 7 years’ database management experience
- At least 7 – 10 years’ experience in Database Team management
- Enterprise IT infrastructure, including Architecture, Design, Systems Management and Service Delivery
- Proven experience in leading a team of Database specialists in Enterprise Environments
- Enterprise IT Infrastructure and system technologies (with a focus on databases)
- Enterprise Database standards, design and implementation
- Enterprise Database management principles
- Business Continuity management principles
- Server architecture and management principles
- Virtualization architecture and management principles
- Storage/SAN architecture and management principles
- People Management and Strategic planning
- Agile way of work
Advantageous –
- A relevant post-graduate qualification in Information Technology (Systems Engineering or Computer Science) OR a Cloud Certification
- 10+ years’ experience in Database Management Systems
- 10+ years’ experience within Financial Services
- Information processing within the Banking and Financial services industry
- Database Management architecture and management principles
- AWS Database Certification
- IT Governance and IT Risk Management principles
- Documenting policies and procedures
- Cloud technologies and product set
ATTRIBUTES:
- Decision making skills
- Management skills
- Leadership skills
- Problem solving skills
- Attention to detail
- Business acumen
- Deciding and Initiating Action
- Leading and Supervising
- Creating and Innovating
- Formulating Strategies and Concepts
- Persuading and Influencing
- Planning and Organising
- Delivering Results and Meeting Customer Expectations
- Adapting and Responding to Change
While we would really like to respond to every application, should you not be contacted for this position within 10 working days please consider your application unsuccessful.
COMMENTS:
When applying for jobs, ensure that you have the minimum job requirements. OnlySA Citizens will be considered for this role. If you are not in the mentioned location of any of the jobs, please note your relocation plans in all applications for jobs and correspondence. Please e-mail a word copy of your CV to [Email Address Removed] and mention the reference numbers of the jobs. We have a list of jobs on [URL Removed] Datafin IT Recruitment – Cape Town Jobs.
Desired Skills:
- Product
- Head
- Databases