Lead Oracle Database Engineer (Remote, United Kingdom)
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
You will join a highly experienced, globally distributed Database and Platform Engineering team responsible for some of the most business critical data systems within Ticketmaster. The team works closely with Architecture, Software Engineering, Infrastructure, and Product teams to design, build, and operate scalable database platforms that support millions of transactions worldwide. This role sits at the centre of a major global transformation programme, collaborating with engineers across Europe, India, and other regions. You will play a key role in setting technical direction, influencing best practices, and mentoring engineers as we modernise our database estate through large scale Oracle migrations and automation first operations. The environment is fast paced, collaborative, and highly technical, with a strong emphasis on ownership, continuous improvement, and building reliable systems at scale., We are seeking a Lead Oracle Database Engineer to join for a business-critical migration from legacy RDBMS platforms to Oracle, at massive scale. You will lead specific workstreams, contribute to defining technical standards, and ensure quality across the migration effort. The initial focus (first 2-3 years) will be on migration delivery, building operational tools and practices. Eventually, transitioning the migrated estate into existing Operational Support teams.
You will migrate into a best-in-class Oracle environment, ensuring everything is configured correctly, rigorously test all aspects, and provide comprehensive evidence of quality and compliance. This is a highly technical environment where you'll work alongside experts in their field - you will need to know your craft deeply and be comfortable both challenging technical decisions and being challenged by your peers, in a professional and constructive manner.
This is an ever-evolving project, and tech at TM in general is a fast-paced environment where adaptability is important. What the role becomes and the work you undertake will largely depend on this evolving landscape and your own strengths and desires.
A significant portion of the project will be defining and building automation tools using Ansible - creating sophisticated playbooks for database provisioning, patching, backup, replication, and operational tasks at scale. The role also requires deep knowledge on Linux platforms, with a large portion of work performed via command-line interfaces, alongside strong skills in database architecture, migration, replication, and automation.
We are always looking to invest in the latest technology. Our tech teams are fully integrating AI into all aspects of their work - using AI tools for problem-solving, automation development, and operational efficiency. You'll have the opportunity to learn and leverage AI technologies as part of your daily workflow, and a genuine passion for learning new technologies is essential for success in this role.
The right individual will be proactive, take ownership of their workstreams, and thrive in this dynamic environment.
What You Will Be Doing
Workstream Leadership & Ownership
- Lead and own specific database migration workstreams from planning through to delivery
- Take full accountability for quality, timelines, and technical decisions within your areas
- Collaborate with the wider team to ensure consistency across the project
- Contribute to defining technical standards, best practices, and architectural patterns
- Ensure effective communication to stakeholders within your workstreams
Hands-On Technical Delivery
- Deliver and maintain Linux based systems within an Infrastructure as a Code environment
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex database, replication, and system-level issues
- Leverage AI tools to enhance automation development, problem-solving, and operational efficiency
- Ensure all Oracle configurations meet best-in-class standards and industry best practices
- Perform complex schema conversions, data mapping, and migration strategies
- Rigorously test database configurations, replication setups, failover scenarios, and performance characteristics
- Provide comprehensive evidence and documentation of testing, quality, and compliance
- Implement proactive monitoring and alerting
- Provide database expertise to collaborating teams
- Leverage your expert Linux systems knowledge to support the team
- Opportunity to build Ansible playbooks and automation tools to manage database provisioning, patching, backup, replication, and operational tasks at scale
Quality & Standards
- Work with architects and fellow leads to maintain technical standards
- Conduct code/playbook reviews and ensure quality gates are met
- Actively contribute to the architecture and strategy of the database landscape
- Challenge and defend technical decisions in a collaborative expert, data driven environment
- Maintain and produce technical and project documentation
- Identify opportunities for further automation and process improvement
Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing
- Mentor and provide guidance to DBAs working within your workstreams
- Share knowledge and collaborate with fellow technical leads
- Keep leadership informed of progress, risks, and blockers
Requirements
Do you have experience in System administration?, * Strong expertise in Oracle database administration - installation, configuration, performance tuning, backup/recovery, security
- Proven experience leading technical workstreams or projects
- Experience working on large-scale database migration projects
- Hands-on experience with replication technologies - Data Guard, GoldenGate, or SharePlex
- Experience working with multiple RDBMS platforms beyond Oracle
- Expert-level Linux systems administration skills - able to troubleshoot at OS level
- Scripting and programming skills for automation and tooling development
- Genuine passion for learning new technologies and staying current with latest developments
- Open to learning and leveraging AI tools to enhance productivity and problem-solving
- Proven ability to define and maintain technical standards and quality practices
- Strong understanding of broader IT infrastructure and networking
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally
- Flexible with working times to collaborate with global teams across different time zones
Desirable
- Familiarity with CI/CD practices and GitOps for database deployments
- Experienced in automation development - Ansible preferred - building complex playbooks, roles, and modules for large-scale database operations
- Experience with infrastructure-as-code
- Expertise in database stored procedures and PL/SQL development
- Background mentoring or guiding other database engineers
- Experience with container technologies
- Knowledge of configuration management and version control
- Experience using AI tools for development and problem-solving
You (Behavioural Skills)
- Proven ability to take ownership and drive workstreams to completion in a peer leadership structure
- Highly technical and solution-driven, thriving in complex database migration projects
- Strong attention to detail with a quality-first mindset
- Confident challenging technical decisions and equally comfortable being challenged on your own recommendations
- Passionate about automation, performance optimisation, and removing manual tasks through engineering solutions
- Genuine enthusiasm for learning new technologies and staying at the forefront of technological advancements
- Curious and adaptable mindset towards emerging technologies, including AI tools and methodologies
- Excellent collaborator across engineering, development, and business stakeholder teams
- Proactive self-starter who influences and sets direction rather than waiting for tasks
- Natural knowledge-sharer who documents processes and elevates team capabilities
- Comfortable working in distributed remote environments
- Driven to participate in PoCs and deliver optimal datastore solutions
- Understand and adopt SDLC and Agile best practices
Benefits & conditions
- Be part of a dynamic and collaborative global team
- Permanent role with remote working flexibility
- Join as a technical lead on a high-impact migration project with major business benefits
- Work alongside world-leading engineers on the world's largest ticketing platform
- Work with cutting-edge database technologies and modern automation tooling
- Learn and leverage AI technologies integrated throughout the tech organisation's workflows
- Ticketmaster's commitment to investing in latest technologies means continuous learning opportunities
- Opportunity for career progression
- Build sophisticated automation solutions that will operate at massive scales
- Engage in high-calibre technical discussions in a continuously challenging environment
- Excellent benefits package including tickets to concerts and festivals
