Senior Applications Operations Engineer (Database)

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Are you ready to help deliver transformative projects and drive strategic decisions with your analytical expertise?

Do you have the vision to identify growth opportunities and the skills to make them a reality in a dynamic, fast-paced environment?

If so, this role could be for you!

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you., The IT Operations profession is made up of professionals, paramount to our digital services. Our vision for the future is to attract people to work and progress in a fast paced, exciting environment whilst ensuring consistency in your training and upskilling.

We are working to have clear career pathways and succession planning, to enable people to see our area as a long-term career with prospects and development opportunities for all roles.

We encourage people to interact and fully understand their role and responsibilities in your own area and wider areas to encourage development and knowledge sharing.

Here in Chief Data and Information Office (CDIO) we have a unique view of the information technology infrastructure across borders and trade services which makes us a key player in helping projects and programmes impact, assess and deliver improvements.

The Borders and Trade Delivery Group are responsible for the end-to-end service management and development of over 140 separate services from the generation of Trade Statistics to the administration of Customs and Excise duties.

This is a superb opportunity to join HMRC’s IT function Chief Digital Information Office (CDIO) which sets the technology direction for HMRC and delivers the high-level design for all IT solutions across the Organisation. CDIO is responsible for building and running HMRC IT services along with providing IT change and operational support.

An Application Operations Engineer (Database Technical Lead) maintains services and is responsible for conducting user and security administration.

They are responsible for development/maintenance and tuning of the department's databases ensuring availability of the department's data and preventing data loss/providing data recovery in event of disaster., As Application Operations Engineer (Database Technical Lead), you will be expected to:

• Maintaining departmental databases ensuring availability, ensuring no data loss, administering access, monitoring and improving performance, ensuring backup and recovery is maintained, providing data extracts and meeting business data exploitation requests.
• Maintaining database security and data integrity.
• Incident fix and prevention.
• Delivering change and project deliverables in and out of core hours.
• Supporting development and test users with test databases and test data.
• Performing 24/7/365 support for priority 1/2 databases incident resolution.

Main Core Duties:

• Database design and administration using MS Azure SQL databases as well as databases on other relational database technologies.
• Extensive experience of relational database design and administration, scripting for database utilities and Azure environments.
• Monitor databases and be accountable for database batch processes.
• In some organisations, carry out the duties of an end user computing engineer, such as fixing technical problems, maintaining hardware, and liaising with the problem or incident manager.

Specific Responsibilities are likely to include:

• The installation, configuration, upgrade, administration, monitoring, and maintenance of databases. Providing support for operational databases in production use and for internal or interim purposes such as iterative developments and testing. Improving the performance of databases and the tools and processes for database administration (including automation).
• Using database management system software and tools to collect agreed performance statistics. Carrying out agreed database maintenance and administration tasks.
• Using database management system software and tools, and knowledge of logical database schemata, to investigate problems and collect performance statistics and create reports.
• Carrying out routine configuration, installation, and reconfiguration of database and related products. Developing and configuring tools to enable automation of database administration tasks. Identifying problems and issues and recommending corrective actions.
• Developing, maintaining and continuous review and improvement of procedures and documentation for databases.
• Identifying, evaluating, and managing the adoption of appropriate database administration tools and processes, including automation.
• Taking a lead on the setting of standards for definition, security and integrity of database objects and responsibility for ensuring conformance to those standards.
• Managing database configuration including installing and upgrading software and maintaining relevant documentation.
• Monitoring database activity and resource usage.
• Optimising database performance and planning for forecast resource needs.
• Taking a proactive lead on support and development activities leading small teams of DBA’s efforts on project and support work including line management of a small team and assuming responsibility for directing delivery and support work.
• Mentoring and supporting less experienced team members and sharing technical knowledge and best practice.
• There may be a requirement to line manage a small team of DBAs.

This role is expected to contribute to the 24/7 cover for Live service operation. Depending on the candidate’s skills and knowledge there will be the potential for the individual to be asked to undertake on call support as part of a team rota with immediate effect. However, HMRC would anticipate individuals new to the role and Department requiring significant time to become productive in an on-call capacity and would anticipate that acclimatization taking up to 12 months. On completion of 12 months in post, or upon the demonstration of sufficient capability, the role would be expected to then help provide 24/7 cover as part of a team on-call Rota.

It is expected that the successful applicant, once suitable to do so, may be required to be on call for which there is the appropriate additional remuneration of Annual Attendance Allowance (AAA), on call monies and call outs., Exceptionally, candidates who are not successful at this grade may be considered for appointment to similar roles at a lower grade where the eligibility criteria are met. If this applies, we will contact you directly., If you have an HMRC online account already, sign straight in using your ID and password. If not, you can prove your identity by answering some questions or providing your photo ID.

You’ll then be able to access the app quickly and easily by signing in using a 6-digit PIN, your fingerprint, or facial recognition.

You can find guidance for technical issues on GOV.UK: Technical support with HMRC online services.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and appointments will be made in strict merit order until the set demand is filled. If successful, you will be informed when we reach your position on the merit list.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Hybrid working at HMRC

HMRC is an office-based organisation, and colleagues are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office. Our offices provide opportunity for interaction, collaboration which aids learning and development and a sense of community. Where the role allows it, and where the home environment is suitable, colleagues can work from home for up to 2 days a week, averaged over a calendar month (or a proportionate amount of time for colleagues who work less than full time).

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate., HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations .

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

For more Information for people applying for, or thinking of applying for, roles at HM Revenue and Customs, please see link: Working for HMRC: information for applicants - GOV.UK. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks., * UK nationals

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Do you have experience in Windows?, The successful candidate will need to demonstrate strong practical knowledge and extensive experience in the following key disciplines:

• Database administration using Azure SQL/MS SQL databases.
• Database design.
• Good understanding of backup and recovery strategies.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical skills.

Desirable Criteria

Ideally, the successful candidate will have experience in the use of some or all of the following:

• Database technologies including Oracle, MySQL, MS SQL, Ingres, Azure SQL.
• Familiarity with and experience working on Windows, Unix and Linux operating systems.
• Some experience of programming in one of the following languages – Unix/Linux shell scripting, SQL, MS PowerApps ecosystem.
• Experience working on traditional on-prem and cloud-based databases in AWS/Azure.
• Leadership and mentoring experience., Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

Pulled from the full job description

• Company pension
• Work from home
• Flexible schedule, Alongside your salary of £45,544, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £13,194 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

HMRC is building a modern, digital tax administration and runs the biggest digital operation in Government, providing digital services for 45 million individuals and 4.9 million business customers. Our digital programme is multi-award winning and the envy of other government organisations. If so, continue reading to find out more about this fantastic opportunity to join HMRC - one of the largest and most dynamic IT infrastructures in Europe, and we are now one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world. For those who are up to the challenge, we offer unique and unparalleled opportunities to work with some of the newest technologies and make a real, lasting difference., Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via ubsrecruitmentcomplaints@hmrc.gov.uk . Please note that we do not accept complaints or appeals regarding scoring of outcomes of campaigns unless candidates can provide clear evidence that the campaign did not follow the Recruitment Principles. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.