Senior Database Administrator

This is an exciting time to join the IPO as we’re undergoing a major transformation programme, and this is a unique opportunity for you join our database team as we make fundamental changes to our data and IT systems to modernise our platforms. We are beginning our Microsoft Azure and SQL PaaS journey to build resilient, reliable and robust systems for the future, while still maintaining a traditional SQL server estate for our current systems.

As a Senior SQL Server Database Administrator, you will be expected to support and contribute to the technical strategy for the IPO’s multi-terabyte on-premises SQL Server estate, whilst helping to drive our adoption of Azure SQL technologies. You will be an authority on best practice and correct use of database technology, providing innovative, yet practical solutions. You’ll provide support and guidance alongside Database Administrators ensuring the databases are available, maintained and supported.

The role is primarily focused on Microsoft SQL Server, supporting a large on-premises and growing Azure SQL estate, although there may be opportunities to work with MySQL and Azure Cosmos DB platforms.

Working Style

This role will be carried out in-line with IPO Hybrid working arrangements where staff are currently expected to spend at least 20% of their time working onsite from one of our offices. This role is based in our Newport Office.

The requirement for attendance at an office location can vary by role so we would encourage candidates to discuss working arrangements with the recruiting manager to agree a reasonable balance between working from home and the office.

The IPO holds a visa sponsor licence however; this role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. Candidates will therefore need to have an existing right to work in the UK at the time of application., * Proactively manage and maintain all aspects of the Microsoft SQL database estate.

• Act as a senior technical authority for database technologies, advising architects, project teams and stakeholders on database solutions, best practices and standards.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement through automation and standardisation.
• Represent the Database Administration team within cross-functional projects, ensuring database considerations are incorporated into solution designs and delivery.
• Define and maintain standards for monitoring, performance tuning, high availability, disaster recovery, backup and recovery across the database estate.
• Mentor and coach Database Administrators, sharing technical expertise, promoting a culture of continuous learning.
• Contribute to cloud migration, particularly in support of the organisation’s adoption of Azure SQL
• An interest in ETL/ELT, Power BI, Fabric and other reporting technology would be advantageous.

For a full list of your roles and responsibilities as a Senior DBA, take a look at the role profile we have attached at the end of the advert., We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions, Interviews for this role will be carried out virtually via Microsoft Teams (video).

This recruitment campaign will keep a reserve list for 12 months. If you meet the requirements for this role but aren’t offered after passing the interview, you’ll be placed on the reserve list. If a suitable position opens up during this time, we will reach out to individuals in merit order.

The Recruitment team operational hours are 09:00 to 17:00 Monday – Friday excluding bank holidays., This post is being advertised to Internal, across Government and external candidates at the same time.

Incomplete and/or late submissions will not be accepted or considered. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

We do not routinely reimburse travel expenses for candidates, however if participating in the selection process would cause you undue financial hardship or if it restricts your ability to participate, please contact the recruitment team for more information.

In line with Government guidance, successfully appointed candidates will need to provide documents for our Right to Work checks. Information on this will be sent within the invite to interview text.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, then please let the recruitment team know via;recruitment@ipo.gov.uk

In the event of a high volume of applications, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) reserves the right to raise the minimum qualifying score at sift to manage volumes and ensure a proportionate and fair assessment process.

Please be aware that only one application per candidate is permitted for each recruitment campaign. Multiple applications, including those made using different accounts, may result in your application being withdrawn or rejected at any stage of the process.

For more information on the IPO’s terms and conditions, please review the attached IPO Modernised Terms and Conditions document attached at the bottom of this advert. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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

• SQL Server Database Administration
• Ability to write T-SQL scripts and to validate/correct those produced by others
• Ability to install SQL Server Instances and to re-configure where appropriate
• Capable of recognising trends in a range of data and drawing conclusions
• ITIL V3 Foundation
• Strong database performance tuning and capacity management
• Technical problem solving
• Automation and scripting (Powershell including DBATools)
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to convey crucial information on project development in a clear and engaging way
• Flexible interpersonal skills required to build effective relationships with colleagues within the team and across the business, including mentoring and knowledge sharing
• Capable of organising and prioritising work in an effective manner whilst working unsupervised to agreed timescales
• Supporting and instilling a continuous improvement environment
• Self-motivated and self-sufficient with a can-do attitude
• High level of organisation skills, This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Additional details on security and vetting

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check and if successful you must also hold, or be willing to obtain, a higher Security Clearance.

For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, depending on the level of clearance, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. For this role the successful individual will need to have consistently lived in the UK for a minimum 5 years in order to meet the relevant security clearance.

£47,766 - £58,850 Maximum salary amount includes Recruitment Retention Allowance and Technical Allowances of up to £8,695. Final salary package will be dependent on skills and experience. A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP, Alongside your salary of £47,766, Intellectual Property Office contributes £13,837 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

• Unlimited Pluralsight video learning access
• Access to Microsoft’s ESI training suite
• Hybrid working with no core hours
• Substantial support for career progression
• 25 days annual leave moving to 30 days in annual increments
• You will also get 8 days public leave and 1 day privilege leave