Lead Database Administrator

Job summary

Are you an experienced Oracle Database specialist ready for your next challenge? Join us as a Lead Database Administrator at the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), where your expertise will underpin our mission as a world leading centre for hydrography.

You will play a vital role in enhancing the user experience across our organisation. By developing, improving and maintaining the UKHO’s database platforms, you will support both our internal services and our commercial product portfolio, all critical to the smooth operation of the UKHO.

Working as part of our Enterprise Applications team, you will collaborate closely with the Enterprise Applications Team Manager and team colleagues to deliver technical services to internal customers to enable the wider business.

While Oracle will be your primary focus, you’ll also contribute to wider systems built on MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and cloud hosted platforms. If you’re looking to broaden your expertise, we will support you with cross training and ongoing professional development to help you grow your skills across our full technology stack.

This is a reserved post and therefore it is essential that you are eligible to hold a reserved post. You will also need to hold and maintain DV clearance, and therefore we encourage you to check your eligibility before applying.

This role is part of a team providing 24/7 cover through an on-call rota.

Hybrid working

This job role can be worked on a hybrid basis, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, working between the office in Taunton and remotely within the UK. The successful candidate is required to work from the Taunton office 3 days a week, however this is dependent on business need.

Additional Information:

Part-time hours will be considered (minimum of 32 per week)

Job description

High Level Responsibilities

• Lead support and administration of all Oracle databases across development, test and live environments.
• Apply Oracle expertise to manage and optimise the database estate.
• Use Windows Server admin skills to support the database infrastructure.
• Provide technical leadership on projects, designing secure, resilient and high performing data base solutions.
• Ensure database security, integrity and resilience in line with UKHO policies and SLAs.

Day-to-day Responsibilities

• Deliver day to day support for the UKHO database estate.
• Plan, implement and manage maintenance activities, patches and upgrades.
• Diagnose and resolve complex or high risk issues using the appropriate system administration tools within SLAs
• Analyse and resolve problems, providing long-term solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Take ownership of business continuity processes, backups, high availability, replication and monitoring.
• Work closely with technical teams, business stakeholders and third parties to maintain performance, reliability, availability and interoperability.
• Evaluate, prioritise and work on database related incidents and change requests via the IT Portal.
• Constantly look for opportunities to improve database build standards, automation and support processes to enhance reliability and efficiency.

Support project activities including:

• Install, configure, integrate, upgrade and test database services for new projects.
• Act as a subject matter expert with database operations and standards, including the development of complex SQL and tuning of DML code.
• Work with other DBAs, developers and technical teams to ensure new database platforms meet security guidelines and audit requirements.
• Maintain system documentation, (standards, procedures, configurations, support materials) and support less experienced colleagues in their use.

Person specification

Experience

• You should have extensive experience supporting Oracle 19c including Dataguard, RMAN and OEM Grid with a strong background in designing, implementing and maintaining Oracle database solutions. You will be confident troubleshooting complex operational incidents and performance issues.
• Experience with MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL or cloud hosted platforms would also be highly beneficial.
• We are looking for someone who is a strong team player, self-motivated, and proactive, with a focus on delivering high quality solutions that meet UKHO business needs.

Essential attributes

• A strong team player with a focus on delivering high-quality solutions that meet UKHO business needs.
• A collaborative, self-motivated approach with a positive, proactive attitude.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrating professionalism at all times.
• Ability to understand, analyse and translate complex business requirements into effective technical solutions.
• Experience contributing to future planning, technology roadmaps and long term improvement initiatives.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise, plan and work independently when needed.
• Ability to identify problems, evaluate options and implement appropriate solutions.
• Proven capability to provide technical leadership and guidance to team members.
• Confident decision making, balancing priorities, constraints and available information.
• Experience monitoring progress against targets, reporting effectively and taking action to resolve issues.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,746, UK Hydrographic Office contributes £14,121 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

At the UK Hydrographic Office, it's very important to us that our people feel valued.

We offer a huge range of benefits such as training and development, well-being support, flexible/ homeworking, a fantastic state of the art building, high spec equipment, and so much more.

See our attached Candidate Information Pack for more details.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

How to Apply:

When you click 'Apply now' you will be asked to attach your anonymised CV and input a 500 word supporting statement on the criteria below.

Timeline:

• Advert Closes for applications: 22/03/26
• Shortlisting: w/c 23/03/26
• Interviews: w/c 13/04/26

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Pre-sift criteria:

• Are you eligible for a reserved post and able to go through DV clearance Y/N? This information will be assessed from your CV. If you do not meet this pre-sift criteria, your application will not be taken through to be scored on the Sift/Shortlist Criteria below.

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:

All applications are processed anonymously. You will be short-listed against the following criteria using the information provided in your supporting statement and your CV.

Experience:

• Demonstrable skills and experience in supporting Oracle 19C databases (lead criteria)
• Good experience of designing, implementing, and supporting Oracle, MS SQL or PostgreSQL database solutions.
• Experience of troubleshooting complex database operational incidents and performance issues.

Interview Criteria:

You will be interviewed against the following criteria:

Technical skills:

• Extensive experience and varied working knowledge of Oracle database administration with Oracle 19c. (lead criteria)
• Excellent working knowledge of Oracle, Oracle Enterprise Manager, RMAN and Dataguard.
• Expert working knowledge of database design, installation, and upgrades.
• Highly proficient in the troubleshooting of complex database operational incidents and performance issues.

Civil Service Behaviours (SEO level):

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

See here for further information: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)

The Lead Criteria at shortlist and interview stage will be used in the event of a large volumes of applications and the event of tie-breaks in scoring.

Process:

• Single Stage Interview via TEAMS. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information)
• Interview will be with a panel of no more than 3 people and will last approximately 1 hour.

Onboarding Checks

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks. Security Clearance (SC) will need to be obtained prior to the role commencing. You will also need to apply for Developed Vetting (DV) which can be completed while working for us but the offer will remain conditional until DV is gained. Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms.

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Nationality requirements:

DV – reserved

This is a Ministry of Defence reserved post and open to sole UK nationals only. Successful applicants will require Developed Vetting (DV) and therefore need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 24 consecutive months within the last 10 years.

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 developed vetting (opens in a new window).

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

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk

Further information

Further Information

The Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment based on merit, open and fair competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can further contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk or view more details at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Attachments

UKHO Candidate Information Pack - Tech Opens in new window (pdf, 5887kB)Additional Pay Information Opens in new window (pdf, 163kB)