Senior DevOps Database Engineer

Job summary

Join our innovative tech team as a Senior DevOPS Database Engineer and help shape the future of RoS! We're looking for a dedicated and experienced DevOPS database engineer to accelerate our move from legacy on-prem databases to new cloud-native solutions.

You’ll work in a cutting-edge team of DevOPS specialists and engineers to:

• ensure services are integrated, delivered and operate as required

• work with and support third parties in providing Database services

• work with technical architects to translate architectural designs into operations

• provide input into the direction of the services being maintained including contribution towards – budget management, technology roadmaps, projects, initiatives and tasks

Job description

• Act as SME for Gitlab-CI Pipelines operated by the database team

• Contribute towards the migration of on prem Postgres databases to AWS, ensuring new database services are defined through Infrastructure as Code, automated through deployment pipelines and supported by reusable AWS CDK constructs.

• Evaluate new cloud based database and Infrastructure as Code technologies, making recommendations that support secure, scalable and efficient database services.

• Develop and enhance centralised monitoring, alerting and log analysis solutions across RoS database technologies, including Grafana on OpenShift and cloud native AWS monitoring using pgbadger for RDS clusters.

• Support the integration of CommVault with AWS RDS deployments and automate database backup and restore activities using AWS native snapshots and the CommVault API.

• Participate in BAU database activities across technologies including Postgres, MongoDB, Informix and Oracle.

• Act as SME for Database Platform queries, providing expert guidance across supported technologies.

• Research industry best practice in database services and provide recommendations to improve technical solutions, operational resilience and business outcomes.

• Mentor junior colleagues and support knowledge transfer through training, coaching and documentation.

• Monitor database alerts and respond appropriately to incidents, issues and service risks.

• Contribute to the scoping, research, vendor selection, implementation, configuration, documentation and rollout of strategic database technologies.

• Ensure database platform practices comply with RoS Information Security standards, policies and procedures, while identifying improvements to controls and processes that support ISO 27001 accreditation.

Person specification

Essential Criteria – Skills and Attributes for Success

Technical experience:

We will assess you against the following Technical Experience during the application and assessment process:

Technical Experience

• AWS IAM, S3, EC2

• Gitlab CI Pipelines

• AWS OpenSearch

• Bash Shell Scripting

• Serverless (Lambda)

• Typescript

• CDK and AWS Development tools including Cloud Formation

• SQL

• RDS and PostgreSQL

• Monitoring solutions (e.g., CloudWatch, Grafana)

• Experience managing DR practice events, run book definition, and continuous improvement practices

• Well-versed in backup services with a particular experience with Commvault software

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex challenges and deliver robust solutions within tight deadlines.

• Adaptable and collaborative, with a track record of working effectively in agile environments alongside diverse, cross-functional teams.

Experience delivering new software that consumes services from a centralised database management team, including the following technologies.

• Oracle

• Informix

• MongoDB

• Ansible

Behaviours

You will be assessed and scored against all the below behaviours on the assessment stage:

Communicating and Influencing and Working Together

• Translate complex concepts into clear, actionable updates for non-technical colleagues, senior stakeholders, and third-party vendors.

• Build trusted working relationships across architecture, security, cloud, and vendor teams to deliver integrated, reliable infrastructure solutions.

• Influence change decisions by presenting balanced recommendations on risks, costs, and benefits, ensuring alignment with IT strategy and security standards.

Leadership

• Act as the escalation point for database related issues, providing direction and confidence to junior engineers during high-pressure incidents.

• Mentor and upskill less experienced team members through knowledge transfer sessions and technical guidance, fostering professional growth.
• Role-model inclusive and collaborative behaviours, ensuring all voices are heard during design discussions and incident reviews.

Making Effective Decisions

• Use data from monitoring platforms and vendor inputs to assess risks and prioritise actions in real time during outages or security alerts.

• Balance tactical fixes with strategic improvements, presenting well-evidenced options to senior colleagues for investments or upgrades.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and raise clear, evidence-based business cases where adoption brings tangible benefits.

Managing a Quality Service

• Proactively monitor availability, performance, and security, taking pre-emptive measures to minimise downtime and risk.

• Able to gauge capacity and plan upgrades and risk, able to manage lifecycle and replacement.

• Drive continuous improvement, aligning practices with ISO-27001 and recommending enhancements to procedures and controls.

• Work closely with suppliers and vendors to ensure robust SLAs, delivering value-for-money services and maintaining customer confidence.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,301, Registers of Scotland contributes £18,048 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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.

Stage one - Application Process

To apply, click on 'Apply now' and complete the online application form.

You will need to submit:

1. A CV outlining your career history and how you meet the essential criteria (max 4 pages).

1. Complete the application questions that are related to the nature of the role and the technical experience (500 words max).

1. As part of the application stage you will have to complete a Hackerrank assessment that we will issue to you when the role closes. This assessment is regarding the technical experience requirements of the role.

Please note:

• If we receive a high volume of applications, we may complete an initial sift on the Technical Experience.

• We reserve the right to invite candidates to participate in a telephone interview prior to being further assessed.

• Applications that are not accompanied by CVs will not be scored

• We would strongly recommend that your statement is written in the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action & Result) and suggest preparing your answers using software such as MS Word or Google Docs, and then uploading the file.

• We strongly advise you review our policy on responsible use of AI in the application process. RoS may check answers with an AI detection tool and will contact you for a pre-screening call to verify your responses.

• Applications and appointments are subject to a strict merit-based assessment process, in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

Stage two – assessment

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to an in-person interview which will include the following:

• Behaviour based interview that will cover all the behaviours

• Technical exercise that will cover the technical experience

Behaviour based interview questions will be given to candidates 15 minutes before the start of the interview to allow candidates to prepare in advance. You will be able to take short notes with you into the interview from your preparation.

Recruitment timeline:

Closing: 4th of June at 23:59

Hackerrank: 5th of June

Sift: week commences 8th of June

Interviews 22nd of June (subject to change)

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• 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) (opens in a new window)
• 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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

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

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 : talent@ros.gov.uk
• Email : talent@ros.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : talent@ros.gov.uk

Further information

Further information
For further information relating to RoS, including:

Additional details on pay & benefits

The Civil Service Code

Complaints process

Use of AI in the application/recruitment process,

Please view our additional information page online.

If you have any questions, please contact talent@ros.gov.uk

https://ros.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/854?c=ros