Senior Database Administrator at NCBA Group

Job Purpose Statement

The Senior Database Administrator works with the database administration team to manage all aspects of database management and operations. This includes ensuring the performance, integrity, and security of the company's databases, as well as the planning and development of the database environment. The role requires a strategic thinker with strong technical expertise, excellent leadership skills, and the ability to manage complex projects.

Key Accountabilities (Duties and Responsibilities)

Database and Storage Infrastructure Management (40%)

• Manage and prioritize the design, maintenance, development, and evaluation of all databases, storage, backup, recovery infrastructure, and related systems.
• Supervise the installation, migration, and upgrading of databases.
• Develop and implement policies, procedures, and controls to secure databases and protect against data loss, corruption, or unauthorized access.
• Prepare reports on database and enterprise storage scalability and capacity planning as needed.
• Identify and resolve issues related to database and storage performance and capacity.
• Oversee the daily activities of the database team.
• Develop best practices to enhance performance and operational efficiency.
• Conduct regular audits to ensure data integrity and quality.
• Manage platform licensing and ensure compliance.

Storage and Backup Security (30%)

• Ensure high availability, reliability, and performance of database systems.
• Develop and implement backup, recovery, and disaster recovery plans for databases.
• Provide management oversight for group databases and storage, ensuring projects, incidents, problems, and escalations are handled according to defined policies, processes, procedures, and service level agreements.
• Troubleshoot complex database and storage issues promptly and accurately.
• Ensure effective execution of database management and maintenance tasks.
• Review configurations and schedule patch rollouts to address vulnerabilities.
• Maintain database and storage uptime at 99.99% to minimize impact on customer access.

Project Management (10%)

• Assist in implementing projects related to cloud infrastructure, servers, storage, Linux/Unix, Windows, backup, and monitoring, in line with the bank’s requirements.
• Monitor the capacity and performance of group servers to ensure optimal efficiency.
• Provide regular updates to management on the status of database projects.

Business Continuity Planning (10%)

• Maintain disaster recovery procedures for databases to ensure continuous availability and rapid recovery.
• Manage the invocation and revocation of disaster recovery processes for all systems.
• Analyze, design, and implement backup and storage security policies and controls in accordance with bank requirements.

Learning and Growth (10%)

• Conduct training programs for colleagues on database development and maintenance procedures.
• Provide leadership and direction to team members within the unit.
• Maintain thorough documentation of processes and procedures.
• Proactively seek opportunities to learn, grow, and stay updated on current trends and developments in relevant technical and professional areas.
• Lead by example and inspire others to pursue continuous improvement.

Job Specifications

Academic:

• Bachelor of Computer Science degree or any other IT-related field

Professional:

• Database, Operating System, and Storage certifications such as Oracle OCP, Microsoft MCP, RHCSA, RHCE
• Project Management certification and experience preferred (e.g., PRINCE2, PMP)

Desired Work Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in database administration
• Extensive experience with major database platforms (e.g., Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL)
• Proven track record of managing large-scale database projects and operations

Technical Competencies:

• In-depth knowledge of database security, backup and recovery, and performance tuning
• Proficiency in SQL and database programming
• Familiarity with database monitoring and management tools

Behavioural Competencies:

• Leadership to nurture and sustain employee satisfaction and manage changes
• Performance management to optimize productivity
• Interpersonal skills for effective communication and managing expectations
• Self-empowerment to foster open communication, teamwork, and trust