Senior Application Operations Engineer - Database Administrator
| Posting date: | 17 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £47,730 to £57,151 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Plus a £5000 Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) pay supplement after a 3 month qualifying period |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 07 January 2026 |
| Location: | Dundee or Glasgow |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | Scottish Government |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 2936 |
Summary
Salary - £47,730 - £57,151 (plus a £5000 Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) pay supplement after a 3 month qualifying period)
Location - Dundee or Glasgow
Hours - 35 hours per week
Closing Date - 7th January 2026 at 23:55
Reference - 2936
Employment Type - Permanent
Overview
Are you an experienced IT professional with advanced Database Administration skills? We’re looking for a Senior Application Operations Engineer - Database Administrator who brings strong leadership, collective ownership, collaborative spirit, and a motivation to drive improvement.
The Senior Application Operations Engineer - Database Administrator will play a pivotal role in maintaining and implementing key databases in the organisation, carrying out database management duties including performance monitoring, optimisation, security and reporting. The successful candidate will join a team of 5 Database Administrators, aiding in the ongoing support, maintenance, and development of business-critical databases across multiple cloud-hosted Database Management Systems, including DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server.
Dealing with more complex issues, a senior application operations engineer is responsible for code deployment and coordinating change-based activities, such as taking services live. Depending on the complexity and size of a project and the likely impact it will have on the business, you might manage and maintain certain aspects of an application.
DDaT Pay Supplement
This post is part of the Scottish Government Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) profession and as a member of the profession you will join the professional development system. This post currently attracts a £5,000 annual DDAT pay supplement, applicable after a 3 months competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly and there is one currently underway. Changes will be communicated when the review is concluded.
Main Duties
● Mentor and offer support within a team of Database Administrators who support the development, maintenance and ongoing operation of various database management technologies including DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server.
● Design and implement advanced Database-related performance optimisations, including query optimisation, indexes, and database and infrastructure tuning.
● Ensure availability, accuracy and recoverability of database systems during system releases and disaster recovery events.
● Manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets.
● Deal with high impact, complex change requests - ensuring that release policies, procedures and processes are applied.
● Identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance, and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions.
● Lead the investigation and resolution of incidents.
● Take accountability for issues that occur and be proactive in searching for potential problems.
● Initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends, taking preventative actions to avoid problems.
● Draft and maintain procedures and documentation.
● Offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.
Further Information
Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.
Location - Dundee or Glasgow
Hours - 35 hours per week
Closing Date - 7th January 2026 at 23:55
Reference - 2936
Employment Type - Permanent
Overview
Are you an experienced IT professional with advanced Database Administration skills? We’re looking for a Senior Application Operations Engineer - Database Administrator who brings strong leadership, collective ownership, collaborative spirit, and a motivation to drive improvement.
The Senior Application Operations Engineer - Database Administrator will play a pivotal role in maintaining and implementing key databases in the organisation, carrying out database management duties including performance monitoring, optimisation, security and reporting. The successful candidate will join a team of 5 Database Administrators, aiding in the ongoing support, maintenance, and development of business-critical databases across multiple cloud-hosted Database Management Systems, including DB2, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server.
Dealing with more complex issues, a senior application operations engineer is responsible for code deployment and coordinating change-based activities, such as taking services live. Depending on the complexity and size of a project and the likely impact it will have on the business, you might manage and maintain certain aspects of an application.
DDaT Pay Supplement
This post is part of the Scottish Government Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) profession and as a member of the profession you will join the professional development system. This post currently attracts a £5,000 annual DDAT pay supplement, applicable after a 3 months competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly and there is one currently underway. Changes will be communicated when the review is concluded.
Main Duties
● Mentor and offer support within a team of Database Administrators who support the development, maintenance and ongoing operation of various database management technologies including DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server.
● Design and implement advanced Database-related performance optimisations, including query optimisation, indexes, and database and infrastructure tuning.
● Ensure availability, accuracy and recoverability of database systems during system releases and disaster recovery events.
● Manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets.
● Deal with high impact, complex change requests - ensuring that release policies, procedures and processes are applied.
● Identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance, and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions.
● Lead the investigation and resolution of incidents.
● Take accountability for issues that occur and be proactive in searching for potential problems.
● Initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends, taking preventative actions to avoid problems.
● Draft and maintain procedures and documentation.
● Offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.
Further Information
Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot.