Job Summary
The Database Tower Lead is a senior technical leadership role responsible for the design, implementation, operation, and ongoing optimization of Client enterprise data base environment. The incumbent will act as the subject matter expert for Oracle Database (banking core), while also overseeing the broader multi platform portfolio (MS SQL, Teradata, DB2, BigData/Hadoop, etc.) and the data integration layer (Informatica). The role requires strong hands on expertise, a proven track record of leading DBA teams, and deep understanding of banking specific data governance, security, and regulatory requirements
Key Responsibilities
Define and maintain the end to end database architecture roadmap aligned with Client’s digital banking strategy. • Champion best practice designs for high availability (RAC/Failover), disaster recovery (Data Guard, Always On, standby), and scaling (sharding, partitioning). • Evaluate and recommend emerging database technologies (e.g., Cloud native, NoSQL, BigData) and provide business case analysis. • Lead the daily DBA team (Oracle, MS SQL, Teradata, DB2, Hadoop, etc.) delivering L1 L3 support, incident resolution, and service level adherence (RTO/RPO). • Own the Database Run Book – backup/recovery, patching, upgrade, capacity planning, and performance tuning procedures. • Ensure 100 % compliance with the bank’s Information Security Policy (ISA 03 2024), data privacy (PDPL), and banking regulations (e.g., Saudi Central Bank C Bank, Basel III). • Conduct regular health checks, identify bottlenecks, and implement SQL/PLSQL optimisation, index strategy, and storage layout tuning across all platforms. • Implement automated monitoring (Oracle Enterprise Manager, SQL Server Management Studio, Teradata Viewpoint) and proactive alerting. • Provide technical leadership for Informatica PowerCenter (and other ETL tools) to ensure robust data pipelines between source systems and data warehouses. • Oversee data migration projects (e.g., Oracle 12c → 19c, on prem → cloud) and validate data integrity. • Enforce least privilege access, role based security, and encryption (TDE, Transparent Data Encryption). • Coordinate with the Information Security and Risk teams for regular audits, vulnerability assessments, and remediation.
Skill Requirements
Directly manage a team of 5 12 DBAs (junior, senior, specialists). • Set performance objectives, conduct regular 1 on 1s, and drive certifications (Oracle OCP, Microsoft MCSE, Teradata Certified Professional). • Build a culture of knowledge sharing – formal “Lunch and Learn”, internal wiki, and documentation standards. • Liaise with Oracle, Microsoft, Teradata, IBM, and cloud service vendors for support, licensing, and POCs. • Participate in cross functional project steering committees, delivering database related work streams on time and budget. • Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for major incidents; generate actionable lessons learned and update SOPs. • Promote automation (Ansible, PowerShell, Bash) for routine tasks (provisioning, patching, health checks). • Produce regular status dashboards for senior business owners and regulators. • Serve as the escalation point for critical database incidents; communicate impact, mitigation, and timelines clearly.
Other Requirements
Reports To | Head of Data Management & Architecture (Vice President, IT) | | Location | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – on site (with occasional remote work) | | Shift Coverage | 24 × 7 operational model – the Lead will establish on call rotation and act as escalation point for critical incidents. |