Site Reliability Engineer in Knutsford

hackajob is collaborating with Barclays to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role. Join us as a Site Reliability Engineer where you'll spearhead the evolution of our digital landscape, driving innovation and excellence. As a Microsoft SQL Database Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) at Barclays, you will assume a key technical role. You will assist in shaping the direction of our database administration, ensuring our technological approaches are innovative and aligned with the Bank’s business goals.

You will contribute high‑impact projects to completion, collaborate with management, and implement SRE practices using software engineering and database administration to address infrastructure and operational challenges at scale. As part of the Database SRE team, you will be data‑driven and work to eliminate TOIL through simplification, automation, and observability, thereby enhancing the reliability of our platforms. With a focus on database scalability, availability, security, and performance, you will work closely with the Engineering team, product managers, and other teams. You will ensure the seamless flow and robust security of information on our platforms, meeting high traffic volumes and demanding operational needs.

Technical Experience

• Technical specialisation with MS SQL expertise on version – SQL 2016‑2022 for complex database related issues from availability, to tuning to architecture on enterprise scale.
• Contribute shaping, designing SRE practice for MSSQL offering, delivering through the SRE team.
• Serve as the technical escalation for complex database related issues, providing expert solutions.
• Assist establishment and evolution of the SRE function and implementing advanced SLIs and SLOs.

Preferred Additional Skills

• Experience on database automation with estate standardisation.
• Expert knowledge in system configuration management tools such as Chef, Ansible for database server configurations.
• Expert expertise with scripting languages (e.g. PowerShell) for automation/migration tasks.

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in the role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen, strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job‑specific technical skills. This role will be based in our Knutsford campus.

Purpose of the Role

To apply software engineering techniques, automation, and best practices in incident response, to ensure the reliability, availability, and scalability of the systems, platforms, and technology throughout.

Accountabilities

• Availability, performance, and scalability of systems and services through proactive monitoring, maintenance, and capacity planning.
• Resolution, analysis and response to system outages and disruptions, and implement measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
• Development of tools and scripts to automate operational processes, reducing manual workload, increasing efficiency, and improving system resilience.
• Monitoring and optimisation of system performance and resource usage, identify and address bottlenecks, and implement best practices for performance tuning.
• Collaboration with development teams to integrate best practices for reliability, scalability, and performance into the software development lifecycle, and work closely with other teams to ensure smooth and efficient operations.
• Stay informed of industry technology trends and innovations, and actively contribute to the organization’s technology communities to foster a culture of technical excellence and growth.

Assistant Vice President Expectations

To advise and influence decision making, contribute to policy development and take responsibility for operational effectiveness. Collaborate closely with other functions and business divisions. Lead a team performing complex tasks, using well‑developed professional knowledge and skills to deliver on work that impacts the whole business function. Set objectives and coach employees in pursuit of those objectives, appraisal of performance relative to objectives and determination of reward outcomes.

If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others. OR for an individual contributor, they will lead collaborative assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identifying the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will identify new directions for assignments and/or projects, identifying a combination of cross‑functional methodologies or practices to meet required outcomes.

Consult on complex issues; providing advice to People Leaders to support the resolution of escalated issues. Identify ways to mitigate risk and developing new policies/procedures in support of the control and governance agenda. Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work done. Perform work that is closely related to that of other areas, which requires understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub‑function. Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategy.

Engage in complex analysis of data from multiple sources of information, internal and external sources such as procedures and practices (in other areas, teams, companies, etc.) to solve problems creatively and effectively. Communicate complex information. ‘Complex’ information could include sensitive information or information that is difficult to communicate because of its content or its audience. Influence or convince stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.