At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and reliability of database systems for public safety.
- Company: Join Mark43, a tech company dedicated to improving community safety.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus opportunities, equity, and comprehensive benefits.
- Other info: Inclusive culture that values diverse perspectives and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on public safety with innovative technology.
- Qualifications: Experience with MySQL and cloud-hosted databases required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the country in which the role is being hired. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.
Mark43’s mission is to empower communities and their governments with new technologies that improve the safety and quality of life for all. We build powerful, scalable, and elegant software that sets a new standard for the tools upon which first responders rely. Our users are diverse, and we are committed to embracing diversity of thought, experience, and background within our team.
About This Role
We are seeking a UK-based Senior / Staff Database Administrator to help lead the design, reliability, security, and operational maturity of Mark43’s production database infrastructure for UK public safety customers. In this role, you will serve as a senior technical owner for database reliability and performance. You will partner with engineering, infrastructure, security, delivery, and customer teams to ensure that Mark43’s database systems are stable, scalable, secure, observable, and ready to support mission-critical public safety workloads. In this role, it is expected to independently own complex database initiatives and mentor others, provide technical direction, influence cross-team architecture, lead high-impact reliability programs, and serve as a trusted authority across the organization. Because this role may involve work with UK police customers, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the required UK police and/or government security vetting, including NPPV3 and, where applicable, SC clearance.
What You'll Do
- Own and improve the reliability, performance, security, and scalability of production database systems.
- Lead database monitoring, alerting, capacity planning, backup, recovery, replication, and disaster recovery practices.
- Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex database performance and availability issues.
- Partner with engineering teams on schema design, indexing strategies, query optimization, and safe database change management.
- Lead technical planning for database migrations, upgrades, scaling strategies, and operational improvements.
- Improve infrastructure-as-code, automation, observability, and repeatability across database operations.
- Define and maintain database runbooks, operational standards, and production readiness criteria.
- Participate in and, when appropriate, lead database-related incident response, post-incident reviews, and remediation planning.
- Collaborate with security, compliance, and delivery teams to meet customer, regulatory, and vetting requirements.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers, DBAs, and operational teams.
- Represent database reliability concerns in architecture reviews, roadmap planning, and customer-readiness discussions.
- Help build the operational foundation required to support UK police customers and future UK public safety partners.
What You’ll Need
- Significant professional experience administering MySQL or similar relational databases in production environments.
- Deep experience operating cloud-hosted database platforms, preferably AWS RDS, Aurora, or Azure database services.
- Strong expertise in database performance tuning, query optimization, replication, backup, recovery, and high availability.
- Experience designing and operating database infrastructure for complex cloud-based software applications.
- Experience with infrastructure as code, automation, observability, and production operations.
- Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure, networking, security, access controls, and operational risk.
- Ability to influence engineering teams and guide database design decisions across services.
- Strong incident management skills and sound judgment during high-pressure production events.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical tradeoffs to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor teammates and improve team-wide technical practices.
- Eligibility and willingness to complete UK police vetting requirements for customer-facing public safety work.
UK Security Vetting Requirement
This role may require access to UK police customer systems, infrastructure, operational data, or secure customer environments. As a result, the successful candidate must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance before accessing police data, systems, or premises. Depending on the assignment, this may include:
- NPPV3 clearance for work involving UK police systems, infrastructure, or operational data.
- SC clearance where work involves central government, cross-agency, or SECRET-level systems.
Employees must complete the required vetting process, provide accurate documentation, and comply with ongoing aftercare obligations, including promptly reporting any personal, financial, legal, or other circumstances that may affect vetting status.
People Who Thrive at Mark43
People who thrive on our team tend to be:
- Humble, open, and curious.
- Attentive, active listeners.
- Resilient when facing challenging operational problems.
- Enthusiastic collaborators who believe in shared ownership.
- Comfortable working through uncertainty.
- Passionate about personal and professional growth.
- Eager to support teammates and share knowledge.
- Able to raise the technical bar while bringing others along.
Preferred Experience
The following experience is helpful but not required:
- Experience supporting AWS RDS, Aurora, or Azure database platforms at scale.
- Experience with microservices-based architectures and distributed systems.
- Experience supporting SaaS platforms, public sector customers, law enforcement customers, or regulated environments.
- Experience with compliance-sensitive environments, security reviews, customer audits, or government delivery programs.
- Experience leading database migrations, major version upgrades, disaster recovery planning, or reliability programs.
- Experience defining SLOs, SLAs, operational metrics, and production readiness standards.
Compensation and Benefits
Total compensation for this role is market competitive and may include base salary, bonus opportunity, equity, and a comprehensive benefits package. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, location, skills, and level.
Equal Opportunity
Mark43 is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse perspectives and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees.
Database Administrator, Infrastructure in Manchester employer: Mark43
Mark43 is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and growth of its employees while making a meaningful impact on public safety through innovative technology. With a strong commitment to diversity, a collaborative work culture, and opportunities for professional development, employees are empowered to thrive in their roles. Located in the UK, Mark43 offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, ensuring that team members feel valued and supported in their mission to enhance community safety.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Database Administrator, Infrastructure in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at local meetups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to database administration. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms to get comfortable with your responses.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository with projects that highlight your database management expertise. This gives potential employers a tangible look at what you can do.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Database Administrator, Infrastructure in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the role of Database Administrator. Highlight your experience with MySQL or similar databases, and don’t forget to mention any cloud-hosted platforms you've worked with, like AWS RDS or Azure.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about improving public safety through technology. Share specific examples of how you've led database initiatives or mentored others in your previous roles.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:In your application, be sure to showcase your technical skills clearly. Mention your expertise in database performance tuning, query optimisation, and any experience with infrastructure as code. We want to see how you can contribute to our mission!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at Mark43!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mark43
✨Know Your Databases Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your MySQL and cloud-hosted database platforms like AWS RDS or Azure. Be ready to discuss your experience with performance tuning, backup strategies, and high availability. The more specific examples you can provide, the better!
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to share instances where you've diagnosed and resolved complex database issues. Think of a few high-pressure situations you've faced and how you managed them. This will demonstrate your incident management skills and sound judgment.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice explaining technical concepts in simple terms. You might be asked to communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences, so being able to break down complex ideas is key. Clear communication can set you apart from other candidates.
✨Emphasise Team Collaboration
Mark43 values collaboration, so be prepared to discuss how you've worked with engineering teams on database design and operational improvements. Highlight any mentoring experiences you've had, as this shows your ability to uplift your teammates and improve team practices.
