At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our team to innovate and migrate databases to cloud-native solutions.
- Company: Be part of Registers of Scotland, a leader in tech and innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 38 days holiday, flexible working, and a generous pension scheme.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with great career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on land and property registration for Scotland.
- Qualifications: Experience with AWS, Gitlab CI, and database technologies required.
The predicted salary is between 50243 - 59156 € per year.
Grade: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
Total remuneration: £58,281 - £68,621
Pay Supplement: The base salary for this role is £50,243 - £59,156. This job qualifies for Digital, Data and Technology Annual Pay supplement 16% is included in the total remuneration above.
Pension: 28.97% (RoS contribution)
Annual leave: 38 days annual holiday, increasing to 42 days with length of service.
Duration: Permanent.
Working Pattern: 35 hours per week. We are a flexible employer and will consider a variety of working patterns on a case-by-case basis.
Location: Hybrid working model. Contractual base either at Meadowbank House, Edinburgh (EH8 7AU), or St Vincent Plaza, Glasgow (G2 5LD).
Department: IT Enablement Directorate: Digital, Data and Technology
Role Reports to: Technical Product Manager
Closing date: 4th of June at 23:59
Number of vacancies: 1
Join an award-winning organisation recognised for its technology and innovation. Registers of Scotland is a world-leading pioneer in land and property registration. Our full-stack teams design, architect, and build all our registration products in-house. We work to create digital solutions for the people of Scotland. You will get an opportunity to nurture your creativity and develop with us through access to the latest data, software engineering and product delivery techniques.
This job is for you if you want…
- Work with purpose: working for the people of Scotland to set the bar for land and property registration worldwide.
- Flexible and hybrid working: depending on the role and team requirements, work when and where it’s best for you and your stakeholders.
- Benefits: enjoy pay progression, pension contributions of up to 28.97%, up to a year’s parental leave, and 38 days annual holiday, increasing to 42 days with length of service.
- Investment in professional development: we invest in all our people so that they have the right skills to be productive and confident in their job.
- Diversity and Inclusion: We are an ‘Investor in People’ and a ‘Disability Confident’ employer. We are inclusive, stronger together, and committed to putting our people first.
- Positive work culture: RoS is an agile, digital organisation using leading-edge technology. Colleagues understand their role in achieving our strategy and have the autonomy to deliver.
The Role
Join our innovative tech team as a Senior DevOps Database Engineer and help shape the future of RoS! We're looking for a dedicated and experienced DevOps database engineer to accelerate our move from legacy on-prem databases to new cloud-native solutions. You’ll work in a cutting-edge team of DevOps specialists and engineers to:
- ensure services are integrated, delivered and operate as required
- work with and support third parties in providing Database services
- work with technical architects to translate architectural designs into operations
- provide input into the direction of the services being maintained including contribution towards – budget management, technology roadmaps, projects, initiatives and tasks
On a typical day you will…
- Act as SME for Gitlab-CI Pipelines operated by the database team
- Contribute towards the migration of on prem Postgres databases to AWS, ensuring new database services are defined through Infrastructure as Code, automated through deployment pipelines and supported by reusable AWS CDK constructs.
- Evaluate new cloud based database and Infrastructure as Code technologies, making recommendations that support secure, scalable and efficient database services.
- Develop and enhance centralised monitoring, alerting and log analysis solutions across RoS database technologies, including Grafana on OpenShift and cloud native AWS monitoring using pgbadger for RDS clusters.
- Support the integration of CommVault with AWS RDS deployments and automate database backup and restore activities using AWS native snapshots and the CommVault API.
- Participate in BAU database activities across technologies including Postgres, MongoDB, Informix and Oracle.
- Act as SME for Database Platform queries, providing expert guidance across supported technologies.
- Research industry best practice in database services and provide recommendations to improve technical solutions, operational resilience and business outcomes.
- Mentor junior colleagues and support knowledge transfer through training, coaching and documentation.
- Monitor database alerts and respond appropriately to incidents, issues and service risks.
- Contribute to the scoping, research, vendor selection, implementation, configuration, documentation and rollout of strategic database technologies.
- Ensure database platform practices comply with RoS Information Security standards, policies and procedures, while identifying improvements to controls and processes that support ISO 27001 accreditation.
Key Responsibilities
Essential Criteria – Skills and Attributes for Success
Technical experience: We will assess you against the following Technical Experience during the application and assessment process:
- AWS IAM, S3, EC2
- Gitlab CI Pipelines
- AWS OpenSearch
- Bash Shell Scripting
- Serverless (Lambda)
- Typescript
- CDK and AWS Development tools including Cloud Formation
- SQL RDS and PostgreSQL
- Monitoring solutions (e.g., CloudWatch, Grafana)
- Experience managing DR practice events, run book definition, and continuous improvement practices
- Well-versed in backup services with a particular experience with Commvault software
- Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex challenges and deliver robust solutions within tight deadlines.
- Adaptable and collaborative, with a track record of working effectively in agile environments alongside diverse, cross-functional teams.
- Experience delivering new software that consumes services from a centralised database management team, including the following technologies: Oracle, Informix, MongoDB, Ansible.
Behaviours
You will be assessed and scored against all the below behaviours on the assessment stage:
- Communicating and Influencing and Working Together: Translate complex concepts into clear, actionable updates for non-technical colleagues, senior stakeholders, and third-party vendors. Build trusted working relationships across architecture, security, cloud, and vendor teams to deliver integrated, reliable infrastructure solutions. Influence change decisions by presenting balanced recommendations on risks, costs, and benefits, ensuring alignment with IT strategy and security standards.
- Leadership: Act as the escalation point for database related issues, providing direction and confidence to junior engineers during high-pressure incidents. Mentor and upskill less experienced team members through knowledge transfer sessions and technical guidance, fostering professional growth. Role-model inclusive and collaborative behaviours, ensuring all voices are heard during design discussions and incident reviews.
- Making Effective Decisions: Use data from monitoring platforms and vendor inputs to assess risks and prioritise actions in real time during outages or security alerts. Balance tactical fixes with strategic improvements, presenting well-evidenced options to senior colleagues for investments or upgrades. Evaluate emerging technologies and raise clear, evidence-based business cases where adoption brings tangible benefits.
- Managing a Quality Service: Proactively monitor availability, performance, and security, taking pre-emptive measures to minimise downtime and risk. Able to gauge capacity and plan upgrades and risk, able to manage lifecycle and replacement. Drive continuous improvement, aligning practices with ISO-27001 and recommending enhancements to procedures and controls. Work closely with suppliers and vendors to ensure robust SLAs, delivering value-for-money services and maintaining customer confidence.
Stage one - Application Process
To apply, click on 'Apply now' and complete the online application form. You will need to submit:
- A CV outlining your career history and how you meet the essential criteria (max 4 pages).
- Complete the application questions that are related to the nature of the role and the technical experience (500 words max).
- As part of the application stage you will have to complete a Hackerrank assessment that we will issue to you when the role closes. This assessment is regarding the technical experience requirements of the role.
Please note: If we receive a high volume of applications, we may complete an initial sift on the Technical Experience. We reserve the right to invite candidates to participate in a telephone interview prior to being further assessed. Applications that are not accompanied by CVs will not be scored. We would strongly recommend that your statement is written in the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action & Result) and suggest preparing your answers using software such as MS Word or Google Docs, and then uploading the file. We strongly advise you review our policy on responsible use of AI in the application process. RoS may check answers with an AI detection tool and will contact you for a pre-screening call to verify your responses. Applications and appointments are subject to a strict merit-based assessment process, in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.
Stage two – assessment
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to an in-person interview which will include the following:
- Behaviour based interview that will cover all the behaviours
- Technical exercise that will cover the technical experience
Behaviour based interview questions will be given to candidates 15 minutes before the start of the interview to allow candidates to prepare in advance. You will be able to take short notes with you into the interview from your preparation.
Recruitment timeline:
- Closing: 4th of June at 23:59
- Hackerrank: 5th of June
- Sift: week commences 8th of June
- Interviews 22nd of June (subject to change)
Information on Success Profiles
For further information on success profiles, visit our Success Profiles.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you progress to interview stage.
Reserve List
In the event that further posts are required, a reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for up to 12 months.
Nationality and immigration status
In general, only nationals from the following countries (and associations of countries) are eligible for employment in the Civil Service: the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and the Commonwealth. EU nationals (with settled or pre-settled status), certain EEA nationals, Swiss and Turkish nationals are also eligible for employment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a Level 1 Disclosure check. Individuals working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.
Diversity and inclusion
As a proud member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we welcome applications from disabled candidates. We’re not as diverse as we’d like yet, and we’re working on it. We especially welcome applications from underrepresented groups – people who are disabled, minoritised ethnic groups, and younger people (16-24 years of age).
Reasonable adjustments
We want everyone to have the chance to perform at their best. If you need any adjustments (for example, extra time, a hearing loop, materials in large font) in any part of our recruitment process, please get in touch via talent@ros.gov.uk. We will discuss adjustments individually with any candidates who request these.
DDaT supplement
This post is part of the Digital, Data and Technology profession (DDAT) and attracts a pay supplement. The DDaT allowance is applied to the role and not you as an individual. Therefore, in future, if you move to a role that does not attract this allowance, the allowance would be withdrawn. Similarly, if you move to a different role which attracts a DDaT allowance, the amount of that allowance would be driven by that role's Job Family alignment to the DDaT Pay Framework. The allowance is based on market benchmarking data and will be reviewed biennially. Following such review, the allowance may be increased, decreased or withdrawn where salary benchmarking data indicates this is appropriate.
Further information
For further information relating to RoS, including: Additional details on pay & benefits, The Civil Service Code, Complaints process, Use of AI in the application/recruitment process, please view our additional information page online. If you have any questions, please contact talent@ros.gov.uk.
Senior DevOps Database Engineer employer: Registers of Scotland
Registers of Scotland is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth. With a generous benefits package including up to 42 days of annual leave, substantial pension contributions, and flexible working arrangements, employees are empowered to thrive both personally and professionally. Join us in Edinburgh or Glasgow to contribute to meaningful projects that shape the future of land and property registration in Scotland while enjoying a supportive environment that values innovation and collaboration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior DevOps Database Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at Registers of Scotland on LinkedIn or other platforms. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for the interview process. It’s all about making connections!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the technical assessment by brushing up on your skills. Use platforms like Hackerrank to practice coding challenges related to AWS, Gitlab CI, and database management. The more prepared you are, the more confident you'll feel!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your problem-solving skills during the interview. Be ready to discuss past projects where you tackled complex challenges, especially in cloud migration or database management. Use the STAR method to structure your answers!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and the company culture right there.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior DevOps Database Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Craft a Stellar CV:Your CV is your first impression, so make it count! Highlight your relevant experience and skills that match the job description. Keep it concise, ideally no more than four pages, and ensure it’s easy to read.
Nail the Application Questions:When answering the application questions, use the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses. This helps us see how you tackle challenges and achieve results in your previous roles.
Show Off Your Technical Skills:Make sure to showcase your technical expertise clearly in your application. Mention specific tools and technologies you've worked with, especially those listed in the job description, like AWS, GitLab CI, and PostgreSQL.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us without any hiccups. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company!
How to prepare for a job interview at Registers of Scotland
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the technical skills listed in the job description, especially AWS services, GitLab CI, and database technologies like PostgreSQL. Brush up on your knowledge of Infrastructure as Code and be ready to discuss how you've applied these in past projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since the interview will include behavioural questions, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses. Think of specific examples where you demonstrated leadership, problem-solving, and collaboration, especially in high-pressure situations.
✨Show Your Passion for Innovation
Registers of Scotland values creativity and innovation, so be prepared to discuss how you’ve contributed to tech advancements in your previous roles. Share any experiences where you’ve evaluated new technologies or improved processes, particularly in a DevOps context.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
At the end of the interview, have a few thoughtful questions ready about the team dynamics, ongoing projects, or the company’s approach to digital transformation. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if it’s the right fit for you.
