Job Description
At Aberdeen, our ambition is to be the UK’s leading Wealth & Investments group. Strengthening talent and culture is one of our strategic priorities. We strive to make Aberdeen a great place to work so that we can attract and retain the industry’s best talent. Our people put our stakeholders at the heart of everything they do by helping us to make a positive difference to the lives of our clients, customers, colleagues, shareholders, and society. We are focused on growing our direct and advised wealth platforms and repositioning our specialist asset management business to meet client demand. We are committed to providing excellent client service, supported by leading technology and talent.
Our Businesses
* Interactive Investor (ii), the UK’s second largest direct‑to‑consumer investment platform, enables individuals in the UK to plan, save, and invest in the way that works for them.
* Our Adviser business provides financial planning solutions and technology for UK financial advisers, enabling them to create value for their customers.
* Our Investments business is a specialist asset manager that focuses on areas where we have both strength and scale to capitalise on the key themes shaping the market, through either public markets or alternative asset classes.
Key Responsibilities
Database Administration & Operations
* Administer, configure, and maintain Microsoft SQL Server (2012–2022) and Azure SQL databases across production, testing, and development environments.
* Manage and optimise Azure SQL offerings including Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL on Azure VMs, and related services (Elastic Pools, Hyperscale, Failover Groups).
* Perform installation, patching, upgrades, instance configuration, and monitoring of SQL Server environments.
* Implement and manage high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) solutions:
o Always On Availability Groups
o Failover Clustering
o Log Shipping / Replication
o Azure Geo‑replication
o Backups & Recovery using native SQL tools and Azure Backup
Performance & Optimization
* Conduct performance tuning and query optimisation using SQL Server DMVs, Query Store, Extended Events, Azure Monitor, Performance Insights, and other profiling tools.
* Optimize indexes, statistics, filegroups, and storage configurations.
* Analyse workloads and recommend improvements for cost‑efficient Azure resource utilisation.
Security & Compliance
* Implement and enforce database security best practices: encryption (TDE), auditing, row‑level security, role‑based access control, firewall rules, and Azure Active Directory integration.
* Support compliance and governance standards such as GDPR, ISO, SOC, and internal audit policies.
Automation & DevOps
* Automate routine DBA tasks using PowerShell, T‑SQL, Azure CLI and Terraform.
* Support CI/CD pipelines and automated database deployments via tools such as Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or Redgate.
* Build proactive monitoring, alerting, and capacity‑planning dashboards.
Design & Architecture
* Provide expert guidance on database schema design, data modelling, and storage architecture.
* Lead cloud migration projects from on‑prem SQL Server to Azure SQL platforms.
* Evaluate new technologies, contribute to enterprise data strategy, and drive platform modernisation.
Collaboration & Leadership
* Work closely with development teams, data engineers, infrastructure teams, and application owners to deliver resilient database solutions.
* Act as a mentor to junior DBAs and engineers.
* Participate in incident response, leading root‑cause analysis for database‑related issues.
Technical Skills & Experience Requirements
* 7+ years hands‑on experience administering SQL Server databases in enterprise environments.
* Deep expertise in:
o SQL Server Engine internals
o T‑SQL programming
o High availability & disaster recovery solutions
o Performance tuning & query optimisation
o Security and data protection
* Experience with cloud infrastructure concepts (networking, storage, identity).
* Strong proficiency with automation (PowerShell, Azure CLI, DevOps pipelines).
Nice‑to‑Have Skills
* Knowledge of Azure Data Factory, Azure Monitor, Azure Storage, and Log Analytics.
* Familiarity with ETL/ELT patterns and integration tools.
Education & Certifications
* Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
* Certifications such as:
o Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate
o Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
o MCSE (Data Platform or Data Management & Analytics)
Personal Attributes
* Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
* Excellent communication and documentation abilities.
* Ability to work independently and take ownership of complex problems.
* Continuous improvement mindset and passion for staying current with emerging database technologies.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. If you have a disability and would like to apply to one of our UK roles under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire. One of our team will reach out to support you through your application process.
Our Benefits
When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around. This includes 40 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance‑based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal. You can read more about our benefits here.
Inclusive Workplace
We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.
If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.
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