Senior DB2 Database Administrator

As a Senior DB2 Database Administrator with significant experience in working with DB2 databases with extensive background in large scale, complex database management you will be in your element in our DMI Operations Team

Digital Media Initiative (DMI) is a pan-BBC project to transform the way we make programmes and will enable the BBC to move to digital production. This long-term project will allow us to exploit our content effectively, simplify multiplatform delivery, ease access to archive material and ultimately lead to lower production cost.

Fabric will be built on a high availability, multi-location infrastructure and has adopted a service orientated approach to building the required functionality. The project is being delivered using an iterative and incremental approach underpinned by Agile and practices in a SCRUM development environment.

The DMI Operations team is responsible for supporting the infrastructure and applications underpinning the Fabric Solution.

As a Senior DB2 Database Administrator you will be responsible for managing the configuration, installation and maintenance of databases within the production and development Fabric environments. Database servers run on Linux platforms in a core and replica pair. Strong skills in automating tasks, an ability to identify areas for improvement, performance tuning, as well as significant experience in managing data across multiple databases and schemas including a high-availability database environment is essential.

There may the opportunity for an experienced and skilled Senior Oracle DBA to cross-train to a Senior DB2 DBA in this role.

Reporting directly to the EM3 Team Leader, the person will be responsible for:
• Integrity and availability of databases using SQL replication, DB2 high-availability
• Ensuring security of data
• Automation of tasks
• Performance tuning
• Upgrades and patches as required
• Producing detailed database documentation, data standards, procedures and definitions for the data dictionary (‘metadata’)
• Improving, managing and testing backups and recovery plans
• Working with other DBAs, SysAdmins, Developers and management as required
• Support data migration activities and multiple dev/ test tiers
• Leading in design reviews to verify that design meets quality standards and functional/ technical requirements. Make recommendations on functional and technical improvements
• Review and assess change requests raised against supported platforms, commenting on potential risks or issues. Liaise with business and 3rd party vendors to capture and analyse any requested changes against these platforms
• Assess technical change requests, work packages, defect management and implementation of changes into production

Person Specification

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Significant DB2 UDB v9.x on Linux (or Unix) x64 platform in a production environment
• DB2 SQL replication
• DB2HAICU to configure TSA High-Availability
• Unix shell scripting skills
• Significant experience in working with DB2 databases with extensive background in large scale, complex database management
• Extensive knowledge of SQL and related query languages and protocols
• Considerable practical expertise in DB2 (including scalability)
• Understand the complexity of managing data across multiple environments (development, test, stage) in a high pressure, collaborative culture
• Provide on-call (off-hour and weekend) support for application databases
• Excellent communication skills – written, verbal and able to influence at all levels
• Ability and willingness to work collaboratively with users to ensure business objectives are met in building constructive business relationships
• Ability to work unsupervised and uses initiative when necessary. Deal with conflicting priorities calmly and effectively
• Strong relationship building and management skills with colleagues and users in pursuit of delivering high quality services whilst maintaining targets
• Strong analytical skills and able to make sense of complex and logical problems quickly
• Ability to prepare and present detailed oral and written reports, presentations, and recommendations and perform necessary research or investigations to a variety of stakeholders.
• Identify, and provide resolutions to complex procedural and process issues in maintaining a ‘Continuous Improvement’ philosophy

Desirable

• Experience of working in either a broadcasting or software engineering organisation
• Familiarity with JIRA for the tracking of bugs and defects, and project reporting
• Agile software development, and those practices in a SCRUM development environment
• IBM product familiarity – WebSphere suite, iLog and Tivoli security

To apply, please click on the APPLY Button to be redirected to the BBC website.

Closing date: 7 February 2012.