Systems Architect Lead (Database Services)

Role Purpose

Database Architecture & Strategy

• Define and maintain enterprise database architecture standards and roadmaps for on premises, Azure, and GCP environments.
• Design scalable, secure, and highly available database architectures for mission critical systems.
• Lead architectural reviews and ensure alignment with enterprise standards

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop senior database engineers and DBAs.
• Allocate resources, set technical direction, and ensure adherence to best practices and operational standards.
• Drive a culture of reliability, automation, documentation, and continuous improvement.

Database Project Delivery

• Lead database related projects end to end, from requirements gathering and design through build, migration, go live, and support.
• Manage multi cloud and hybrid database migrations and modernization initiatives.
• Ensure delivery within agreed scope, timelines, and quality standards.

Database Platforms & Technologies

• Manage and operate SQL and NoSQL platforms across on premises, Azure, and GCP.
• Oversee native cloud database services including Azure SQL, Azure Managed Instances, Azure Fabric, and Google Cloud databases.
• Manage complex, high scale, and performance intensive SQL environments.

High Availability, DR & Integration

• Design and operate highly available and disaster resilient database architectures across hybrid and multi cloud environments.
• Ensure seamless integration between applications, data platforms, and analytics systems.
• Define and test backup, recovery, replication, and failover strategies.

Data Warehouse & Data Lake Management

• Manage, enhance, and operate enterprise data warehouses and data lakes.
• Ensure data platforms are highly available, optimized, and aligned with analytics and reporting needs.
• Drive performance tuning, capacity planning, and cost optimization.

Operations, Monitoring & Performance

• Ensure 24x7 reliability, monitoring, and proactive management of all database environments.
• Define KPIs, SLAs, and operational dashboards for performance, availability, and capacity.
• Lead root cause analysis and continuous service improvement initiatives.

Security, Risk & Compliance

• Define and enforce database security standards, access controls, encryption, and auditing.
• Ensure compliance with organizational security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead vulnerability management, patching, and security hardening activities.

Stakeholder Communication

• Act as the primary technical interface with application teams, architects, vendors, and business users.
• Translate business requirements into robust database solutions.
• Provide clear technical guidance, documentation, presentation and executive level communication when required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in database engineering, architecture, and operations in large scale enterprise environments.
• Proven experience leading senior engineers and DBAs in complex, mission critical environments.
• Strong hands on and architectural experience with on premises, hybrid, and multi cloud database platforms (Azure and GCP).
• Demonstrated experience in leading end to end database projects, including migrations and modernization initiatives.
• Extensive experience with high availability, disaster recovery, performance tuning, and large scale SQL environments.
• Strong background in data warehouse and data lake platforms and operations.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Relevant professional certifications are highly desirable, such as:
• 1.
• Microsoft Azure Database / Data / Architect certifications
• 2.
• Google Cloud Professional Database Engineer or Architect
• 3.
• ITIL or equivalent service management certification
• Advanced expertise in SQL Server and enterprise grade SQL platforms.
• Strong experience with Azure SQL, Azure Managed Instance, Azure Fabric, and related Azure data services.
• Strong experience with Google Cloud database services.
• Deep knowledge of database security, encryption, auditing, and compliance controls.
• Proven skills in monitoring, automation, performance tuning, and capacity management.
• Strong understanding of integration patterns, analytics platforms, and data pipelines.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.