Job summary
- Main area
- DDaT - Infrastructure
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 193-7727732COR
- Employer
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 19/02/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Database Administrator (DBA)
Band 7
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”
Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’.
We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions
We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate
We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live
We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success.
Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.
Job overview
The DBA is a key member of the Digital Data & Technology (DDaT)
Operations team, adding value for our patients through improving and
developing information services across the Trust and wider health and care system.
As the DBA you will be responsible for providing operational database
services to the organisation predominantly in SQL Server.
Tasks will include owning, tracking and resolving database related incidents and requests, fulfilling requests and resolving incidents within agreed timescales, reviewing service-related reports on a daily basis to ensure service-related issues are identified and resolved within established timescales.
You will respond to database related alerts and escalations and work with
other infrastructure engineers to come up with strategic solutions to
recurring problems.
Key to this role is establishing and maintaining communication with the
Trust’s service users and wider colleagues and customers to keep them
updated with status of their requests or raised issues.
The role holder will proactively escalate any issues that cannot be resolved within the established timeframes adhering to service level agreements to the infrastructure manager.
Main duties of the job
1. Knowledge and Expertise
Regular monitoring and custom daily checks
Database Development: Design and implement database solutions
Act as the Trust’s subject matter expert for SQL Server
2. Financial Management
Track the costs associated with database storage, hardware, and licensing
Identify cost-saving opportunities
Contribute to the financial planning of the IT department
3. Communication and Relationships
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
Serve as the key point of contact for any database-related inquiries
4. Planning and Organisation
Capacity and Performance Planning
Develop and implement strategies to ensure databases can accommodate growing data volumes and increased system usage.
Disaster Recovery Planning: Develop and regularly test disaster recovery (DR) plans for the SQL Server environment
5. Analytical and Judgement Skills
Perform root cause analysis on performance bottlenecks and system failures
Risk Assessment: Identify potential risks to the SQL Server estate
6. Continuous Improvement and Service Development
Process Automation: Continuously evaluate and improve database management processes
Propose and implement automated solutions for tasks such as backups, monitoring, and performance tuning.
7. Policy and Compliance
Policy Adherence: Ensure all database management activities comply with NHS standards, data protection regulations, and Trust policies.
Audit and Documentation: Maintain comprehensive records of all database configurations
Working for our organisation
Diversity makes us interesting… Inclusion is what will make us outstanding.
Inequality exists and the journey to eliminate it is not easy. Every step we take will be a purposeful step forward to deliver a truly inclusive culture where all our people are enabled to deliver outstanding care, where background is no barrier, and where everyone can be their authentic self and we truly represent our patient community.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where possible. All applicants who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the post can opt for a guaranteed interview.
If you need additional help with your application please get in touch by calling the recruitment team on 0118 322 6997 or 0118 322 5342.
Our primary method of communication will be via email. However, if you would prefer to be contacted through a different method, please inform the recruitment team.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Knowledge and Expertise
SQL Server Management
Regular monitoring and custom daily checks
Identify inefficiencies and optimise performance
Database Development: Design and implement database solutions
Security and Compliance
Implement strict access control, auditing, and encryption
Technical Leadership: Act as the Trust’s subject matter expert for SQL Server
Provide technical guidance to IT colleagues
Stay abreast of technological advancements
2. Financial Management
Cost Control: Manage and monitor the financial aspects of the SQL Server estate
Track the costs associated with database storage, hardware, and licensing
Identify cost-saving opportunities
Vendor Management: Ensure compliance with the Trust’s procurement policies while obtaining the best possible financial outcomes.
Budget Planning: Contribute to the financial planning of the IT department by providing cost forecasts for future database infrastructure needs
3. Communication and Relationships
Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Build strong relationships across clinical and administrative departments
Serve as the key point of contact for any database-related inquiries
Complex Technical Communication: Translate highly technical information regarding database performance, security, and upgrades into accessible language for non-technical audiences
Lead discussions with key stakeholders
Training and Support: Provide training and mentoring to IT staff on database administration and SQL Server best practices.
Develop comprehensive documentation and guidelines
4. Planning and Organisation
Capacity and Performance Planning
Develop and implement strategies to ensure databases can accommodate growing data volumes and increased system usage.
Lead on initiatives to optimise database performance
Disaster Recovery Planning: Develop and regularly test disaster recovery (DR) plans for the SQL Server environment
Lead DR exercises, document outcomes, and apply improvements
Upgrade and Patch Management: Plan and execute SQL Server upgrades and patches to keep the system up-to-date and secure.
Ensure that upgrades are carried out with minimal disruption to the Trust’s operations
5. Analytical and Judgement Skills
Problem-Solving and Troubleshooting
Perform root cause analysis on performance bottlenecks and system failures
Risk Assessment: Identify potential risks to the SQL Server estate
Provide recommendations on system improvements and cost-effective solutions
Decision-Making: Use sound judgment to make critical decisions regarding system upgrades, security enhancements, and resource allocation.
6. Continuous Improvement and Service Development
Process Automation: Continuously evaluate and improve database management processes
Propose and implement automated solutions for tasks such as backups, monitoring, and performance tuning.
Service Development: Lead the development of new database services•
Introduce innovative technologies and methodologies
Innovation and Best Practices: Stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices
Lead initiatives to adopt new tools and technologies that improve the Trust’s database management capabilities and reduce costs.
7. Policy and Compliance
Policy Adherence: Ensure all database management activities comply with NHS standards, data protection regulations, and Trust policies.•
Maintain detailed documentation of security protocols, access controls, and system configurations
Audit and Documentation: Maintain comprehensive records of all database configurations, updates, and performance metrics.
Prepare regular reports for senior management on database performance, security risks, and compliance with NHS standards.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience.
- Attended recognised professional training courses (e.g. SQL) or equivalent experience
- ITIL Certification
Desirable criteria
- Degree in relevant field; computer science, data management MSCE MCSA
Experience
Essential criteria
- Database Administration: Extensive experience managing large, complex SQL Server environments, including installation, configuration, performance tuning, and disaster recovery.
- Healthcare IT: Experience working within the NHS or another healthcare setting, with a deep understanding of clinical systems and data governance requirements.
- Significant experience of database performance tuning, optimisation and indexing Demonstrable experience in reviewing database solutions and making recommendations
Desirable criteria
- Cloud based SQL services
- Experience of working with business intelligence departments on data warehousing
Skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent knowledge of Windows Server technologies Specialist knowledge of, and highly proficient in: Microsoft SQL Server 2012/2016/2019 Data warehouses Data integration, Data migration
- Ability to communicate complex (potentially contentious or sensitive) analytical issues to data literate persons or groups at various levels.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Adam Howson
- Job title
- Infrastructure Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0118 322 5111
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