Database Reliability Engineer
First seen by Alion on Nov 10, 2026.
Database Reliability Engineer
Newcastle + Hybrid working
Up to £65,000
Your new role
I am currently recruiting for Database Reliability Engineer for my client based in Newcastle. The purpose of the Support and System Reliability Engineering (SSRE) team is to ensure the availability, reliability and optimal performance of the groups technology systems and infrastructure. The focus of this role is to maintain a stable and secure environment, prevent downtime and ensure that all database infrastructure and related systems are running efficiently.
The Database Reliability Engineer strives to implement best practice in system monitoring, incident management and disaster recovery, while continuing to improve the reliability, resilience and automation within the technology stack.
Responsibilities
Act as the SQL Server and T-SQL subject matter expert, providing technical leadership and best practice guidance.
Monitor, maintain, and optimise database performance, proactively identifying issues and implementing alerts to ensure service levels are met.
Perform database tuning, query optimisation, index management, and schema improvements to maximise performance and reliability.
Support capacity planning and scalability initiatives to meet future business and data growth requirements.
Manage backup, recovery, patching, upgrade, and disaster recovery processes, ensuring database resilience and availability.
Develop and maintain automation scripts to improve operational efficiency and reduce manual administration.
Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve database incidents and service issues in a timely manner.
Implement and maintain robust database security controls to protect business-critical data.
Produce and maintain technical documentation, architecture diagrams, operational procedures, and runbooks.
Collaborate closely with infrastructure, platform, application, and business teams to support and enhance database services.
Experience needed
Proven experience administering and supporting SQL Server (2012-2025), including performance tuning, maintenance, troubleshooting, and optimisation.
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Azure, including Azure SQL Managed Instance and cloud-based database services.
Advanced T-SQL development and query optimisation skills.
Minimum 5 years' experience in a Database Administrator or similar data platform role.
Good understanding of ITSM/ITIL processes and service management best practices.
Experience with database monitoring and management tools such as Redgate SQL Monitor or equivalent.
Familiarity with PowerShell or other scripting languages for automation and administration tasks.
Exposure to additional database technologies such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, or MySQL.
Experience working with cloud storage solutions and related Azure services.
Relevant Microsoft certifications would be advantageous.
A keen interest in emerging technologies, industry trends, and continuous improvement within the data and cloud space.
Benefits
27 days holiday + bank + ability to buy an extra week
15% company pension
10% bonus
Private medical
Onsite gym
Discounted parking
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk