The Role:
The DBA Manager is responsible for the operational management, performance, security, and continuous improvement of the organisation’s database services. Reporting into the Head of IT Infrastructure, the role leads the Database Administration (DBA) team and ensures database platforms are reliable, secure, scalable, and aligned with infrastructure standards and business requirements.
The role translates infrastructure strategy into effective database operations, providing strong leadership, technical assurance, and governance across database technologies in both cloud and on‑premise environments.
Responsibilities will include:
Database Services Management
Lead and manage the day‑to‑day operation of database services across the organisation.
Ensure high availability, performance, integrity, and reliability of all database platforms.
Oversee database installation, configuration, patching, upgrades, and lifecycle management.
Ensure effective backup, recovery, and disaster recovery solutions are in place and regularly tested.
DBA Team Leadership
Line manage the DBA team, setting clear objectives, priorities, and performance expectations.
Develop team capability through coaching, mentoring, and skills development.
Ensure appropriate resourcing, workload management, and resilience within the DBA function.
Foster a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Performance, Capacity & Reliability
Oversee database performance monitoring, tuning, and optimisation activities.
Lead capacity planning and forecasting for database platforms.
Ensure database services can scale to meet current and future business demand.
Act as an escalation point for complex or high‑impact database incidents and problems.
Security, Risk & Compliance
Ensure database environments comply with security policies, regulatory requirements, and best practice.
Work closely with Information Security, Risk, and Governance teams to manage database‑related risks.
Ensure appropriate access controls, encryption, and data protection measures are implemented.
Support audits and assurance activities by providing evidence of effective database controls.
Standards, Governance & Change
Define and maintain database standards, procedures, and operational documentation.
Ensure database changes follow change management and release processes.
Provide technical assurance for database‑related changes, designs, and projects.
Contribute to infrastructure governance and control activities as required.
Stakeholder & Vendor Management
Work closely with infrastructure, application, cloud, and service management teams.
Support projects and transformation initiatives with database expertise.
Manage relationships with database vendors and third‑party service providers.
Provide clear reporting on database service performance, risks, and improvement initiatives.
Skills and Experience
Significant experience in database administration roles, including team leadership or management.
Strong technical understanding of enterprise database platforms (e.g. SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, or equivalent).
Proven experience managing database performance, availability, backup, and recovery.
Experience operating databases in complex or enterprise environments.
Strong incident, problem, and change management experience.
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
Experience supporting cloud or hybrid database platforms.
Experience working in regulated environments.
Knowledge of infrastructure, security, and resilience best practices.
Relevant database or cloud certifications.
We offer all employees a comprehensive benefits package that focuses on their whole wellbeing. This includes hybrid working, a competitive base salary, non-contributory pension, discretionary bonus, insurances including health (family) and dental cover, and many other benefits to enhance financial, physical, social and psychological health.
About Canopius
Canopius is a global specialty lines (re)insurer. We are one of the leading insurers in the Lloyd’s of London insurance market with offices in the UK, US, Singapore, Australia and Bermuda.
At Canopius we foster a distinctive, positive culture which enables us to bring our whole selves to work to flourish as people, and build a business which delivers profitable, sustainable results.
Based in incredible new offices in the heart of the City of London, Canopius operates a flexible, hybrid working model and is committed to providing an environment that challenges employees to be their best and where everyone's unique contributions are recognised, valued and respected.
We are fully committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are made regardless of age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, religion or beliefs, marital or caring status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We encourage and welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds.
We make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and during employment. Please let us know if you require any information in an alternate format or any other reasonable adjustments.
Skills Required
- Significant experience in database administration, including team leadership or management
- Strong technical understanding of enterprise database platforms such as SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, or equivalent
- Proven experience managing database performance, availability, backup, and recovery
- Experience operating databases in complex or enterprise environments
- Strong incident, problem, and change management experience
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
- Experience supporting cloud or hybrid database platforms
- Experience working in regulated environments
- Knowledge of infrastructure, security, and resilience best practices
- Relevant database or cloud certifications
What We Do
Canopius is a global specialty and Property & Casualty (re)insurer serving clients through offices in the UK, the US, Bermuda, Singapore and Australia. The company provides underwriting and reinsurance coverage across more than 130 countries, using its international platform and broad market reach to support customers with specialty insurance solutions. Its business is focused on delivering world-class risk-transfer capacity across global markets.
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