Senior IT Database and Web Platform Engineer

Keen to become part of a truly global, collaborative team of professionals? Your journey begins here.

Job Title

Senior IT Database and Web Platform Engineer

Office Location

Birmingham

Department

Information Technology

The Information Infrastructure team is responsible globally for the design, development, management, architecture, operation, and full lifecycle of all of the firm’s information infrastructure.

This includes, but not limited to, DevOps, SQL Server configuration and performance, web application infrastructure and support, SharePoint architecture and infrastructure, reporting infrastructure, Single sign-on (SSO), and Azure Cloud Services. The team works very closely with IT Application groups and across all Business Services functions to deliver changes to key platforms and systems.

Working Hours

35 hours per week, 9:30am to 5:30pm but additional hours may be required.  We are happy to consider agile and flexible working patterns.  Our approach to hybrid working allows for up to 40% of time working from home and 60% working in the office, please contact a member of the recruitment team to discuss further.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide third-line support to a rich array of high profile legal and information systems which are fundamental to the firm.

• Proactive management and analysis of the global server estate which encompasses web, SSO, SharePoint, and SQL server infrastructure, and identify opportunities for improvement.

• Ensure the design and architecture of web, SharePoint, Azure Cloud Services, and SSO infrastructure meets the underlying service level targets.

• Daily monitoring and optimisation, adhering to Microsoft best practice guidelines, to ensure all servers and environment are performing to their optimal ability.

• Deep dive technical troubleshooting when issues are escalated by support functions.

• Technology and system innovation to ensure current systems are kept up-to-date and within software and hardware supported guidelines and recommendations.

• Work collaboratively with other Business Services and vendor teams, with a focus on prompt delivery of deployments, support, and continually improvement to service offerings in a rapidly changing environment.

• Provide support and direction on the firm’s SQL estate, SharePoint estate, Azure Cloud Services, SSO, and identity management, working with Business Service teams and vendors in supporting and improving the service offerings.

• Manage Azure Cloud Services, SSO and SQL estate globally, ensuring availability, load balancing, and disaster recovery solutions are operational.

• Manage web and SharePoint farm estate globally, ensuring operational uptime and deliver improvement to services through code releases and deployments.

• Deliver code releases, platform upgrades, and deployments to the firm’s infrastructure, ensuring work meets change process and delivery standards.

• Seek to improve performance levels by taking advantage of new technology and anticipating changes in market practices, industry trends, process trends, etc.

• Review and improve processes regularly; identify inefficiencies and improve operational processes through system documentation and knowledge articles in the firm’s CMDB.

Specific duties or responsibilities may be reviewed from time to time to reflect changes in personnel and management structure, staff location or services. All members of the firm participate in our Responsible Business program.

Skills & Experience

Qualifications & Training

• Extensive administration and understanding of SharePoint, Web, SQL, and SSO.

• Applied knowledge of native SQL high-availability and disaster recovery options including Always-On, Mirroring, Replication, Log Shipping and Clustering.

• Experience in migrations to Azure SQL Paas services desirable.

• Deep knowledge and strong experience of managing web farm infrastructure, including load balancing best practices. F5 BigIP knowledge is desirable. 

• Experience in managing and migrating applications to Azure PaaS services like App Service Plan, Function Service, and Kubernetes desirable.

• Experience working in a law firm environment or in a similar professional services culture desirable.

General Attributes

• Ability to perform SQL Server migrations, database migrations and web application migrations.

• Ability to build environments, support services, and create custom PowerShell scripts.

• Be a role model in terms of style, teamwork, and pace.

• Ability to make sound decisions based on a combination of analysis, experience, and judgement.

• Strong attention to detail and methodical at all times.

• Skilled communicator with the ability to listen, influence, and collaborate with others in order to achieve team goals.

• Highly skilled at analytical and problem solving with the ability to provide practical and creative solutions using automation.

Equal Opportunities Employment & Agile Working Statement

It is the policy of Hogan Lovells to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion. Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of racial or ethnic origin, religion, sex, gender and gender identity, age, sexual orientation, marital and civil partnership status, pregnancy or disability.

Our goal is to embed flexibility across our business by giving everyone the opportunity to work in an agile way, whether as a regular pattern or on an ad hoc basis, and we will be happy to discuss this further.