The Senior Incident Operations & Optimization Specialist for Data & Middleware is a specialized technical leadership role requiring deep expertise in database technologies, messaging platforms, and application middleware. This position is essential to the Incident Reduction Program, as database and middleware systems generate significant operational incidents while serving as critical infrastructure for enterprise applications.
You will be responsible for building automated incident remediation workflows and achieving measurable incident reduction through intelligent correlation, threshold optimization, and automation while ensuring the health and performance of business-critical data and middleware platforms remain visible and protected. This role offers the opportunity to modernize observability and event management for the data layer and integration tier of enterprise architecture.
Key Responsibilities- Incident & Alert Analysis: Analyze and optimize monitoring across all database and middleware platforms to address high-volume, low-value alerts, identify patterns in incident generation, and determine root causes.
- Intelligent Event Management: Develop and implement domain-specific correlation, de-duplication, and suppression rules on AIOps and event management platforms. Create logic that understands database cluster relationships, messaging dependencies, and application-to-database connections.
- Automation & Self-Healing: Architect and develop automation playbooks for incident data enrichment and automated remediation of common database and middleware issues, such as connection pool resets or service restarts.
- Observability Enhancement: Identify monitoring gaps across the data and middleware landscape, proposing enhancements to ensure comprehensive health monitoring and address blind spots in transactional flows.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Database Administration (DBA), middleware engineering, and application teams to validate correlation logic, build consensus on threshold changes, and provide expert guidance on event management best practices.
- Quality Assurance: Continuously validate the effectiveness of implemented rules and automation, ensuring critical health indicators remain highly visible. Lead post-implementation reviews and drive iterative improvements.
- Experience: A minimum of 8+ years of hands-on experience in database administration, middleware engineering, or enterprise data platform operations.
- Event Management & Incident Reduction: Proven experience in event management, alert tuning, and incident reduction for data and middleware services, with measurable results. Direct, hands-on experience with modern AIOps and event management platforms is required.
- Technical Expertise:
- Deep knowledge of both relational (e.g., Oracle, SQL Server) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB) database technologies, including clustering, replication, and performance tuning.
- Expertise in middleware platforms, including messaging technologies (e.g., MQ, Kafka) and application servers (e.g., WebSphere, Tomcat).
- Automation & Scripting: Hands-on experience developing robust automation solutions using relevant scripting languages (e.g., Python, Shell) and modern automation frameworks.
- Data Analysis: Proficiency in log analysis, pattern recognition, and using query languages for data analysis on log aggregation platforms.
- Problem-Solving & Analytical Skills: Excellent analytical abilities with a systematic approach to troubleshooting complex data platform architectures and correlating infrastructure issues with application impact.
- Communication & Leadership: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with DBAs, middleware engineers, and application teams, and to present technical concepts to diverse audiences.
- An advanced degree (Master's) in a relevant technical field.
- Relevant industry certifications (e.g., Database, Middleware, Cloud, Automation, ITIL).
- Experience with Database as a Service (DBaaS) platforms and other database technologies.
- Knowledge of data governance, security, and compliance requirements in a regulated environment.
- Background in large-scale financial services environments.
- Experience with modern observability platforms, distributed tracing, and infrastructure-as-code (IaC) principles.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
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Job Family Group: Technology------------------------------------------------------
Job Family:Infrastructure------------------------------------------------------
Time Type:Full time------------------------------------------------------
Primary Location:Irving Texas United States------------------------------------------------------
Primary Location Full Time Salary Range:$125,760.00 - $188,640.00
In addition to salary, Citi’s offerings may also include, for eligible employees, discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards. Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including: medical, dental & vision coverage; 401(k); life, accident, and disability insurance; and wellness programs. Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays. For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com. Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.
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Most Relevant Skills Please see the requirements listed above.------------------------------------------------------
Other Relevant Skills For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.------------------------------------------------------
Anticipated Posting Close Date:------------------------------------------------------
Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi.
View Citi’s EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.
Skills Required
- Minimum of 8+ years of experience in database administration, middleware engineering or enterprise data platform operations
- Proven experience in event management, alert tuning and incident reduction for data and middleware services
- Deep knowledge of relational and NoSQL database technologies
- Expertise in middleware platforms, including messaging technologies and application servers
- Hands-on experience developing automation solutions using scripting languages
- Proficiency in log analysis and data analysis on log aggregation platforms
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
- Exceptional communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively
Citi Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Citi and has not been reviewed or approved by Citi.
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Healthcare Strength — Benefits coverage is positioned as comprehensive, including health, dental, and vision insurance plus on-site clinics, prescription drug support, and disability coverage. Family-building support such as fertility assistance is described as a notable differentiator within the overall package.
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are framed as strong, highlighted by a 401(k) with matching and additional plan options like a Roth 401(k). Financial support is reinforced through discounts and broader financial guidance resources tied to the benefits ecosystem.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing support extends beyond insurance through programs like an Employee Assistance Program, counseling/legal resources, and gym or wellness reimbursement. These offerings increase the perceived total rewards value even when cash compensation sentiment varies by role.
Citi Insights
What We Do
Citi's mission is to serve as a trusted partner to our clients by responsibly providing financial services that enable growth and economic progress. Our core activities are safeguarding assets, lending money, making payments and accessing the capital markets on behalf of our clients. We have 200 years of experience helping our clients meet the world's toughest challenges and embrace its greatest opportunities. We are Citi, the global bank – an institution connecting millions of people across hundreds of countries and cities.
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