Technical Lead - Database

Role overview:

We are seeking a permanent Database Lead / Director to own the database technical and service layer end to end - across fully managed, managed-instance, and self-hosted platforms including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL - within a large PCI DSS scope. This is both a leadership and a deeply technical role: you will build and lead the DBA pod, set strategy and standards, act as senior design authority and final escalation point, and carry Planet’s data platforms forward sustainably - automation-first, cost-aware (FinOps), resilient, secure, and built to scale. The role reports to the VP- Global Technology Operations 
 

What you will do:

• Strategy & technical ownership — Own the strategy, architecture, standards, and roadmap for the entire database estate across AWS, Azure, and on-prem; act as senior design authority and final escalation point for database matters.  

• Team leadership & build-out — Build, lead, and mentor the in-house DBA pod; define roles, uplift skills (including AWS and Azure certification), and foster a culture of engineering excellence and continuous improvement.  

• Sustainable operations & FinOps — Embed FinOps as a daily discipline: right-size platforms, optimise licensing and cloud spend, and balance managed-service adoption against engineering effort to keep the estate cost-effective and sustainable.  

• Reliability, HA & DR — Set and assure resilience standards: high availability, disaster recovery, backup and recovery, and RTO/RPO across managed and self-hosted platforms 

• Security & compliance — Own database security posture and PCI DSS compliance from day one (encryption, access control, auditing, segregation of duties); partner with Security and Compliance on evidence collection and audits.  

• Automation & engineering standards — Champion an automation-first, infrastructure-as-code approach (Terraform, CI/CD for database change) and set schema, code-review, and operational standards across the pod.  

• Performance & capacity — Govern performance tuning, capacity planning, and forecasting to support Planet’s growth and changing workload profile.  

• Governance & vendor management — Own database governance, SLAs, and vendor / partner relationships, including licensing, support, and managed-service providers.  

• Stakeholder leadership — Partner with application, platform, security, and infrastructure leaders; translate business needs into a scalable, future-proof data platform strategy, and keep SOPs, runbooks, DR playbooks, and architecture documentation to audit standard. 
   

Who you are:

• Proven leadership of database / DBA teams at lead, principal, or director level, combining people leadership with hands-on technical authority.  

• Deep, current expertise across Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle, with MySQL / PostgreSQL and NoSQL exposure.  

• Track record setting database strategy, standards, and architecture across a complex, hybrid estate.  

• Enterprise-scale HA/DR, backup / recovery, and business-continuity design, consistently meeting RTO/RPO.  

• FinOps / cost-optimisation and capacity planning for cloud consumption and licensing.  

• Database security and regulatory compliance - PCI DSS (or comparable such as SOC 2 / ISO 27001) in a payments or regulated environment.  

• Automation and infrastructure-as-code mindset (Terraform, CI/CD, database DevOps).  

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management, with a track record of building and retaining high-performing teams.  

• Payments / financial services background and familiarity with PCI DSS audit cycles (desirable).  

• Experience standing up an in-house capability, transitioning from an outsourced / managed-tower model (desirable).  

• NoSQL and modern data platforms (Cosmos DB, DynamoDB, MongoDB) and data-governance frameworks (desirable).  

• Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Azure Database Administrator / Solutions Architect, AWS Database Specialty, or Oracle OCP / OCM (desirable).  

• Degree in Computer Science or a related discipline, or equivalent experience (desirable).  

Success Measures 

End-to-end ownership of Planet’s database estate - managed, managed-instance, and lift-and-shift platforms (MS SQL, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and NoSQL) within a large PCI DSS scope

Why Planet:

Planet is an equal opportunity employer where diversity is valued, and all employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.

Come and grow your career in the most exciting, fast paced technology market, with a business that delivers feel-good connected commerce.