Database & Data Platform Administrator

Summary Of Job Responsibilities

This position is dual role responsible for the reliability, security, and performance of on-premises and cloud data platforms supporting Colorado PERA systems. Key responsibilities include ensuring data availability by proactively monitoring database and data platform health, enforcing database standards and governance, troubleshooting issues, and advancing database management practices and policies. The position partners across IT and business teams to analyze requirements, design and implement data solutions, and drive continuous process improvements. It supports both the delivery of new data platform capabilities and the enhancement and maintenance of existing environments. Additionally, this role contributes to strategic planning alignment and provides guidance and mentorship to less-experienced database administrators, data engineers, and developers.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Individuals must be able to perform these duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Data Platform Engineering:
  • Drives DataOps maturity through CI/CD, automation, and observability best practices
  • Promotes DataOps practices including automated testing, version control, and deployment orchestration
  • Implements automated promotion processes and environment synchronization, including data overlays
  • Leverages deep understanding of business requirements to design and implement scalable, high-performance solutions using existing and new platforms and technologies, ensuring reliability, maintainability, and alignment with strategic objectives
  • Leads technical approach discussions and independently develops/proposes designs for complex data projects that meet established standards
  • Leads technical delivery of major projects and peer-reviews all designs for lean management efficiency
• Systems Engineering & Project Ownership:
  • Project Ownership: Owns assigned data platform projects by providing analysis, development, testing, and deployment; contributes to larger initiatives through effective collaboration with IT, AppDev and business SMEs.
  • Technical Solutioning: Leverages deep understanding of business requirements to design and implement scalable, high-performance solutions using existing and new platforms and technologies, ensuring reliability, maintainability, and alignment with strategic objectives.
  • Technical Design: Leads technical approach discussions and independently develops/proposes designs for complex data projects that meet established standards.
  • Lead Implementation: Translates architectural designs into complex technical builds. Leads the technical delivery of major projects and peer-reviews all designs for lean management efficiency.
• Operational Support & Stability:
  • Troubleshoots data systems issues (Tier 1/Tier 2) and resolves incidents (dependent on level: common issues / most issues / all issues without escalation).
  • Participates in the 24/7 data systems on-call rotation, taking tenacious ownership of system stability and minimizing downtime.
  • Documents new fixes discovered during the shift and conducts post-incident review to improve the team's knowledge.
• Operational Excellence:
  • Leads the stability of the entire data platform suite. Proactively identifies systemic risks and builds automated recovery/monitoring solutions.
  • Works with the Enterprise Data Architect to optimize and reduce technical debt.
  • Manages data platform upgrades and patching in compliance with policy.
• Vendor Coordination:
  • Acts as a technical liaison or Subject Matter Expert when working with vendors to resolve licensing, platform or integration issues.
• Data Governance & Integrity:
  • Defines solutions that support data quality, data linage, data access control, certified datasets to ensure trust in data assets.
  • Ensures that new data systems and development adhere to secure authentication and are compliant with access control policies.
• Documentation:
  • Develops and maintains high-quality technical requirements, solutioning, development, system support, and troubleshooting documentation.
• Process Governance:
  • Defines technical documentation standards for data platforms. Ensures the team's technical knowledge base is accurate, searchable, and audit-ready.
• Knowledge & Leadership:
  • Maintains an in-depth understanding of PERA’s enterprise data systems, business needs across Lines of Business, and underlying network/database environments.
  • Mentorship: Shares technical and institutional knowledge with the team, leading training and brainstorming sessions to drive continuous improvement.
  • Continuous Learning: Proactively stays current on evolving data technologies and industry best practices through frequent technical learning.
  • Technical Liaison: Acts as the primary bridge between the data team and organization’s technical and business teams for daily data operations. Manages data project scope and senior stakeholder expectations.

Job Qualifications

• Degree in technical (STEM) field and four years of experience in technical role preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Extensive enterprise data application integration and management experience.
• Advanced expertise with relational and transactional databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Snowflake, PostgreSQL.
• Expert level SQL data analysis and modeling experience.
• Expert level Multi-Tiered Oracle/SQL Server database application development experience using PL/SQL, T-SQL.
• In-depth understanding of database, security, server, and network environments preferred.
• Extensive experience with change management, incident tracking and version control.
• Experience managing both on-premises and cloud databases including database platform migrations.
• Proven success working with cross-functional business and technical teams.

Working Conditions

• Standard office environment with frequent telephone communication, computer operation, and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy and printer machine.
• Occasional moving and positioning supplies in excess of 20 pounds.
• All employees are expected to present themselves in a professional manner in alignment with the financial services industry.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time.
• Ability to operate standard PC equipment.
• Ability to manage frequent deadlines and tight schedules.

Hybrid Work Option

Opportunity to work from home up to three days per week after orientation and training subject performance and manager approval. Eligibility dependent upon factors detailed in PERA's Work from Home Policy.