Senior Applications Operations Engineer (Databases)

Job summary

​​This post is open to applicants who can meet the College’s nationality, UK residency and vetting requirements.​

About us:

Our mission is: Leadership, Standards, Performance. This guides our work with individuals, forces, and policing partners towards our vision. We exist to support police officers, police staff and volunteers to deliver the best service to the public. Only through high quality leadership, consistent standards and continual performance improvement can everyone in policing reach their full potential. Our mission guides our work with individual, forces and partners towards our vision.

Although we are a relatively small organisation, our work has a big reach. We are uniquely placed to work both with national policing organisations and local forces to support frontline officers, staff and volunteers in their day-to-day roles.

We offer a supportive and inclusive environment for people to thrive. Our extensive flexible-working policy, employee wellbeing support, family friendly policies, employers’ network for equality and inclusion membership (ENEI silver award winners), and status as a disability confident leader means everyone can bring their whole self to work.

Additional Information:

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

Due to our status as Public Servants, we are not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process. Therefore, while successful candidates can transfer in on their existing terms and conditions, any subsequent transfer out of the College to the Civil Service cannot be guaranteed on existing terms and conditions, and new starter/modernised terms may apply.

The College embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we comply with the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and apply the minimum selection criteria at sift stage of the recruitment process.

Our vetting

If you are successful at interview, you will be required to undertake pre-employment security checks. You will be sent a security questionnaire which must be accessed within 24 hours.

Please note, these checks can take up to 10 weeks. You will only be offered a start date after the checks have been completed. If the outcome of these checks is not satisfactory, your recommendation for employment will be withdrawn.

Job description

​​Join a small, specialist team responsible for supporting, managing and enhancing the College’s database infrastructure. You will provide database and data support for a national policing system used by UK police forces and other customers, while maintaining and developing both bespoke and third-party database solutions. We are seeking a Database Engineer with strong Microsoft data platform expertise, excellent problem-solving abilities and meticulous attention to detail to help meet a growing workload and support the continued delivery of critical services.​

Person specification

Some of your responsibilities will include: ​​

• Provide expert technical administration support, management and optimisation of the database systems, SQL Server and associated Microsoft database platform technologies ensuring high levels of performance, availability, integrity, security and resilience.​
• ​​Deliver specialist technical support to internal and external stakeholders, managing complex incidents, service requests, problem investigations and operational issues, ensuring timely resolution and high levels of customer service.​
• ​​Contribute to the design, development and enhancement of database and data platform solutions using Agile development methodologies, while actively supporting team collaboration knowledge sharing and professional development.​

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

• ​​Demonstrable expertise in SQL Server administration, including installation, configuration, monitoring, performance tuning, troubleshooting and maintenance across multiple database instances. ​
• ​​Experience working within Agile delivery teams and contributing across the full software development lifecycle.​
• Experience designing, developing and maintaining relational databases​.

Please see the attached job description which contains full details of the role.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Developing Self and Others
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical expertise in SQL Server administration, including installation, configuration, security, monitoring, and performance optimisation.
• Experience in database development and maintenance, including T-SQL (DDL/DML), integrity, indexing, statistics, and HADR solutions.
• Analytical mindset with strong attention to detail, supporting evidence-based recommendations and problem-solving.
• High level of IT literacy, including proficiency in MS Office and Microsoft data platform technologies (e.g. SQL Server).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,520, College of Policing contributes £10,579 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

College staff have Public Servant status. As a Public Servant, you are eligible to join the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The College is a great place to work. We're passionate about our people and offer a wide range of benefits, including (but not limited to):

• Defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Up to 31.5 days holiday (this is in addition to 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day)
• Continued professional development and structured career paths
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Flexi-time (for certain grades)
• Benenden Healthcare
• National Dental Plan
• Discounts for on-line shopping
• Free employee support line
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Rewards and recognition scheme
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

We also have a number of thriving staff networks that provide the opportunity for advice, support and to drive change. A place to get your voice heard, share experiences and challenge our working practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

For more information about our benefits and staff networks, visit What we offer as an employer , College of Policing

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our ca