Lead Database Reliability Engineer

UKG; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

UKG is looking for a Production DBA in Melbourne to manage and optimise critical SQL Server and PostgreSQL environments. The role requires extensive experience and strong automation skills.

As a key player, you will ensure high availability and performance while leading incident response efforts. This position is essential in shaping UKG's database platform within a 24/7 support model, and candidates must have relevant experience and Australian PR/Citizenship.

Qualifications

• 7+ years as a Production DBA managing SQL Server and PostgreSQL environments.
• Experience in incident response and root cause analysis.
• Strong knowledge in automation and CI/CD practices.

Responsibilities

• Manage and optimise SQL Server and PostgreSQL environments.
• Lead incident response for critical production issues.
• Contribute to migration and capacity planning in cloud environments.

Skills

SQL Server administration

PostgreSQL administration

Automation and scripting

Performance tuning

Disaster recovery

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or related discipline

Tools

PowerShell

Python

Cloud platforms

Job description

Why UKG

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform, helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That’s what we do.

About the Role

Join a team responsible for large‑scale, business‑critical database platforms supporting 24/7 services. This role is ideal for an experienced Production DBA who enjoys solving complex technical challenges, improving reliability through automation, and leading operational excellence across SQL Server and PostgreSQL environments. You’ll play a key role in ensuring the availability, performance, security and scalability of our database platforms while working closely with engineering, infrastructure and platform teams. Alongside hands‑on technical work, you’ll provide leadership and guidance to other DBAs, helping build strong operational practices and continuous improvement across the team.

Responsibilities

• Manage and optimise SQL Server and PostgreSQL environments, supporting everything from performance tuning and monitoring through to high availability, disaster recovery and cloud modernisation initiatives.
• Lead incident response for critical production issues, drive root‑cause analysis, and identify opportunities to reduce operational effort through automation and standardisation.
• Shape our observability strategy, leveraging monitoring and alerting tools to improve service reliability and performance.
• Work in cloud environments, contributing to migration, capacity planning and cost optimisation initiatives while ensuring databases remain secure, compliant and resilient.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience supporting production SQL Server environments and strong PostgreSQL administration skills. You’re confident working with high‑availability architectures, performance tuning, replication technologies and database troubleshooting in complex enterprise environments.
• Strong automation and scripting capability, with experience using tools such as PowerShell, Python or similar technologies to improve operational efficiency. Experience with cloud platforms, managed database services, Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD practices will be highly regarded.
• 7+ years as a Production DBA and a degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or a related discipline (or equivalent experience). Industry certifications in SQL Server, PostgreSQL or cloud platforms are advantageous.
• You take ownership, remain calm during critical incidents, and enjoy collaborating across teams to deliver reliable, scalable services.

Additional Information

• This role participates in a 24/7 support model, including on‑call rotations and occasional out‑of‑hours support for critical incidents. In return, you’ll have the opportunity to work on complex, high‑impact systems while helping shape the future of our database platform and operational practices.
• Due to security and compliance regulations, only Australia PR holders with Australian Citizenship can be considered for this role.

Disability Accommodation

For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email [e-mail].

Company Overview

UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world's largest collection of workforce insights and people‑first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity and empower talent is unmatched. Learn more at ukg.com.

UKG is proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer and is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including the recruitment process.