DBA team leader

EFG Private Banking; Genf; On-site; CHF 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

EFG International in Geneva is seeking a highly experienced DBA Team Leader to drive database availability, security, and performance across Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Azure services. You will blend hands-on technical leadership with people management, service ownership, and governance in a high‑availability banking environment.

You will lead a multicultural team, define standards for backup, security, monitoring, and DR, and coordinate with Development, Infrastructure, Cloud,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, or a related field.
• 10+ years in database administration in high-availability environments.
• Experience leading DBA teams or infrastructure teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the DBA team, set priorities and mentor.
• Own lifecycle management of Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Azure services.
• Define standards for architecture, security, backups, monitoring, and recovery.
• Ensure availability, resilience, and recoverability with DR designs.
• Lead incident, problem, and change management for database services.
• Drive performance tuning, capacity planning, and cloud adoption.
• Collaborate with Security, Risk, Compliance and other teams.

Skills

Oracle DBA

SQL Server DBA

High availability / DR

Cloud & hybrid architectures

Automation scripting

Vendor management

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Postgraduate degree or certifications in database tech or cloud

Tools

Oracle Exadata

Oracle Data Guard

Azure SQL Database

SQL Server

MySQL

PostgreSQL

Job description

Job Description

General Info

• Department: IT & Digital – Database Administration
• Work time Percentage: 100%
• Location: Switzerland, Geneva

Our Company

EFG International is a global private banking group, offering private banking and asset management services. We serve clients in over 40 locations worldwide. EFG International offers a stimulating and dynamic work environment and strives to be an employer of choice. EFG is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive working environment that is founded on the principle of mutual respect. Joining our team means experiencing a supportive environment, where your contributions are valued and recognised. We strongly believe that the diversity of our teams gives us a competitive advantage by fostering better decision‑making and greater innovation.

Our Purpose and Mission

Empowering entrepreneurial minds to create value – today and for the future. We are a private bank, offering personalised solutions on a global scale to private and institutional clients. Our sustainable success is based on our talents and on how we partner with our clients and communities to create lasting value.

Job Description

As DBA Team Leader, you will lead EFG’s database administration function and be accountable for the availability, security, performance, resilience, and lifecycle management of the bank’s database platforms. This role combines hands‑on technical leadership with people management, service ownership, operational governance, capacity planning, automation, and continuous improvement.

You will oversee a heterogeneous database landscape (including Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Azure database services), ensuring robust support for business‑critical banking applications, regulatory requirements, and strategic transformation projects. You will also drive database optimisation and innovation, contributing to the evolution of EFG’s database strategy across on‑premises, hybrid, and cloud environments.

The position is based in Geneva and may require participation in an on‑call rotation and occasional work during weekends to support planned activities and critical incidents.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the DBA team, setting priorities, allocating work, and ensuring appropriate skills coverage, mentoring, and knowledge transfer.
• Own the operational delivery and lifecycle management of the bank’s Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Azure database services, ensuring stable and efficient platforms for business‑critical systems.
• Define, implement, and enforce standards for database architecture, engineering, security, backup and recovery, monitoring, patching, and performance, in line with regulatory, risk, and audit expectations.
• Ensure database availability, resilience, capacity, and recoverability in accordance with agreed service levels and business continuity requirements, including high‑availability and disaster‑recovery architectures (e.g. Oracle Exadata, Oracle Data Guard).
• Lead incident, problem, and change management activities for database services, including root‑cause analysis, preventive actions, and clear communication to IT management and key stakeholders.
• Drive performance tuning, capacity planning, upgrades, migrations, platform consolidation, and cloud adoption initiatives, supporting the bank’s digital and data strategy.
• Maintain effective controls for privileged access, vulnerability remediation, data protection, audit evidence, and compliance, in close collaboration with Information Security, Risk, and Compliance functions.
• Partner with Application Development, Infrastructure, Cloud, Architecture, Security, and Project Management teams to design and deliver secure, scalable, and supportable database solutions for new and existing applications.
• Manage relationships with external service providers and vendors, including licences, maintenance contracts, and database‑related budgets, within the agreed governance framework.
• Organise and participate in the on‑call rotation, ensuring appropriate operational coverage and readiness, and provide senior escalation support for complex database issues and business‑critical projects.

Requirements And Qualifications

Education

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Preferred: Postgraduate degree and/or relevant professional certifications in database technologies or cloud platforms are an advantage.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in database administration in complex, high‑availability environments, ideally within financial services or similarly regulated industries.
• Several years of proven experience in a technical leadership and/or people‑management role, leading DBA teams or similar infrastructure teams.
• Demonstrated track record in managing mission‑critical database platforms supporting core business applications and regulatory requirements.

Technical and Functional Knowledge

• Advanced, hands‑on expertise in Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server administration, including installation, configuration, performance tuning, backup and recovery, and troubleshooting.
• Practical experience with MySQL and PostgreSQL; exposure to heterogeneous database environments is a strong asset.
• Strong experience with Oracle Exadata, Oracle Data Guard, and high‑availability and disaster‑recovery architectures.
• Deep understanding of database architecture, performance optimisation, capacity management, security, resilience, and platform lifecycle management.
• Experience with Azure SQL Database and other Azure data services, including hybrid and cloud migration scenarios, is highly desirable.
• Proficiency with scripting and automation tools used to standardise and improve database operations and monitoring.
• Strong service ownership mindset, with proven capabilities in planning, vendor management, risk management, and decision‑making.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to explain technical risks, options, and recommendations to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Ability to remain composed, provide clear leadership, and make sound decisions during critical incidents in high‑availability, business‑critical environments.
• Willingness and flexibility to lead and participate in an on‑call rotation and to support planned work outside normal business hours, including weekends when required.

Languages

• Fluent in French and English (spoken and written). Additional languages are an asset.

Our Values

• Accountability: Taking ownership for tasks and challenges, as well as seeking continuous improvement
• Hands‑on: Being proactive to rapidly deliver high‑quality results
• Passionate: Being committed and striving for excellence
• Solution‑driven: Focusing on client outcomes and treating clients fairly with a risk‑aware mindset
• Partnership‑oriented: Promoting collaboration and teamwork. Working together with an entrepreneurial spirit.