Lead Database Engineer

DWP Digital; Newcastle upon Tyne; Hybrid; GBP 78,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading government digital service is seeking a Lead Database Engineer in Newcastle upon Tyne. You will build and maintain centralized Data Platforms, lead a team in database services, and shape infrastructural strategies. The role offers up to £92,522 salary, hybrid working, and a strong pension plan. You'll enjoy significant holidays and diverse perks in a recognized workplace promoting innovation and inclusivity.

Benefits

Civil service pension with employer contributions

Flexible working hours

Professional development opportunities

Time off for volunteering

Discounts on shopping and activities

Qualifications

• Experience in building and developing Data Platforms.
• Proficient with Oracle Database technologies and Public Cloud Technologies.
• Strong technical leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the department's database and infrastructure services run smoothly.
• Shape the direction for database design and support.
• Guide teams through major incidents and maintain compliance.

Skills

Building and developing centralised Data Platforms

Oracle Database technologies

Providing technical leadership

Applying Agile principles

Influential communication

Job description

Lead Database Engineer

Pay up to £92,522 plus 28.97% employer pension contributions, choice of locations, hybrid working, flexible hours, and great work life balance.

DWP. Digital with Purpose.

We are looking for a Lead Database Engineer to join our community of tech experts in our Hybrid Cloud Services Database Platforms team.

We're using fresh ideas and leading-edge tech to build and maintain digital solutions that will be used by nearly every person in the UK, every day and at key moments in their lives.

DWP is the UK's largest government department. We are the UK's largest payer, making around £280 billion in payments every year, a third of all BACS traffic, to support and empower millions of people.

The scale of what we do is extraordinary, and our purpose is unique. We'd love you to join us.

What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?

• Building and developing centralised Data Platforms for collecting and analysing large sets of data originating from disparate sources.
• Oracle Database technologies (RAC, Dataguard, RMAN Backup and Recovery) and Public Cloud Technologies (particularly OCI and AWS).
• Providing technical leadership and support within a team of Infrastructure Engineers with a proactive approach to self-development and teamwork.
• Ability to apply Agile principles to infrastructure delivery, fostering collaboration, iterative improvement, and adaptability to changing priorities.
• Influential, able to communicate and lead with impact across a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, tailoring messages to ensure that it is right for the audience.

You and your role

Being a Lead Database Engineer means spending your days making sure the department's database and infrastructure services run smoothly and are built with long‑term stability in mind. You're the person shaping the direction of how things should be designed, supported and improved, setting the standards the wider engineering community follows. A big part of the job is understanding how everything fits together so you can make smart choices that keep services reliable and aligned with what DWP actually needs.

You'll jump between strategic thinking and hands‑on leadership, working with suppliers to keep things compliant and up to standard, guiding roadmap and architecture work, and stepping in when major incidents happen to help teams quickly get everything back on track. You encourage better ways of working, support senior engineers through complex technical challenges, and help junior colleagues grow their skills. You're also the one who turns risks and raw data into insight that helps leaders make informed decisions.

On top of that, you're often the face of your area, representing the department with external partners and making sure good engineering practices are shared and adopted. You collaborate closely with other senior leaders, giving technical advice and shaping how future infrastructure will look. In short, your day is a mix of technical problem‑solving, people leadership, forward‑thinking strategy and making sure the services people rely on are robust, secure and constantly improving.

Details. Wages. Perks.

Location: You'll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Blackpool or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for you.

Hybrid Working: We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face to face in a hub.

Pay: We offer competitive pay of up to £92,522.

Pension: You'll get a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%, worth over £21,000 per year.

Holidays: A generous leave package starting at 26 days rising to 31 days over time. You can also take up to 3 extra days off a month on flexi-time. You'll also get all the usual public holidays.

We have a broad benefits package built around your work‑life balance which includes:

• Flexible working including flexible hours and flex-friendly policies
• Time off volunteering and charitable giving
• Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'
• Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
• Interest‑free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it's even easier for you to get to work and start making a difference
• Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.

And we have an award‑winning environment and culture:

• DWP have been recognised as 2024 Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence awards
• Diverse and Inclusive Leadership at Digital Leaders Awards 2024
• Commended as Best Place to Work in Digital category in the Computing Digital Technology Leaders awards 2025
• Recognised as one of the Best Public Sector Employers at 2025 Women In Tech Employer Awards

Process:

We know your time is valuable, so our application and selection process are just two stages:

Apply: complete your application on Civil Service Jobs. There'll be full instructions when you click through.

Interview: a single stage interview online.

CLICK APPLY for more information and to start your application.