Lead Platforms - Databases (Cloud)

Lead Platforms - Databases (Cloud)Applyremote type: Hybridlocations: Randburgtime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todaytime left to apply: End Date: June 1, 2026 (6 days left to apply)job requisition id: R- Empowering Africa's tomorrow, together one story at a time. With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group. Job Summary Lead the agile solution design, deployment & ongoing optimization & evolution of less complex enterprise wide technology platforms & delivery systems Job Description We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Platforms - Databases (Cloud) to drive the design, implementation, modernization, and operational leadership of enterprise database platforms within a Huawei Cloud Stack and hybrid cloud environment.This role combines strategic leadership, deep technical expertise, and operational accountability, with full ownership of database platform stability, performance, resilience, governance, and continuous improvement.The successful candidate will define the enterprise database strategy, lead transformation initiatives, and ensure highly available, secure, scalable, and optimized database services aligned to strict ITSM, risk, and performance standards. Key Responsibilities Cloud & Database Strategy Define and execute the enterprise database and cloud platform strategy aligned to business goals Establish and govern architecture standards, operational frameworks, and best practices Drive modernization, migration, and cloud-native adoption initiatives Standardize database platforms to enable consistent, scalable hybrid environments Provide technical leadership for cloud transformation programs Platform Engineering & Database Architecture Design, deploy, and manage highly available, scalable, and secure database platforms Lead database builds, migrations, upgrades, and patching across hybrid environments Architect and implement High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) solutions Drive: + Performance tuning + Capacity planning + Replication strategies + Backup and recovery frameworks Ensure strong security, compliance, and governance controls Support enterprise database technologies including: + PostgreSQL + MySQL + MariaDB + MongoDB + Redis Operational Excellence & ITSM Delivery Accountable for end-to-end ITIL-aligned service management: Lead Incident, Change, and Problem Management practices Ensure: + SLA compliance + Zero aged or stale incidents + Strong incident reduction and prevention Drive root cause analysis (RCA) and continuous improvement Maintain high change success rates with minimal business disruption Implement proactive monitoring, alerting, and event management Service Availability & Resilience Ensure availability for critical database platforms Maintain strong recovery capability aligned to RTO/RPO targets Ensure: + Backup integrity and successful restore testing + Regular DR testing and readiness Continuously optimize Mean Time to Recover (MTTR) Governance, Risk & Compliance Enforce governance across: + Security and compliance standards + Vulnerability management (no overdue critical risks) + Patch compliance Drive risk identification, mitigation, and closure Ensure audit readiness with zero repeat findings Maintain accurate CMDB, lifecycle management, and asset tagging Infrastructure Hygiene & Lifecycle Management Ensure: + Clean and accurate CMDB + Proper decommissioning of assets + Elimination of unused or stale environments Drive unsupported infrastructure remediation Maintain strong operational discipline and platform hygiene Optimization & Cost Efficiency Deliver continuous performance and cost improvements, including: + cost optimization initiatives + Resource right-sizing and capacity management + Data archiving and storage optimization Optimize license, infrastructure, and cloud consumption costs Automation & Continuous Improvement Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation frameworks Achieve high levels of automation for recurring operational tasks Standardize: + Runbooks + Operational procedures Enhance monitoring, observability, and self-healing capabilities Leadership & People Management Lead and mentor high-performing database and platform teams Define KPIs, technical roadmaps, and execution plans Drive capability uplift through training and certification programs Foster a culture of: + Accountability + Ownership + Continuous improvement + Innovation Conduct architecture reviews and governance forums Engage effectively with executive stakeholders and vendors Stakeholder & Service Delivery Management Act as a trusted advisor to business and leadership stakeholders Ensure: + High stakeholder satisfaction + Clear communication of risks and priorities Represent the function in governance, audit, and leadership forums Required Skills & Experience Experience 10+ years in enterprise database platforms and architecture 5+ years in cloud/platform leadership roles Strong experience in Huawei Cloud Stack and hybrid environments Proven leadership of large-scale transformation and modernization programs Technical Expertise Strong hands-on experience with: + PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB + MongoDB, Redis Deep expertise in: + High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) + Backup, recovery, and replication + Performance optimization and tuning Cloud & Infrastructure Huawei Cloud Stack architecture and operations Virtualization, storage, and networking fundamentals Infrastructure automation and scripting DevOps, Automation and Engineering Terraform, Ansible CI/CD pipelines Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Monitoring and observability platforms AIOP's Improving and implementing engineering capabilities to support the stack Leadership & Soft Skills Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills Ability to lead cross-functional technical teams Strategic thinking and problem-solving Executive reporting and presentation capability Strong governance, risk, and compliance mindset Education Bachelor's Degree: Information Technology Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank. Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised