Senior Database Manager - Disaster Recovery & Resilience

About the role

A Tier-1 bank in Abu Dhabi is recruiting an Executive Manager for its database resilience function, sitting within Group Business Services. The role leads the bank's disaster recovery strategy across primary and secondary core infrastructure, manages the Board-approved resilience roadmap, ensures high availability for critical banking applications and aligns disaster recovery with CBUAE regulatory standards.

Key responsibilities

• Own and deliver the technology resilience roadmap, covering core service dependencies, backup enhancements and out-of-region recovery readiness.
• Design and maintain recovery architectures (RPO/RTO) across core database platforms so there is zero operational downtime during major incidents.
• Lead enterprise DR drills and failover testing, identify recovery gaps and report readiness levels to senior management.
• Update the threat-scenario library and embed CBUAE Operational Resilience Framework requirements into recovery plans.
• Work with Enterprise Architecture, Operational Risk, Network/Infra teams and Oracle support vendors to maintain platform stability.
• Manage a direct team of 3-5 engineers and DBAs (within an 8-12 person department), setting performance objectives and driving project delivery.

Required profile

• 8+ years in database resilience, disaster recovery or technology business continuity within banking or financial institutions.
• Proven experience managing technical teams (3+ direct reports) and running enterprise-wide DR programmes.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, IT or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of CBUAE operational resilience frameworks or equivalent banking regulations.
• BCM certifications (MBCI, CBCP) or ITIL are preferred.

Required skills

• Oracle Exadata architecture and hands-on experience with Active Data Guard, RAC and Oracle MAA patterns.
• Disaster recovery planning and testing.