Lead Database Administrator

Company Description

High performance isn't a given. It’s built on standards.

Standards that have driven McLaren for over 60 years.

And if you’re ready for the challenge, that standard is yours to own.

Burning enthusiasm. Constant improvement. The thrill in the pursuit of better.

That’s how we build a legacy. And how you build a career here.

Because racing isn’t just something we do. It’s who we are.

We are racers.

Are you?

Job Description

As Lead Database Administrator, you will lead the operation, performance and resilience of the databases that power McLaren F1. You will own the technical direction and health of a database estate spanning on-premises, cloud and trackside environments.

Working with platform engineering, Racing IT, software engineers and data scientists, you will establish high engineering standards, improve platform efficiency through optimisation and automation, and develop database expertise across the team. 

What You'll Do

• Own the availability, performance and integrity of relational, NoSQL, streaming and timeseries database platforms.
• Partner with engineering teams to develop flexible data models, optimise queries and support future performance and capacity needs.
• Improve monitoring, alerting and database operations to increase efficiency, reduce latency and support scaling.
• Maintain robust backup, recovery and disaster recovery capabilities while supporting data protection and security requirements.
• Drive database standards and automation across provisioning, schema changes, patching and upgrades.
• Lead the response to database incidents, including root cause analysis and resulting platform or process improvements.
• Evaluate technologies and application use cases to identify solutions that balance performance and cost efficiency.
• Lead database projects from planning and budgeting through to high-quality delivery.
• Provide technical direction, mentor colleagues and communicate complex concepts clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Qualifications

What You'll Have:

• Deep expertise in at least one relational database technology, such as SQL Server, MySQL or Postgres, including data modelling, indexing, stored procedures, access management and scalability.
• Experience with non-relational data systems, such as MongoDB, Kafka or InfluxDB.
• Strong database operations experience covering monitoring, high availability, disaster recovery and major incident response.
• Expert knowledge of query tuning, execution-plan analysis, indexing strategies and capacity analysis.
• The ability to diagnose complex performance issues across application, database and infrastructure layers.
• Experience using infrastructure-as-code and CI/CD tooling to automate database operations.
• Practical experience running data services on Kubernetes and across hybrid on-premises and cloud environments.
• Familiarity with NAS, SAN and DAS storage, together with cloud and edge deployment models.
• An understanding of data security, compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to navigate challenging conversations professionally.
• Experience mentoring or coaching others and sharing technical knowledge effectively.
• An adaptable, open-minded approach, with flexibility around working hours and occasional travel

Additional Information

Success in racing comes from bringing together talented people with different skills, perspectives and experiences. We're committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone feels supported and empowered to deliver their best work.

Every role has the potential to drive high performance. You'll be part of a team united by a shared ambition to push boundaries and embody our racing mindset. We invest in our people through opportunities to develop and grow, creating an environment where individuals and teams can thrive.

Alongside a range of wellbeing initiatives and development opportunities, we're committed to helping you build a rewarding career and make your mark at McLaren Racing.