Database administrator

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is seeking a Lead Data Platform Administrator to support the Website Modernisation Project. The role focuses on ensuring databases that underpin the modernised website and associated applications are secure, reliable, performant, and well governed.

Overview

The role sits within the AEC's broader CIOD environment, which is responsible for delivering robust ICT functions, maintaining election‐ready systems and supporting ICT transformation and modernisation initiatives.

Core Purpose

Provide lead‐level database administration across development, test, staging and production environments, with responsibility for architecture, optimisation, security controls, backup and recovery, operational support, documentation, governance and continuous improvement.

Scope / Responsibilities

• Design, administer and maintain database architecture, schemas, tables, views and naming conventions.
• Ensure data integrity and accuracy across database environments.
• Monitor and tune database performance, including indexes, queries, storage and connections.
• Support performance across development, test, staging and production environments.
• Implement and maintain backup, recovery and fail‐over procedures.
• Contribute to disaster‐recovery planning and testing.
• Apply database security hardening and access controls.
• Manage roles, privileges, encryption, patching and audit requirements.
• Safeguard information against unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
• Maintain compliance with AEC security and governance frameworks.
• Support controlled changes to database structures and configurations.
• Maintain versioned change records and technical documentation.
• Test database systems and upgrades.
• Debug, track, reproduce and resolve database‐related issues.
• Write and maintain logical and physical database descriptions.
• Work with developers to optimise SQL and data‐access patterns.
• Contribute to solution design and data‐modelling discussions.
• Support data migration, cleansing and validation activities.
• Assist with integrations, including CMS and API‐driven services.
• Provide operational support for database‐related incidents and problems.
• Provide specialist advice to project teams and stakeholders.
• Tailor explanations for technical and non‐technical audiences.
• Implement database documentation, guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve reliability, automation and operational efficiency.
• Support standardisation of database patterns and practices.

Key Deliverables and Service Outputs

• Secure, reliable and performant database environments.
• Database architecture, schema and configuration documentation.
• Backup, recovery and fail‐over procedures.
• Disaster‐recovery planning and testing inputs.
• Security hardening, access control and audit compliance support.
• Versioned database change records.
• Database testing, upgrade and issue‐resolution support.
• SQL optimisation and data‐access improvements.
• Data migration, cleansing and validation support.
• CMS and API integration support.
• Incident and problem management support.
• Database documentation, guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Continuous improvement recommendations for reliability, automation and operational efficiency.

Mandatory / Essential Criteria

• Experience administering enterprise databases such as MS SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL or MariaDB.
• Strong database performance tuning, monitoring and capacity‐planning experience.
• Experience implementing security controls, backups, recovery and high‐availability patterns.
• Experience working in line with governance and audit requirements.
• Proven ability to support upgrades, patches and structured change processes.
• Experience with testing and issue resolution.
• Experience collaborating with developers and technical teams to optimise queries and data design.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to provide sound technical advice to stakeholders at different levels.

Highly Regarded (Desirable) Experience

• Experience with AWS database services, such as RDS, Aurora, snapshots and Performance Insights.
• Experience with cloud‐hosted operational patterns.
• Experience supporting web platforms or CMS technologies.
• Drupal experience is desirable.
• Experience with data integrations using APIs.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with automated database deployment or schema management.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary Agile delivery teams.

Clearance Requirements

Candidates must hold an active Baseline security clearance prior to commencement and must be able to obtain Negative Vetting Level 1.

Contract Details

• Location: ACT
• Work arrangement: Hybrid
• Office location: AEC National Office, Canberra
• Maximum hours: 40 hours per week
• Estimated start date: Tuesday, 21 July 2026
• Initial contract duration: ASAP to 30 June 2027
• Extension term: Not applicable