Principal Oracle Database Administrator

Principal Oracle Database Administrator
IT Pro 4-Database Admin (9791DB)

Compensation: $150,000-$160,000 (depending on experience)

Please note, this position is not eligible for H-1B or Green Card sponsorship. This position does not offer a STEM OPT training program.

The University of Minnesota is committed to fostering local talent through employment opportunities. While this position utilizes a hybrid work modality, prospective applicants must be located either in the state of Minnesota or near the Wisconsin border OR otherwise open to relocation.

Position Summary:

The University of Minnesota is seeking a Principal Oracle Database Administrator to serve as the highest technical authority for its enterprise database environment. In this decisive leadership role, you will define the strategic architectural vision for the institution, crafting the roadmap to transition legacy infrastructure to a modern hybrid cloud environment while managing key vendor relationships to align with university goals.

As a technical leader, you will act as a primary mentor to the Oracle Database Services team and student employees, fostering a culture of professional growth. Also, this role will provide leadership in stakeholder representation and drive business value by managing the team backlog-balancing urgent feature requests with essential maintenance.

Underpinning these strategic and leadership responsibilities is your ownership of operational resilience. You will ensure business continuity for critical data like the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) data, Enterprise Reporting, Identity Management, and Department level data by designing robust disaster recovery plans, ensuring security compliance, and serving as the final escalation point for complex incidents.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategy, Architecture & Vendor Management (35%)
  • Define and execute the long-term technical strategy for database services, designing the
    architectural roadmap for the migration of workloads to Oracle Cloud services and
    Azure. Engage with other engineering teams comprising full stack solutions to deliver
    balanced solutions
  • Manage strategic vendor relationships by negotiating technical specifications for
    licensing, support contracts, and hardware acquisitions to ensure alignment with
    institutional goals.
  • Recommend capital and process improvements to the unit based on an understanding
    of best practices and industry standards.
  • Evaluate and authorize proposed architectural changes from vendors or internal
    development teams to ensure alignment with institutional standards.
    
• Technical Leadership & Workforce Development (25%)
  • Provide mentorship, coaching, and guidance to team members, fostering a culture of
    innovation and continuous improvement.
  • Supervise, mentor, and direct the work of student employees, providing technical
    guidance and professional development opportunities to the next generation of IT
    professionals.
  • Serve as the final point of escalation for complex database incidents, leading the
    resolution of critical outages affecting enterprise systems.
  • Lead working groups, committees, and collaborative efforts to implement major
    infrastructure upgrades and migrations.
    
• Operations, Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity (25%)
  • Architect and maintain comprehensive Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity
    plans; oversee regular simulations and restoration tests to ensure the University can
    sustain critical operations during catastrophic events.
  • Perform administration and maintenance of databases.
  • Execute complex installations, upgrades, patching, backup and recovery, and
    performance tuning for high-availability environments.
  • Plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to ensure data integrity and
    compliance with FERPA and other regulatory standards.
  • Participate in an on-call rotation to provide 24/7 incident support.
    
• Agile Product Ownership (15%)
  • Serve as the Product Owner for the Oracle Database Services team, managing the team
    backlog and prioritizing work based on business value and risk mitigation.
  • Plan and prioritize work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals,
    balancing business feature requests with critical technical maintenance.
  • Represent the database team during planning sessions, negotiating dependencies with
    cross-functional teams and communicating technical risks to non-technical stakeholders.
  • Define acceptance criteria for technical tasks and validate that completed work meets
    established standards for documentation, automation, and testing.

Required Qualifications:

• Education & Experience: BA/BS degree plus at least six years of relevant experience,
  or a master's degree plus at least four years of relevant experience.
• Core Technical Competency: Extensive experience administering Oracle Databases in
  a complex enterprise environment, including deep technical proficiency with Oracle RAC,
  Data Guard, and RMAN on Linux operating systems.
• Leadership Context: Experience acting in a Senior or Lead technical capacity, including
  responsibility for backup/recovery strategy and critical incident resolution

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strategic & Vendor Experience: Progressive experience in a Principal or Architect role
  leading hybrid cloud migrations (OCI, Azure, or AWS) and managing enterprise vendor
  relationships (licensing and contracts).
• Technical Leadership: Demonstrated success in mentoring technical teams and
  student employees, with a focus on fostering automation and professional development.
• Operational Expertise: Proven experience managing large-scale Higher Education
  ERP systems (e.g., PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, Ellucian Banner).
• Agile Product Ownership: Experience serving as a Product Owner (POPM,CSPO or
  similar certification preferred), with a proven ability to manage technical backlogs and
  negotiate priorities with business stakeholders.

Pay Range: $150,000 - $160,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).