About this role:

Wells Fargo is seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Database Engineering and Operations to lead our multifaceted database teams. The ideal candidate will be responsible for the overarching strategy, architecture, security, and 24/7 availability of our entire database portfolio. This role is critical to our banking operations, ensuring our data assets are managed with the highest standards of integrity, performance, and regulatory compliance. You will be instrumental in driving our data platform strategy, leading the modernization of our database infrastructure from legacy to cloud-native, and enabling data-driven decision-making across the enterprise.

In this role, you will:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop, articulate, and execute a comprehensive database technology roadmap that aligns with the bank's business objectives. Provide visionary leadership, fostering a culture of technical excellence, automation, security, and continuous improvement.
• Holistic Database Management: Oversee the entire lifecycle (design, implementation, optimization, and maintenance) of all database systems.
• This includes:
  • Core Relational Databases: Oracle (RAC, Exadata, DataGuard) and Microsoft SQL Server (AlwaysOn Availability Groups).
  • Open Source Databases: Enterprise deployments of PostgreSQL and its variants.
  • NoSQL & New-Gen Databases: Platforms such as MongoDB, Cassandra, or Redis used for specialized, high-performance applications.
  • Cloud Database Services: Management of and migration to cloud-native databases on platforms like AWS (RDS, Aurora) and Azure (Azure SQL, Cosmos DB).
• Team Leadership and Development: Lead, mentor, and empower a high-performing team of database administrators, architects, and engineers. Set clear objectives, define career paths, and manage resource allocation to meet project and operational demands.
• Security, Governance, and Compliance: Champion a "security-first" mindset. Implement and enforce robust security controls, including data encryption at-rest and in-transit, robust access control models, and comprehensive audit logging. Ensure adherence to all relevant banking regulations (e.g., SOX, PCI DSS, GDPR).
• Performance, Resiliency, and Scalability: Lead efforts in proactive performance tuning, root cause analysis, and capacity planning across all database platforms. Define, measure, and meet strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs), and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs).
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: Own and enhance the bank's database backup, recovery, and high-availability strategies. Ensure plans are rigorously tested and capable of meeting the bank's continuity requirements.
• Financial and Vendor Management: Manage the database technology budget, including software licensing, support contracts, and cloud consumption. Lead negotiations with vendors like Oracle, Microsoft, and cloud providers to optimize total cost of ownership (TCO).
• Innovation and Modernization: Drive the evolution of the bank’s database landscape. Lead initiatives for cloud migration, adoption of Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) models, and the evaluation of emerging data technologies to support digital transformation.

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of Technology Strategic Leadership experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
• 4+ years of management or leadership experience

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field
• 8+ years in data platform roles
• 5+ years in a leadership or management position overseeing a database team within the banking or financial services industry
• Professional Certifications: High-level certifications such as Oracle Certified Master (OCM), Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or AWS Certified Solutions Architect
• Cloud Expertise: Proven experience migrating and managing databases in a major public cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), with specific knowledge of services like Amazon RDS/Aurora, Azure SQL/Cosmos DB
• NoSQL Experience: Hands-on experience with NoSQL technologies like MongoDB, Cassandra, or Redis
• Automation Mindset: Experience with infrastructure-as-code (IaC) principles and tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible) for database provisioning and management
• Framework Knowledge: Familiarity with IT governance frameworks such as ITIL and COBIT
• Technical Breadth:
  • Extensive, expert-level experience managing a heterogeneous database environment, including deep expertise in Oracle (RAC, DataGuard) and SQL Server (AlwaysOn)
  • Demonstrable experience with enterprise-level PostgreSQL deployments
• Core Technical Skills:
  • Strong mastery of database architecture, data modeling, performance tuning, and security management across multiple platforms
  • Proficiency in database languages including SQL, PL/SQL, and T-SQL
  • Solid understanding of underlying operating systems (Linux, Windows) and storage technologies
• Leadership & Soft Skills:
  • Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
  • Proven ability to translate business needs into technical strategy and execution plans
  • Strong analytical and high-pressure problem-solving abilities

Job Expectations:

• This position is not eligible for Visa sponsorship
• This position offers a hybrid schedule

Posting End Date:

*Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

We Value Equal Opportunity

Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit’s risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.

Candidates applying to job openings posted in Canada: Applications for employment are encouraged from all qualified candidates, including women, persons with disabilities, aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request in connection with the recruitment process.

Applicants with Disabilities

To request a medical accommodation during the application or interview process, visit Disability Inclusion at Wells Fargo.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

Wells Fargo maintains a drug free workplace. Please see our Drug and Alcohol Policy to learn more.

Wells Fargo Recruitment and Hiring Requirements:

a. Third-Party recordings are prohibited unless authorized by Wells Fargo.

b. Wells Fargo requires you to directly represent your own experiences during the recruiting and hiring process.