📍 Job Overview

• Job Title: Staff Site Reliability Engineer
• Company: Visa
• Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire, United Kingdom
• Job Type: Full-time
• Category: DevOps Engineer
• Date Posted: 2025-06-18
• Experience Level: Mid-Senior level (2-5 years)
• Remote Status: Hybrid (expectation of days in office confirmed by Hiring Manager)

🚀 Role Summary

• 📝 Enhancement Note: This role focuses on NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure, requiring a strong background in database administration and engineering practices. The ideal candidate will have a broad perspective and be capable of solving complex problems while working both independently and collaboratively.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

• 📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities revolve around supporting database platform engineering for Cassandra, Mongo, and Redis, including installation, configuration, monitoring, upgrading, and maintaining databases in production and non-production environments. The role also involves capacity management, performance analysis, and troubleshooting escalated issues.

• 💻 Technical Responsibilities:

  • Install, configure, monitor, upgrade, and maintain databases in production and non-production environments, including DR and patching activity.
  • Respond to and analyze high-severity calls, working to resolution and providing root cause analysis.
  • Plan and implement proactive measures for reducing downtime and capacity management activity.
  • Provide technical expertise and hands-on support in consolidating and migrating databases to new hardware and platforms.
  • Perform proactive and reactive performance analysis, monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolution of escalated Level 2 and Level 3 issues.
  • Collaborate with infrastructure engineering, product development, business operations, and technical operations to ensure delivery of database services within SLAs and performance targets.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or other technology field, or equivalent professional experience.

Experience: Mid-level Production DBA experience on Cassandra, Mongo, and Redis.

Required Skills:

• Good UNIX platform skills and a general understanding of network, storage, tiered application environments, and security.
• Strong record of troubleshooting database production problems and connectivity issues.
• Good interpersonal skills along with effective communication (both written and verbal) skills.
• Experience in the full suite of Mongo, Cassandra, and Redis will be highly advantageous.
• Previous experience in the financial industry preferred.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with database automation and application maintenance scripting.
• Knowledge of database consolidation and migration processes.
• Familiarity with database performance analysis and optimization techniques.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly stated, candidates should be prepared to showcase their database administration and engineering skills through relevant projects and case studies, demonstrating their ability to solve complex problems and maintain high-availability systems.

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate experience with Cassandra, Mongo, and Redis through live projects or case studies.
• Showcase problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot database production problems and connectivity issues.
• Highlight experience in capacity management, performance analysis, and optimization.
• Display strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Technical Documentation:

• Provide documentation of database administration and engineering processes, including installation, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance procedures.
• Include examples of root cause analysis and troubleshooting techniques.
• Demonstrate experience with database automation and scripting.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £50,000 - £70,000 per annum (based on industry standards for a mid-senior level DevOps role in the United Kingdom)

Benefits:

• Competitive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, and employee discounts.
• Opportunities for professional development and career growth within Visa.
• A dynamic and inclusive work environment that values diversity and encourages innovation.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with an expectation of days in the office confirmed by the Hiring Manager.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial services and technology.

Company Size: Large (25,000+ employees worldwide)

Founded: 1958

Team Structure:

• The Database team is part of Infrastructure's Distributed Systems Division.
• The team is responsible for delivering open system database infrastructures with operational excellence.
• The team works closely with product development partners to meet various workload requirements.

Development Methodology:

• The team follows Agile methodologies, focusing on continuous innovation, self-heal, and automated ecosystems.
• The team prioritizes preventive and predictive operations, ensuring high availability and performance.

Company Website: https://www.visa.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Visa is a large, global organization with a strong focus on innovation and technology. The company values diversity and encourages professional development, providing opportunities for career growth within the organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Mid-Senior level (2-5 years) Site Reliability Engineer, focusing on NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Database team lead within the Infrastructure's Distributed Systems Division.

Technical Impact: The role has a significant impact on the overall performance, availability, and security of Visa's database infrastructure, supporting various product development partners and meeting diverse workload requirements.

Growth Opportunities:

• Opportunities for professional development and career growth within Visa, such as advancing to a senior or principal-level role in the Database team or exploring other teams within Infrastructure or Product Development.
• The role provides exposure to various NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure, allowing the candidate to expand their skillset and specialize in specific areas.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid (expectation of days in office confirmed by Hiring Manager)

Office Location(s): Basingstoke, Hampshire, United Kingdom

Workspace Context:

• The role involves working in a collaborative environment with cross-functional teams, including infrastructure engineering, product development, business operations, and technical operations.
• The team uses various tools and technologies to monitor, maintain, and optimize database performance, ensuring high availability and scalability.
• The role requires strong communication skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively to solve complex problems.

Work Schedule: 40 hours per week, with an expectation of days in the office confirmed by the Hiring Manager.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment allows for flexibility while encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members. The role requires strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

1. Technical Phone Screen: A phone or video call to assess the candidate's technical skills and understanding of NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure. The candidate may be asked to discuss their experience with Cassandra, Mongo, and Redis, as well as their problem-solving skills and approach to troubleshooting database production problems.
2. Technical Deep Dive: A deeper technical assessment, focusing on the candidate's experience with database administration and engineering practices. The candidate may be asked to perform hands-on tasks, such as configuring and optimizing a database or troubleshooting a complex issue.
3. Behavioral and Cultural Fit Interview: An interview to assess the candidate's interpersonal skills, communication abilities, and cultural fit within the team and organization. The candidate may be asked to discuss their experience working with cross-functional teams and their approach to problem-solving and collaboration.
4. Final Interview: A final interview with the hiring manager or a panel of team members to discuss the candidate's fit for the role and the team, as well as any remaining questions or concerns.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight relevant projects and case studies demonstrating the candidate's experience with Cassandra, Mongo, and Redis, as well as their problem-solving skills and ability to maintain high-availability systems.
• Showcase the candidate's strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams through examples of successful projects or initiatives.
• Include any relevant certifications or professional development activities that demonstrate the candidate's commitment to their field and continuous learning.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

• Brush up on the candidate's knowledge of Cassandra, Mongo, and Redis, including installation, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance procedures.
• Familiarize oneself with database performance analysis and optimization techniques, as well as troubleshooting and problem-solving strategies.
• Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that assess the candidate's interpersonal skills, communication abilities, and cultural fit within the team and organization.

ATS Keywords:

• Cassandra, MongoDB, Redis, Database Administration, Database Engineering, Troubleshooting, Performance Analysis, Capacity Management, UNIX, Network, Storage, Security, Interpersonal Skills, Communication Skills, Problem-Solving, Collaboration, Agile, DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process focuses on assessing the candidate's technical skills and understanding of NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure, as well as their interpersonal skills, communication abilities, and cultural fit within the team and organization. The process includes a combination of technical assessments, behavioral interviews, and final interviews with the hiring manager or a panel of team members.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Database Technologies:

• Cassandra: A highly scalable, high-performance distributed database designed to handle large amounts of data across many commodity servers, providing high availability with no single point of failure.
• MongoDB: A source-available cross-platform document-oriented database program. Classified as a NoSQL database program, MongoDB uses JSON-like documents with optional schemas.
• Redis: An open-source, in-memory data structure store, used as a database, cache, and message broker.

Infrastructure Tools:

• Various monitoring and management tools for databases, such as Nagios, Zabbix, or Prometheus.
• Automation and configuration management tools, such as Ansible, Puppet, or Chef.
• Containerization and orchestration tools, such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack for this role focuses on NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure, with an emphasis on Cassandra, MongoDB, and Redis. The role also requires experience with various infrastructure tools, including monitoring and management tools, automation and configuration management tools, containerization and orchestration tools, and cloud platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

• Innovation: Encouraging continuous learning and exploration of new technologies and approaches to database administration and engineering.
• Collaboration: Fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members and with cross-functional teams.
• Performance: Prioritizing high availability, scalability, and performance in database infrastructure design and maintenance.
• Security: Emphasizing the importance of data security and privacy in all aspects of database administration and engineering.

Collaboration Style:

• The team follows Agile methodologies, emphasizing continuous integration, collaboration, and iterative development.
• The team encourages knowledge sharing, technical mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration with infrastructure engineering, product development, business operations, and technical operations.
• The team values open communication and active listening, fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture at Visa emphasizes innovation, collaboration, performance, and security, with a strong focus on continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and cross-functional collaboration. The team values open communication and active listening, fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

• Designing and implementing highly available, scalable, and secure database infrastructure solutions for various workload requirements.
• Troubleshooting complex database production problems and connectivity issues, often under tight deadlines and high-pressure situations.
• Staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure, as well as related tools and technologies.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure the delivery of database services within SLAs and performance targets.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunities for professional development and career growth within Visa, such as attending industry conferences, obtaining certifications, or exploring new technologies and approaches to database administration and engineering.
• The role provides exposure to various NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure, allowing the candidate to expand their skillset and specialize in specific areas.
• The team encourages knowledge sharing and technical mentoring, providing opportunities for the candidate to learn from experienced team members and contribute to the team's collective expertise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

1. Cassandra, MongoDB, and Redis: Describe your experience with Cassandra, MongoDB, and Redis, including installation, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance procedures. Provide examples of complex problems you've solved using these technologies and your approach to troubleshooting and optimization.
2. Database Performance Analysis: Discuss your experience with database performance analysis, monitoring, and optimization. Describe your approach to identifying and addressing performance bottlenecks, as well as your familiarity with various performance analysis tools and techniques.
3. Capacity Management: Explain your experience with capacity management for NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure. Describe your approach to planning and implementing proactive measures to reduce downtime and ensure high availability, as well as your familiarity with capacity management tools and techniques.

Company & Culture Questions:

1. Visa's Database Team: Describe what you understand about Visa's Database team and its role within the organization. How do you see this role contributing to the team's goals and objectives?
2. Agile Methodologies: Discuss your experience with Agile methodologies and your approach to continuous integration, collaboration, and iterative development. How do you ensure high-quality deliverables while working in an Agile environment?
3. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Describe your experience working with cross-functional teams, including infrastructure engineering, product development, business operations, and technical operations. How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration among diverse teams with different priorities and goals?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Highlight relevant projects and case studies demonstrating the candidate's experience with Cassandra, MongoDB, and Redis, as well as their problem-solving skills and ability to maintain high-availability systems.
• Showcase the candidate's strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams through examples of successful projects or initiatives.
• Include any relevant certifications or professional development activities that demonstrate the candidate's commitment to their field and continuous learning.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Site Reliability Engineer position:

1. Submit your application through the application link.
2. Customize your resume and portfolio to highlight your relevant experience with Cassandra, MongoDB, and Redis, as well as your problem-solving skills and ability to maintain high-availability systems.
3. Prepare for technical phone screens, deep dives, and behavioral interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure, as well as your interpersonal skills and communication abilities.
4. Research Visa's company culture and the Database team's role within the organization, and be prepared to discuss your fit for the role and the team during the final interview.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process for this Staff Site Reliability Engineer position involves a combination of technical assessments, behavioral interviews, and final interviews with the hiring manager or a panel of team members. The process focuses on assessing the candidate's technical skills and understanding of NoSQL database technologies and infrastructure, as well as their interpersonal skills, communication abilities, and cultural fit within the team and organization. The process includes opportunities for the candidate to showcase their relevant experience and demonstrate their fit for the role and the team.