Occupations and Terms of Reference › Database administrator
Universal terms of reference · POS-196 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Database administrator
To keep databases secure, available and accurate, so that clinical and business information is reliable.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You look after the databases. You manage database performance, backups, access, data quality checks and upgrades, and make sure data is protected.
Reports to: IT manager.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Monitor database performance and capacity.
- Check backups and restore tests.
- Review database access.
- Plan upgrades with minimal downtime.
- Run data quality checks.
Working conditions and demands
- Data errors can affect care.
- Confidential data.
- Upgrades often need out-of-hours work.
What good looks like
- Databases are fast and available.
- Backups restore correctly.
- Data quality checks are passed.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Services are provided safely, on time and with no shortcuts that put patients or staff at risk.
- Supplies, equipment and systems are fit for purpose before use and are checked regularly.
- Money, stock and data are handled with integrity and recorded fully.
- Every incident or near miss is reported, and learning is shared.
- Staff are trained for their task before they work alone.
- Contractors and suppliers meet the same standards as staff.
- Concerns are raised and investigated without reprisal.
- Support functions are judged by how well they help clinical services deliver safe care.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-196 |
| ISCO-08 | 2521 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Information technology |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-194. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| IT manager | Priorities and changes. |
| Health information systems analyst | Data definitions. |
| Data protection officer | Data protection rules. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance and backup | Keeps databases available and backed up. | Backups restore in tests; availability target met | Monthly | C-01 | T-07 | – | 2 |
| Data quality | Runs data quality checks and fixes errors at source. | Quality checks passed each month | Monthly | C-02 | T-04 | POL-DATA | 2 |
| Access | Reviews database access and removes what is not needed. | Access review completed quarterly | Quarterly | C-03 | T-04 | POL-DATA | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Routine tuning and capacity decisions | Data loss or corruption (IT manager and data protection officer) |
| Scheduling of maintenance windows | Upgrades with significant downtime risk (IT manager) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Degree in computer science or a related field | No | Lifetime |
| Q-02 | Database administration certification (vendor or national equivalent) | No | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Database administration experience | 3 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | C-02 · C-03 |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | C-01 |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Database administration | Runs routine tasks | Tunes databases | Designs database architecture | Database review | Every 12 months | T-08 |
| C-02 | Data quality checks | Runs data checks | Investigates data errors | Designs data quality standards | Data audit | Every 12 months | T-04 |
| C-03 | Database access control | Manages access | Reviews access | Designs database security | Access audit | Every 12 months | T-04 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Backups restore in test | 100% | restore test log | Quarterly |
| PI-02 | Data quality checks passed | 95% or more | data quality report | Monthly |
| PI-03 | Access reviews completed | 100% | access log | Quarterly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Database administrator | 3 years (recommended) | Q-01 | C-01 practitioner, C-03 practitioner | T-04 · T-08 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |