Application operations engineer
Application operations engineers keep the organisation's applications running in live use, including clinical systems such as the electronic patient record and prescribing, laboratory, and imaging systems. They monitor applications, run scheduled jobs, manage users and access, deploy releases and fixes, and work with suppliers to resolve faults. Their work lets clinical and corporate staff rely on these systems at every hour of the day.
- Family
- IT operations
- UK GDaD PCF role
- Application operations engineer (IT operations)
- ESCO occupations
- ICT system administrator (ISCO-08 2522); database administrator (ISCO-08 2521)
- On GitHub
- Role document · Role data
Levels
| Band | Role level | UK GDaD PCF level | Civil Service grades | Job evaluation points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Associate application operations engineer | Associate application operations engineer | EO | 275 |
| 5 | Application operations engineer | Application operations engineer | HEO | 358 |
| 6 | Senior application operations engineer | Senior application operations engineer | HEO/SEO | 434 |
| 7 | Lead application operations engineer | Lead application operations engineer | SEO/G7 | 490 |
| 8b | Principal application operations engineer | Principal application operations engineer | G6 | 600 |
In a digital health care organisation
- Clinical applications run 24 hours a day, so engineers take part in on-call rotas and plan maintenance for the quietest clinical periods.
- Failed scheduled jobs and interfaces can delay test results, referrals, or discharge letters, so engineers watch them closely and escalate quickly.
- Planned and unplanned downtime needs business continuity arrangements, such as read-only copies and downtime reports, so that clinicians can keep treating patients.
- Many clinical applications are supplied and hosted by third parties, so engineers manage suppliers and their changes carefully.
- Changes to clinical applications follow the clinical risk management process, and some applications may be regulated as medical devices.
UK GDaD PCF role description
An application operations engineer supports, manages and maintains a single application or a suite of applications.
ESCO occupations and skills
ESCO lists the skills and knowledge that employers usually need (essential) or may need (optional) for each occupation. Use them as a checklist for development conversations.
ICT system administrator
ICT system administrators are responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer and network systems, servers, workstations and peripheral devices. They may acquire, install, or upgrade computer components and software; automate routine tasks; write computer programs; troubleshoot; train and supervise staff; and provide technical support. They ensure optimum system integrity, security, backup and performance.
Essential skills and knowledge (32)
Skills and competences
- administer ICT system
- apply ICT system usage policies
- apply system organisational policies
- implement ICT recovery system
- implement ICT security policies
- implement a firewall
- implement a virtual private network
- implement anti-virus software
- integrate system components
- interpret technical texts
- maintain ICT system
- manage changes in ICT system
- manage system security
- manage system testing
- migrate existing data
- monitor system performance
- perform backups
- solve ICT system problems
- support ICT system users
- use back-up and recovery tools
Knowledge
Optional skills and knowledge (28)
Skills and competences
- acquire system component
- adjust ICT system capacity
- automate cloud tasks
- execute integration testing
- implement ICT risk management
- implement spam protection
- install signal repeaters
- interact with users to gather requirements
- manage cloud data and storage
- provide ICT system training
- remove computer virus or malware from a computer
- store digital data and systems
- use different communication channels
Knowledge
- Apache Tomcat
- IBM WebSphere
- ICT accessibility standards
- ICT recovery techniques
- ICT system integration
- cloud monitoring and reporting
- cloud security and compliance
- cloud technologies
- engineering processes
- information security strategy
- interfacing techniques
- internet governance
- network engineering
- system design
- systems development life-cycle
database administrator
Database administrators test, implement and administer computer databases. They use their expertise in database management systems to plan, coordinate and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases. They also use scripts and configuration files to tailor a database to users' needs.
Essential skills and knowledge (28)
Skills and competences
- administer ICT system
- apply company policies
- balance database resources
- create data models
- define database physical structure
- design database backup specifications
- design database scheme
- interpret technical texts
- maintain database performance
- maintain database security
- manage database
- operate relational database management system
- perform ICT troubleshooting
- perform backups
- use an application-specific interface
- use databases
- use scripting programming
Knowledge
Optional skills and knowledge (39)
Skills and competences
- design database in the cloud
- estimate duration of work
- execute ICT audits
- implement ICT security policies
- implement a firewall
- implement anti-virus software
- manage cloud data and storage
- protect personal data and privacy
- provide ICT support
- provide technical training
- remove computer virus or malware from a computer
- support ICT system users
- use automatic programming
- use back-up and recovery tools
- use different communication channels
- use spreadsheets software
Knowledge
- DB2
- Filemaker (database management systems)
- IBM Informix
- LDAP
- LINQ
- MDX
- MarkLogic
- Microsoft Access
- MySQL
- N1QL
- ObjectStore
- OpenEdge Database
- Oracle Relational Database
- PostgreSQL
- SPARQL
- SQL Server
- Teradata Database
- TripleStore
- XQuery
- business intelligence
- data engineering
- online analytical processing
- quality assurance methodologies
Contains ESCO v1.2.1 data (https://esco.ec.europa.eu/). © European Union. Reuse authorised under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.