Job Description

Lead Cloud Operations Database Architect
Location: Remote - Johannesburg, South Africa
Shift Requirement: Evening/Night Shift (3:00 PM - 12:00 AM (midnight))
Signant Health is a global evidence generation company helping our customers digitally enable their clinical trial programs--meeting patients where they are, driving change through technology and innovation, and reimagining the path to proof.
Working at Signant Health puts you at the heart of one of the world's most exciting sectors: a high-growth, dynamic company operating in an extraordinary industry.
Where do you fit in?
We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Cloud Operations Database Architect to design, implement, and govern enterprise data architecture supporting regulated clinical research systems. This role owns all database-related aspects across Microsoft Azure and AWS cloud environments, ensuring performance, security, scalability, and compliance with GxP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and ICH-GCP regulations.
The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise across MS SQL, Azure SQL, AWS RDS, and Cloud SQL in high-volume production environments, paired with strong leadership in data governance, architecture design, and lifecycle management for mission-critical clinical trial platforms.
Key Responsibilities
Architecture & Design

• Design and maintain enterprise-scale data architectures supporting clinical trial systems
• Ensure high availability, scalability, resilience, and security across Azure and AWS environments

Database Administration & Operations

• Own database setup, configuration, backup/recovery, replication, and performance tuning
• Support MS SQL Server, Azure SQL, AWS RDS, and Cloud SQL in production environments

Regulatory Compliance

• Establish and enforce database procedures aligned with GxP and FDA regulations
• Partner with QA/Compliance teams to support audits, validation, and inspections

Security & Data Integrity

• Implement access controls, encryption, monitoring, and logging to protect sensitive clinical and patient data

Automation & DevOps Integration

• Automate provisioning, patching, and schema deployments using CI/CD and IaC
• Work with tools such as Terraform, OpenTofu, ARM templates, and AWS CloudFormation

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with Engineering, Project Management, and Compliance teams to align enterprise data strategies

Monitoring & Optimization

• Implement proactive alerting, capacity planning, and performance optimization

Documentation & Standards

• Maintain architecture diagrams, SOPs, and technical documentation to support audits and validation

You'll need to bring

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field (Master's preferred)
• 10+ years of experience in database architecture/administration
• 5+ years of cloud experience across Azure and AWS
• Deep expertise in MS SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and AWS RDS
• Proven experience supporting regulated (GxP / FDA) environments
• Strong understanding of data security, governance, and compliance in life sciences or healthcare
• Hands-on experience with IaC, monitoring platforms (CloudWatch, Azure Monitor), and automation scripting (PowerShell, Python, or Bash)
• Strong communication skills and the ability to partner with cross-functional technical and clinical teams

Nice to have

• Experience integrating with clinical data systems (CDMS, EDC, LIMS)
• Familiarity with Snowflake, data lakes, and ETL/ELT pipelines
• Cloud certifications such as Azure Database Administrator or AWS Database Specialty

Key Competencies

• Strategic, system-level thinking
• Strong data integrity and compliance mindset
• Technical leadership and mentoring capability
• Analytical problem-solving
• Effective cross-team communication

Skills Required