Senior Manager, Cloud Database Engineering Lead

About FWD Group FWD Group (<1828.HK>) is a pan-Asian life and health insurance business that serves approximately 40 million customers across 10 markets, including BRI Life in Indonesia. FWD’s customer-led and tech-enabled approach aims to deliver innovative propositions, easy-to-understand products and a simpler insurance experience. Established in 2013, the company operates in some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world with a vision of changing the way people feel about insurance. FWD Group is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 1828. For more information, please visit PURPOSE The Cloud Database Engineering Lead will have overall responsibility for supporting the database infrastructure from design through implementation, ongoing management, and support. This role requires a deep understanding of key business areas to plan, develop, and implement database solutions that align with corporate and service-specific objectives. lead, manage, and optimize the organization's database systems, ensuring they are secure, performant, and aligned with business objectives. Provide strategic direction, lead a team of DBAs, and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the effective operation of database systems. Driving GenAI Adoption: Lead the exploration and implementation of generative AI solutions to automate routine database management tasks, such as performance tuning, anomaly detection, and incident response, thereby reducing manual intervention and improving system reliability. AI-Driven Optimization: Utilize GenAI models to analyze usage patterns, forecast capacity needs, and recommend cost-saving strategies for cloud database consumption across platforms like AWS and Azure. Intelligent Data Cataloging: Oversee the development of AI-powered self-service database catalogs, enabling users to discover, request, and provision database resources more efficiently. Strategic Innovation: Collaborate with stakeholders to identify opportunities where GenAI can enhance data security, compliance monitoring, and DevOps integration, ensuring the database environment remains secure, scalable, and future-ready. Continuous Learning: Foster a culture of innovation within the DBA team by encouraging upskilling in AI and automation, and by piloting new GenAI tools that can further streamline operations and support business growth. KEY ACCOUNTAIBILITIES Lead and Manage Database Operations: Direct the database team in managing and supporting the organization’s database infrastructure, ensuring high availability, capacity, and 24/7 support for business-critical systems. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional development within the team. Accountable for cloud database platforms supporting both Group and local BU, ensuring scalability, resilience, security and operational excellence of critical organization’s database system Drive measurable improvements in platform stability, operational efficiency, cloud consumption optimization, and technology risk reduction aligned to business objectives GenAI-Driven Automation: Champion the adoption of generative AI solutions to automate routine database management tasks, such as performance tuning, anomaly detection, incident response, and capacity forecasting. Leverage AI to proactively identify and resolve issues, reducing manual intervention and improving system reliability. AI-Powered Optimization: Utilize GenAI models to analyze database usage patterns, optimize resource allocation, and recommend cost-saving strategies for cloud database consumption across platforms like AWS and Azure. Intelligent Data Cataloging: Oversee the development and maintenance of AI-powered self-service database catalogs, enabling users to efficiently discover, request, and provision database resources. Strategic Innovation and Transformation: Collaborate with stakeholders to identify and implement GenAI opportunities that enhance data security, compliance monitoring, and DevOps integration. Drive the transformation of legacy databases to cloud-native or AI-optimized platforms. Cloud and DevOps Integration: Lead the integration of database management with DevOps practices, automation pipelines, and Kubernetes (K8S) orchestration, ensuring scalable and resilient database deployments. Governance and Compliance: Ensure all database operations comply with IT governance, security, and regulatory standards. Leverage GenAI to support compliance monitoring and audit readiness. Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key liaison with internal across Group and BU as well as external stakeholders—including IT, compliance, audit, and vendors—to align database strategies with business objectives and ensure seamless project delivery. Continuous Learning and Upskilling: Promote a culture of innovation by encouraging the DBA team to upskill in AI, automation, and emerging database technologies. Pilot and evaluate new GenAI tools to further streamline operations and support business growth. People management: Build and develop a high-performing database engineering team through capability development, succession planning and performance management QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. 10+ years of relevant experience, with at least 5 years in a managerial role. Strong knowledge of MS SQL Server, MongoDB, AWS, and Azure database technologies. Demonstrated experience implementing or managing GenAI-driven solutions for database automation, performance tuning, anomaly detection, or capacity forecasting. Familiarity with AI-powered tools and platforms for cloud database management, including prompt engineering and integration of large language models into operational workflows. ITIL foundation certification preferred. Excellent problem-solving, management, and analytical skills. Strong communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Experience in project management is a plus. KNOWLEDGE & TECHNICAL SKILLS Commitment to continuous learning in GenAI, automation, and emerging database technologies, with a proven track record of upskilling teams in these areas. Proficiency in data migration, scripting, and automation frameworks, with hands-on experience in leveraging GenAI for operational efficiency. Understanding of IT operations in an insurance company is preferred. Good command of written English and Chinese; fluent in spoken English. Able to work independently, self-motivated, and willing to take on challenges. Experience with database upgrades, automation, DevOps practices, Kubernetes (K8S), Kafka, and managing a multi-region delivery team across Asia. Experience with DBmoto, IBM CDC, and replication tools with AS400. Experience with Kafka and Data Lake.