Jack Vamvas

Senior Database Administrator with extensive experience supporting large business-critical database estates across AWS and on-premises platforms including Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2 LUW, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and MongoDB. Work extensively with AWS data services, including RDS, Aurora Global, DynamoDB, DocumentDB, AWS Backup & AWS Database Migration Services (DMS). Specialise in DBMS administration, performance tuning, optimisation, database design, high availability, resiliency, and on-premises-to-cloud migrations.

Act as a trusted SME for AWS backup and restore.

Senior Technical Engineer (Database Engineering) at Travelers Insurance Company (2008-04 – Present)

Primary DBA for multiple key applications, responsible for performance and availability across on-premises and AWS database estates. Engineer and administer robust relational and NoSQL platforms, including SQL Server, DB2 LUW, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and MongoDB. Including security, encryption, capacity planning, monitoring, backup/recovery, incident management.

Architected and maintained AWS cloud resiliency frameworks across AWS Backup, RDS, Aurora Global Database, DynamoDB, and DocumentDB.

• Serve as the AWS backup and restore SME across engineering teams to define enterprise policies, tooling, and strategic guidance.
• Built AWS CLI automation to restore RDS instances and DynamoDB tables and run bulk DynamoDB backups.
• Executed multiple on-premises-to-AWS database migrations utilizing AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) integrated with Amazon EventBridge. Application feasibility analysis for Cloud database adoption.
• Collaborated with cross-engineering teams on a sustained POC deploying and validating Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2)/NDB on AWS for SQL Server workloads, covering Route 53 private hosted-zone testing, encryption at rest, service-dependency mapping, and in-region & cross-region DR.
• Automated DR checkouts for on-premises SQL Server cross-region failover, cutting down recovery time.
• Architected and managed a Db2 LUW TSAMP cluster environment, achieving 99.99% high availability and automated failover for mission-critical databases.
• Leveraged Commvault to architect SQL Server backup solutions, leading database testing and comprehensive technical documentation.
• Project-managed the AWS Database Resiliency Hardening initiative for Database Engineering formalizing cloud resiliency across the entire AWS estate.
• Drive cloud resiliency formalization—including disaster recovery, high availability, and AWS Backup—within the ICS AWS Data Protection project to enhance recovery solutions for Aurora, RDS, DocumentDB, and DynamoDB.
• Partner directly with Lines of Business (LOBs) to aggressively strengthen recovery processes, reporting, compliance documentation, and technical training.
• Manage AWS DynamoDB compliance, directing KMS encryption strategies, executing BackupPlan tagging remediation, and leading LOB recovery testing and reporting.
• Principal liaison between Europe-based LOBs and Database Engineering, supporting adoption of enterprise solutions across SQL Server 2019 currency programmes, open-source DBMS (MongoDB/PostgreSQL), and AWS cloud services. Manage Europe DBA team. Mentoring junior engineers.
• Cultivate synergies with US database environments to align global strategies across disaster recovery, cyber resiliency, encryption, DMS, RDBMS modernization, VRA SQL Server builds, Autosys scheduling, and offshore support.

Technical Director at Angryfish (2000-01 – 2008-03)

Led the design and delivery of database solutions for major corporate and public-sector organisations. Client engagements included Virgin Direct, Deutsche Bank, General Motors, ITV, 3663 and the DfES.

DBA / Web Development at Microsoft (1996-12 – 1999-12)

Supported Microsoft MSDN databases and web requirements as a DBA and web developer. Worked with SQL Server 6.5 as a SQL programmer — the starting point for a career spanning database design, performance tuning and optimisation.

Information Systems – University of North London (1995 – 1997)

Philosophy – University of Melbourne (1988 – 1990)