Senior SQL Database Administrator (2681) at The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL)

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• A Diploma in Information Technology at an NQF level 6.
• Five (5) years of relevant experience.

Certification:

• SQL Server DBA certification (MCP, MCSA, or equivalent).

ADVANTAGEOUS:

• Exposure to MongoDB and Oracle databases is beneficial.
• Experience in Power BI for reporting and analytics.
• Azure experience is beneficial.
• Familiarity with Linux, Windows Server, and hybrid cloud database deployments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Database Administration and Maintenance

• Administer and maintain 200+ SQL Server databases, ensuring optimal performance, security, and availability.
• Perform daily health checks, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis of database issues.
• Implement best practices for database security, backup, and disaster recovery.
• Conduct regular patching, updates, and version upgrades to keep systems current.
• Develop and automate maintenance tasks to replace manual operational activities.
• Support application projects with database tasks.

Performance Tuning & Optimization

• Perform advanced query optimization and index tuning to improve database efficiency.
• Analyze system performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement tuning strategies.
• Monitor database resource utilization and recommend scaling strategies.

Availability

• High Availability & Disaster Recovery.
• Design and maintain SQL Server high availability (HA) and disaster recovery (DR) solutions, including Always On availability groups and failover clustering.
• Conduct frequent failover testing to ensure business continuity.
• Implement and manage backup and restore strategies using Veeam Backup Solutions and native SQL Server tools.

Security and Compliance

• Manage database security, user access, and permissions in line with governance policies.
• Ensure compliance with audit and regulatory requirements, implementing security best practices.
• Support encryption, data masking, and other advanced security features.

Stakeholder Collaboration & Support

• Provide technical support and database-related guidance to application teams.
• Engage with third-party vendors to ensure efficient operation and support of SQL Server databases.
• Document database architecture, configurations, and standard operating procedures.
• Provide monthly database reports in line with business requirements.