Senior SQL Database Administrator (2944) at The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL)

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• NQF Level 6 IT Diploma or equivalent. 
• SQL Server DBA certification (MCP, MCSA, or equivalent). 
• 5 years of relevant experience.

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 - IMPORTANT. 
• 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. 

Closing date for applications:  30 April 2026