Senior Database Administrator (DBA)

Senior Database Administrator (DBA)
Location: Cape Town (in office)
Type: Permanent
Salary: R60 000 per month (negotiable higher for the right person)
Experience: 6+ years

About the role
We’re working with an established retail business looking for a Senior Database Administrator to own its Microsoft SQL Server environment across the business. This is a hands-on senior role covering performance, availability, security, and modernization, and acting as the primary escalation point for database-related incidents. Microsoft SQL Server expertise is central to it.

What you’ll do
• Oversee the installation, configuration, administration, and ongoing maintenance of Microsoft SQL Server environments across the business
• Proactively monitor database performance, resolve bottlenecks, optimize complex queries, and manage indexing strategies so applications (including bespoke enterprise systems) run efficiently
• Design, implement, and test high-availability and disaster-recovery solutions (AlwaysOn Availability Groups, Failover Clustering, Replication, Log Shipping) for minimal downtime and strong business continuity
• Manage database security, role-based access control, and encryption, ensuring data handling complies with internal policies and POPIA
• Maintain and validate robust backup and recovery strategies, performing regular test restores to guarantee data integrity
• Collaborate with data engineers and full-stack developers to design scalable database architectures, and support migration toward hybrid or cloud platforms (Azure SQL, Microsoft Fabric, AWS)
• Automate routine DBA tasks (maintenance plans, health checks, alerts) using T-SQL, SQL Server Agent, or PowerShell
• Act as the primary escalation point for database incidents, providing root cause analysis and resolution, including after-hours support rotations for critical systems

What you’ll bring
• Extensive, proven DBA experience, primarily within Microsoft SQL Server
• Deep expertise in T-SQL, SSMS, and SSIS
• Demonstrated experience configuring and managing HA and DR solutions
• Strong knowledge of performance tuning, query optimization, and execution plan analysis
• Solid understanding of database security, user management, and data governance
• Excellent problem-solving and resilience under pressure during critical incidents
• Strong communication and the ability to collaborate across cross-functional IT and data teams

Nice to have
• Cloud database administration experience or certification (Azure SQL Database, AWS RDS, or GCP)
• Proficiency in PowerShell for database automation
• Familiarity with DevOps, version control (Git), and CI/CD for database deployments
• Previous experience in retail, FMCG, or supply chain
• Exposure to modern data warehousing and big data platforms (e.g. Databricks)