Database Administrator (Microsoft SQL Server) needed at Transnet

Position Purpose

• The incumbent is responsible for ensuring the performance, integrity and security of our databases. This role is crucial for designing, implementing and maintaining our database systems, proactively troubleshooting issues and collaborating with development teams to ensure our data infrastructure directly enables key business objectives.
• Key to this role is driving innovation through automation, optimizing costs in our database environments and upholding stringent data governance and compliance standards. You will act as a central point of expertise, enabling the business to leverage data as a secure and reliable asset.

Position Outputs

• Design, implement and maintain robust database schemas, tables, stored procedures and functions in collaboration with software development teams. 
• Enforce database standards, naming conventions and best practices to ensure consistency and maintainability across the organization. 
• Manage the full database lifecycle, including provisioning new instances, performing upgrades, migrations and decommissioning legacy systems. 
• Plan and execute database upgrades, patches and migrations with minimal business disruption. 
• Develop and maintain automation scripts using tools such as PowerShell, Python and SQL to streamline and optimize database administration tasks. 
• Implement and configure comprehensive database monitoring and alerting systems for proactive issue detection. 
• Conduct 24/7 monitoring of performance and availability, responding promptly to alerts and incidents.
• Proactively optimize query performance, manage indexing strategies and fine-tune configurations for optimal throughput. 
• Develop, test and continuously improve backup and recovery strategies. 
• Lead regular disaster recovery drills to ensure rapid restoration of critical services during outages. 
• Implement and maintain robust database security policies, including user access control, authentication and authorization mechanisms. 
• Protect sensitive data using encryption, masking and redaction techniques in both production and non-production environments.
• Conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments and apply relevant patches to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. 
• Monitor database growth and performance trends to plan for future capacity needs. 
• Ensure adequate storage and computing resources are available to support evolving business demands. 
• Partner with development teams for database design reviews, code deployments and SQL query optimization. 
• Collaborate with Information Security teams to align database security with enterprise security frameworks. 
• Build relationships with business stakeholders and vendors to promote best practices in data management and governance. 
• Create and maintain detailed documentation covering database architecture, configurations and operational procedures. 
• Continuously review and enhance existing database technologies, recommending solutions for scalability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Provide input into enterprise data management policies, standards, and strategies. 
• Provide 24/7 operational support for critical production databases through a rotating on-call schedule. 
• Ensure incidents are resolved within SLA timeframes and that root cause analyses are conducted for recurring issues.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of 3 Years National Diploma in ICT related qualification. Minimum of 5 years’ experience in ICT environment as a Database Administrator of which at least 1 year in a Supervisory or Specialist role. OR Minimum of 6 years’ experience in ICT environment as a Database Administrator of which at least 2 years in a Supervisory or Specialist role