1st Line Application Support Analyst – SQL (12-months contract)

DeARX; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

DeARX in Johannesburg seeks a 1st Line Application Support Analyst to investigate, diagnose and resolve application and data-related issues. You will use SQL extensively to interrogate databases, identify root causes and support incident resolution.

The role requires strong analytical and communication skills, plus experience working with both technical and non-technical users. Join a team focused on proactive problem solving and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

• Strong practical SQL experience and ability to troubleshoot complex queries.
• Analytical thinking with strong attention to detail and structured troubleshooting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication with business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide first-line application support to internal and external users.
• Receive, investigate, troubleshoot and resolve application-related incidents and queries.
• Use SQL to interrogate databases, investigate transactions and identify data-related issues.
• Analyse system behaviour and data to determine root causes.
• Escalate complex issues and collaborate with development teams to resolve defects.
• Document resolutions and maintain incident records and workarounds.
• Communicate clearly with users and translate technical findings for business users.

Skills

SQL

Analytical thinking

Communication

Customer service

SQL Server

Tools

SQL Server

Job description

The 1st Line Application Support Analyst will provide first-line application and technical support to users by investigating, diagnosing and resolving application and data-related issues.

This is a highly analytical role requiring strong SQL capability, excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical users. The successful candidate will use SQL extensively to investigate incidents, interrogate databases, validate data, identify root causes and support the resolution of application issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide first-line application support to internal and external users.
• Receive, investigate, troubleshoot and resolve application-related incidents and queries.
• Use SQL to interrogate databases, investigate transactions and identify data-related issues.
• Analyse system behaviour, application information and data to determine root causes.
• Identify whether issues relate to data, application functionality, configuration or user processes.
• Reproduce issues where possible and provide detailed information for escalation.
• Escalate complex technical issues to second-line support or development teams.
• Work closely with developers and technical teams to investigate and resolve application defects.
• Assist with testing fixes and confirming that issues have been successfully resolved.
• Monitor recurring incidents and identify trends or potential underlying problems.
• Maintain accurate incident records and document resolutions and workarounds.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with users throughout the support process.
• Translate technical findings into clear, understandable explanations for business users.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of support processes, documentation and knowledge bases.

Essential Skills & Experience

SQL – Critical

• Strong practical SQL experience.
• Ability to write, understand and troubleshoot complex SQL queries.
• Strong understanding of joins, filtering, aggregation, subqueries and data relationships.
• Experience investigating data discrepancies and application transactions.
• Ability to use SQL as a troubleshooting and diagnostic tool.
• Strong database investigation and analytical capabilities.

Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills – Critical

• Strong analytical thinking and exceptional attention to detail.
• Structured and methodical approach to troubleshooting.
• Ability to investigate issues from initial symptoms through to root cause.
• Comfortable working with large volumes of information and data.
• Strong investigative, diagnostic and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to identify patterns and trends across incidents and data.

Communication & Customer Service – Critical

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Comfortable engaging directly with users and business stakeholders.
• Ability to ask the right questions to understand and diagnose an issue.
• Ability to explain technical problems in straightforward, business-friendly language.
• Professional, responsive and customer-focused approach.
• Ability to communicate effectively when escalating issues to technical teams.

Technical Skills

Required

• Strong SQL / SQL Server experience.
• Application troubleshooting and support experience.
• Database and data investigation experience.
• Experience working with incident or service management processes.

Advantageous

• C# / .NET experience or a working understanding of the technology.
• Ability to read and understand C# code.
• Exposure to application development environments.
• Experience working with incident/service management tools.
• Understanding of software development and testing processes.
• Exposure to application testing and defect resolution.

Role Focus

This is primarily an application support and troubleshooting role, rather than a software development position.

The key technical requirement is strong SQL capability combined with application troubleshooting, analytical investigation and excellent communication skills.