Database Administrator - 12 Month Contract

Derivco; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Derivco is seeking an Intermediate to Senior Database Administrator for a hands‑on, 12‑month contract based in Pretoria or Durban. You will manage enterprise‑scale SQL Server estates, design replication and data movement architectures, and ensure reliability, performance, and scalability across our technology landscape.

You’ll drive automation, participate in cloud adoption, and mentor junior DBAs while supporting incident response and governance efforts.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in database administration within enterprise environments.
• A relevant degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• Strong expertise in SQL Server or similar relational database management systems.
• Proven experience with high availability, disaster recovery, and replication technologies.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain high availability and disaster recovery solutions (e.g. clustering, availability groups, replication frameworks).
• Develop and manage complex data movement and replication architectures across large database estates.
• Monitor database environments and proactively address performance, stability, and reliability issues.
• Perform advanced performance tuning using execution plans, wait statistics, and profiling tools.
• Investigate incidents, conduct root cause analysis, and implement effective remediation strategies.
• Drive database automation initiatives using scripting and self‑service tooling to improve operational efficiency.
• Support infrastructure modernisation projects, including cloud adoption and optimisation initiatives.
• Ensure database security, compliance, and governance through controls such as encryption, auditing, and access management.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and operational standards.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior database administrators.
• Participate in critical incident response and provide after‑hours support when required.

Skills

SQL Server

High availability

Performance tuning

Data replication

Automation scripting

Cloud platforms exposure

Security/compliance

Incident management

Education

Degree in Information Technology/Computer Science

Tools

Clickhouse DB

Foundation DB

LGTM Stack (Loki Grafana Tempo Mimir)

Rybbit

Valkey

Job description

We’re looking for a highly skilled Intermediate to Senior Database Administrator on a 12‑month contract who is passionate about managing enterprise‑scale database environments, driving performance optimisation, and ensuring high availability across critical systems.

This is a hands‑on specialist role where you’ll work with complex SQL Server estates, design and maintain replication and data movement solutions, and play a key role in ensuring database reliability, performance, and scalability across our technology landscape. If you thrive in operational excellence and enjoy solving complex production challenges, this role is for you.

What You’ll Do

• Design, implement, and maintain high availability and disaster recovery solutions (e.g. clustering, availability groups, replication frameworks)
• Develop and manage complex data movement and replication architectures across large database estates
• Monitor database environments and proactively address performance, stability, and reliability issues
• Perform advanced performance tuning using execution plans, wait statistics, and profiling tools
• Investigate incidents, conduct root cause analysis, and implement effective remediation strategies
• Drive database automation initiatives using scripting and self‑service tooling to improve operational efficiency
• Support infrastructure modernisation projects, including cloud adoption and optimisation initiatives
• Ensure database security, compliance, and governance through controls such as encryption, auditing, and access management
• Create and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and operational standards
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior database administrators
• Participate in critical incident response and provide after‑hours support when required

What We’re Looking For

• 5 - 8+ years of progressive experience in database administration within enterprise environments
• A relevant degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related discipline
• Strong expertise in SQL Server or similar relational database management systems
• Proven experience with high availability, disaster recovery, and replication technologies
• Advanced skills in database performance tuning and query optimisation
• Experience with automation and scripting (e.g. PowerShell, Bash, or Python)
• Experience with Clickhouse DB or Foundation DB or LGTM Stack (Loki, Grafana, Tempo, Mimir) or Rybbit or Valkey
• Exposure to cloud platforms and modern infrastructure environments
• Solid understanding of security, compliance, and data governance practices
• Strong problem‑solving skills and the ability to manage critical incidents independently
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work across technical and business stakeholders
• A collaborative team player who values knowledge sharing and continuous improvement

Why Join Us?

• Play a critical role in maintaining and optimising enterprise‑scale database platforms
• Gain exposure to modern cloud technologies, automation frameworks, and large‑scale data environments
• Work in a collaborative, high‑performance engineering environment
• Contribute to infrastructure modernisation and continuous improvement initiatives
• Be part of a culture that values technical excellence, accountability, and innovation

If you’re passionate about database reliability, performance optimisation, and building scalable data platforms, this role is for you.

This vacancy will be based Pretoria or Durban