MS SQL Developer (Senior)

ATS Client; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Industry-leading benefits

Job summary

ATS Client in Cape Town seeks an experienced SQL Developer to design, develop, and optimize complex SQL Server solutions. You will write efficient T-SQL, create stored procedures, views, and functions, and work on high-volume workloads.

You will analyze execution plans, apply indexing and partitioning, design OLTP/3NF models, and collaborate with BI teams to deliver robust data platforms. Hybrid work options available with in-office flexibility and strong focus on modern data engineering.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of T-SQL development experience with complex queries and objects.
• Proven ability to diagnose and resolve severe performance bottlenecks.
• Strong understanding of indexing, partitioning, and relational modeling (3NF).

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize complex SQL Server database solutions and T-SQL code.
• Analyze execution plans and optimize performance; implement indexing and partitioning strategies.
• Design robust OLTP/3NF models and analytical structures for reporting.
• Ensure efficient data access and separation of operational vs. reporting workloads.
• Lead code reviews and enforce SQL development best practices.
• Mentor junior developers and collaborate with BI teams and backend engineers.

Skills

T‑SQL

Stored procedures

Query optimization

Performance tuning

SQL Server

Tools

SSIS

Azure Data Factory

dbt

Power BI

Job description

Job Description

Location: Cape Town

Work Type: Hybrid

Job ID: J107208

About our client

Our client is a global investment advisory firm focusing on long‑term value creation through investment strategies. They work with a diverse group of institutional partners and pride themselves on their collaborative, sustainable, inclusive culture and performance. You are welcome to go into the office daily or to take advantage of their hybrid in‑office / remote benefit. This company places significant investment in employee wellness, their benefits which are on top of generous basic salaries, are industry leading in their generosity. Our client is large, offering fantastic career development opportunities but also very dynamic, they track as many metrics as possible in order to continuously improve - they spare no expense on the tools to do so. Automation, AI and R&D are pillars of their business framework which ensures you should never be at risk of falling behind or getting stuck working with old legacy software. Culturally they are very cosmopolitan and diverse, you will be working with the best globally.

What you will be doing

• Design, develop, and optimize complex SQL Server database solutions. Write highly efficient, scalable, and maintainable T‑SQL code, including advanced stored procedures, views, functions, and triggers.
• Deeply analyse execution plans, troubleshoot complex performance issues, and implement advanced indexing, partitioning, and query refactoring strategies to resolve critical bottlenecks in high-volume workloads.
• Design robust, scalable relational data models (OLTP/3NF) and analytical structures optimised for data integrity, low‑latency data access, and seamless reporting.
• Ensure solutions reduce impact on transactional systems by optimising data access patterns and separating operational and reporting workloads.
• Define and enforce strict standards for naming conventions, database design, and documentation; lead code reviews and champion SQL development best practices.
• Mentor junior developers and engineers on advanced SQL optimisation and relational modelling practices. Work closely with backend application developers, BI teams, and business analysts to support data requirements.
• Assist with and maintain existing data ingestion processes, providing SQL support for ETL/ELT pipelines and integrations where necessary.

What our client is looking for

• 6+ years of deep, hands‑on experience in complex T‑SQL query development, advanced stored procedures, views, user‑defined functions, and execution plan analysis.
• Proven track record of diagnosing and resolving severe performance bottlenecks related to locking, blocking, deadlocks, and IO/memory optimisation in large‑scale SQL Server environments.
• Mastery of indexing strategies (clustered, non‑clustered, columnstore, filtered) and table partitioning to optimise massive datasets.
• Deep expertise in designing highly normalised relational models (3NF/OLTP), with a strong understanding of dimensional modelling (star/snowflake schemas) as a secondary benefit.
• Experience with ETL/ELT processes and data pipeline tools (e.g., SSIS, Azure Data Factory, dbt) is highly advantageous but considered a secondary requirement to core database development.
• Familiarity with Azure SQL, Git, Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines for databases, or BI tools like Power BI/Tableau is a plus.