Database Administrator

Safaricom, Kenya’s leading telecommunications company, is seeking a highly skilled Database Administrator to join the Infrastructure and Shared Applications Department within the Technology Division. This role is ideal for professionals looking for database administration jobs in Kenya, IT careers at Safaricom, or enterprise database management opportunities across cloud and on-premises platforms. The successful candidate will oversee administration, performance tuning, and 3rd line support for all Safaricom Enterprise Database systems, ensuring reliability, security, and high availability across a mix of open-source and proprietary platforms.

Key Job Information

• Position: Database Administrator
• Location: Safaricom House, Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya
• Job Category: Information Technology
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Job Identification: 1083
• Posting Date: 05 January 2026
• Application Deadline: 09 January 2026 (11:55 PM)

About Safaricom

Safaricom PLC is the leading telecommunications provider in East Africa, connecting over 42 million customers across Kenya and driving socio-economic transformation through innovative mobile and digital services. The company has been at the forefront of technological innovation, pioneering solutions such as M-PESA, which has revolutionized financial inclusion since its launch in 2007. With annual revenues of KES 298 billion ($2.5 billion) and a total economic contribution estimated at KES 362 billion ($3.2 billion), Safaricom plays a vital role in Kenya’s digital economy and supports over one million jobs directly and indirectly.

Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Telkom Kenya, Safaricom evolved under Vodafone Group PLC’s strategic investment and went public via the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). Safaricom careers offer professionals opportunities to work with cutting-edge technology, manage enterprise-level database systems, and participate in initiatives that impact millions of users, making it one of the most sought-after IT employers in Kenya.

Job Description

The Database Administrator will report to the Database Administration Planning Lead and will be responsible for the full lifecycle management of Safaricom’s enterprise database systems. This includes both open-source databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, and Redis, as well as proprietary platforms such as Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server. Cloud-based database platforms, including AWS RDS, are also part of the environment.

The role focuses on ensuring optimal database performance, high availability, and strict adherence to security and compliance standards. The Database Administrator will collaborate closely with developers, DevOps, and infrastructure teams to implement best practices, automate administrative tasks, and continuously enhance the performance, reliability, and scalability of Safaricom’s database systems. This opportunity is suitable for individuals looking for database administrator roles that combine enterprise-scale database management with cloud and open-source technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the full database lifecycle, including installation, configuration, backup/recovery, updates, upgrades, automation, and ongoing maintenance.
• Maintain 99.99% availability for all critical enterprise databases and ensure compliance with SLA agreements.
• Respond to tickets within agreed SLA timelines and provide expert 3rd line support for complex issues.
• Test Business Continuity (BCP) and High Availability (HA) solutions to minimize downtime during maintenance or failures.
• Optimize database performance through tuning, query optimization, indexing, and system resource management.
• Ensure databases comply with security best practices, data integrity, and information lifecycle management policies.
• Implement open-source databases as alternatives to proprietary systems where appropriate.
• Collaborate with developers, DevOps, and infrastructure teams to improve database efficiency and reliability.
• Automate repetitive database administration tasks using scripts and automation tools such as Bash, Python, or Ansible.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of four years of hands-on experience administering large-scale database environments across open-source and enterprise platforms.

Experience and Skills

• Proficiency in at least three major RDBMS (PostgreSQL, GaussDB, MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server) and two NoSQL technologies (MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis).
• Strong capabilities in performance tuning, troubleshooting, migrations, replication, clustering, sharding, and high-availability architecture.
• Experience managing databases on Linux/Unix and Windows systems across development, testing, staging, and production environments, including cloud deployments (AWS RDS) and on-premises setups.
• Hands-on expertise in conceptual, logical, and physical data modeling, data movement optimization, and automation of administrative tasks.
• Knowledge of disaster recovery solutions, encryption, and scalable, secure cloud database operations.
• Desirable certifications: PostgreSQL, GaussDB, MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, Cassandra, SQL Server, AWS, LPIC, RHCE; exposure to Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, RabbitMQ, Docker, Kubernetes, and machine learning methodologies is an advantage.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in enterprise-level telecommunications or large-scale IT environments.
• Proven ability to implement automation frameworks for database monitoring, backup, and maintenance.
• Experience integrating database solutions with DevOps pipelines and cloud-native applications.

Benefits and Compensation

Safaricom offers competitive compensation and benefits packages aligned with industry standards. Employees enjoy opportunities for professional development, career growth, and exposure to cutting-edge database technologies and enterprise IT solutions. This role provides direct involvement in mission-critical systems supporting over 42 million subscribers and shaping the future of digital services in Kenya.

How to Apply

Interested candidates seeking database administration jobs in Kenya, IT careers at Safaricom, or enterprise database management opportunities should apply using the Apply Now button on the Safaricom Careers portal before 09 January 2026 (11:55 PM). Only applications submitted through the official Safaricom recruitment system will be considered.