Database Administrator

Become a Database Administrator at d.light in Nairobi, Kenya. Lead the optimization and security of critical database systems, ensuring data availability for our growing customer base. Enjoy the opportunity to work in a high-impact environment focused on financial inclusion and renewable energy solutions. Join d.light as a Database Administrator in Nairobi, Kenya, and play a key role in optimizing and securing our critical database systems. This hands-on leadership position involves designing scalable database architectures and collaborating with cross-functional teams to support financial services and customer insights. Enjoy working in a dynamic environment that transforms lives through affordable solar energy solutions.

d.light Nairobi, Kenya On-site Full Time UTC+03:00

d.light

Company Overview

Name

d.light

Headquarters

San Francisco, CA, United States

Year Founded

2007

Business Model

Sector

Renewable Energy

Core Activities

d.light specializes in providing solar energy solutions to off-grid communities. Their product range includes solar lanterns, home systems, and solar appliances designed to improve energy access.

Revenue Streams

Their revenue primarily comes from the sale of solar products and systems, as well as financing options that allow customers to pay for products over time. They also engage in partnerships with governments and NGOs to expand their reach.

Locations & Geography

Global Presence

d.light operates in over 70 countries, with a strong presence in Africa and Asia. Their products are particularly impactful in regions where access to electricity is limited or non-existent.

Company Culture

Mission & Values

d.light's mission is to provide affordable and reliable solar energy solutions to underserved populations. They value sustainability, innovation, and social impact, aiming to improve the quality of life for their customers.

Work Environment

The work environment at d.light is collaborative and mission-driven, encouraging employees to contribute to meaningful projects that make a difference. They promote a culture of inclusivity and respect among their diverse workforce.

Employee Development

d.light invests in employee development through training programs and opportunities for professional growth. They encourage continuous learning and provide resources for employees to enhance their skills.

Activities & Projects

Current Projects

d.light is currently involved in expanding its solar home systems to reach more off-grid households. They are also working on innovative financing solutions to make solar energy more accessible.

Innovations

The company has developed a range of solar-powered products, including the d.light S300 solar home system, which provides lighting and charging capabilities for multiple devices. Their focus on innovation helps them stay ahead in the renewable energy sector.

Sustainability Practices

d.light is committed to sustainability by promoting clean energy solutions that reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Their products are designed to be environmentally friendly and contribute to reducing carbon emissions.

Career Opportunities

Job Openings

d.light typically has openings in areas such as engineering, sales, marketing, and operations. They seek individuals who are passionate about renewable energy and making a positive impact.

Benefits & Perks

Employees at d.light enjoy a range of benefits, including health insurance, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities for professional development. They also foster a supportive work culture that values employee well-being.

Contact Information

Social Media

Homepage

dlight.com

Careers Page

Careers at d.light

Last updated on 2025-03-27 | Report an issue

d.light is a global leader in delivering affordable solar energy and financial solutions to underserved markets. Since 2007, our innovations have transformed lives, providing reliable access to energy, appliances, and digital financial services for over 200 million people across 60+ countries. Leveraging technology and inclusive financing models like Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG), we are reshaping how households and businesses access power and financial tools for growth.

As we continue to scale, data is at the core of our operations ??? powering financial inclusion, operational efficiency, and customer experience. We are seeking a Database Administrator (DBA) to lead and evolve our data infrastructure.

Position Overview

As a DBA, you will own and optimize the performance, reliability, scalability, and security of d.light???s critical database systems. You will design and execute the database architecture roadmap, lead production operations, collaborate across product and engineering teams, and ensure data is always available to serve our growing customer base and business needs.

This is a hands-on leadership role ideal for a data professional who thrives in high-growth, high-impact environments with complex transactional systems at global scale.

Roles and Responsibilities

Lead the design, implementation, and optimization of scalable and highly available database systems across transactional, analytical, and reporting workloads.
Architect and implement database security, encryption, access control, and audit mechanisms aligned with global data privacy standards (GDPR, PCI-DSS, local regulations).
Develop and maintain robust disaster recovery, replication, and backup strategies ensuring business continuity.
Proactively monitor database health, optimize query performance, indexing, locking, and resource utilization.
Partner with product, software engineering, analytics, finance, and business operations teams to deliver data solutions that support PAYG, financial services, credit scoring, and customer insights.
Automate routine database administration tasks via scripting, infrastructure-as-code (IaC), and CI/CD pipelines.
Evaluate, recommend, and integrate new database technologies including cloud-native services, NoSQL, data lakes, and streaming platforms.
Ensure data consistency, integrity, and availability across distributed geographies and payment systems.
Analyze business needs and translate them into efficient data models, schemas, and data flows.
Provide expert guidance on capacity planning, growth forecasting, and future-proofing the data platform.

Requirements

7+ years of hands-on database administration experience managing production systems.
Proven leadership managing mission-critical databases supporting financial transactions, mobile money, or payments is highly desirable.
Expert-level proficiency with relational database engines such as PostgreSQL (strongly preferred), MySQL, Oracle, or MSSQL.
Demonstrated experience with cloud database platforms: AWS (RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB), Google Cloud SQL, or equivalent.
Solid understanding of modern database design principles: normalization, indexing, sharing, partitioning, clustering, replication.
Strong proficiency in performance tuning, query optimization, monitoring tools, and troubleshooting.
Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, CloudFormation) for database provisioning and management.
Familiarity with NoSQL systems (MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis, etc.) and data lake architectures is a strong advantage.
Strong knowledge of data privacy regulations, security standards, and compliance frameworks.
Professional, precise communication with both technical and non-technical teams.
Experience working in Agile/Scrum teams and collaborating cross-functionally with diverse stakeholders.
Experience in high-growth, fast-paced technology companies is a plus.
Bachelor???s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; certifications in PostgreSQL, AWS Database, or related disciplines are advantageous.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.