Job Description:
The Senior IBM iSeries/Power Systems Engineer is a key member of Global Datacenter Operations, which is a hands-on position primarily responsible for performing and driving day-to-day technical and administrative activities, future design strategy, and maintaining and delivering optimal operational efficiency of IBM iSeries & Power platform, which is a critical technology within the global hybrid cloud infrastructure landscape environments, which include both public & private cloud datacenters as well as server computing technologies across distributed locations.
The Senior IBM iSeries/Power Systems Engineer will interact and collaborate closely with application integration, application workstreams, information security, and other technical infrastructure teams, providing deep and broad IBM iSeries/Power platform infrastructure technical expertise to guide project planning, prioritization, troubleshooting, and resolution of complex technical infrastructure-related business challenges and issues. This role will also help identify, define, and propose future strategy for the iSeries/Power platform, which includes driving design, planning, and implementation of those future strategies, establishing and documenting standards, processes, and operational procedures, as well as driving automation of those processes and procedures that fosters continuous advancement of the overall hybrid-cloud infrastructure global landscape.
The role is responsible for proactively monitoring and administering the IBM iSeries and Power Series hybrid-cloud and distributed infrastructure technology stack, as well as participating in design, planning, installation, configuration, patching, change management, upgrading, systems refresh, and system data protection. This role will perform the following duties, as well as guide daily activities of contractors and managed service provider resources performing these duties, which include: responding to major incidents, analyzing system logs for errors, developing solutions, executing approved system change activities, applying upgrades of Operating Systems, performing security vulnerability patching, and resolving customer requests submitted via support tickets. This role is part of the Global Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure Services team and will require participation in on-call rotations and frequent interaction with vendors and third-party service providers.
Duties & Responsibilities
Engineering and Operations: In conjunction with the services vendors, perform/supervise day-to-day administration and operations of functional areas of responsibility (e.g., deploy best practices; improve stability, performance, and security; plan upgrades; automate code promotion; monitoring and troubleshooting of the hybrid infrastructure systems; responding to system problems; systems performance tuning and capacity management; etc.) utilizing enterprise standards process and leveraging industry best practices. Work directly with vendor resources to achieve project goals and provide ongoing support of the system.
In conjunction with the services vendors, evaluate, plan, install, configure, and deploy IBM iSeries/Power related hybrid-cloud infrastructure technology components, patches, systems upgrades, client copies, systems refreshes, and/or enhancements across existing and future hybrid infrastructure landscape as required from lower environments (Sandbox, Dev, Test, QA, Pre-Prod) to production and disaster recovery environment.
Participate in off-hours/on-call support rotations.
Architecture Standards and Strategy: Serve as the subject matter expert/lead technical resource for current and future hybrid-cloud and distributed infrastructure related to IBM iSeries/Power platforms and components to support multiple parallel projects and global IT initiatives, while maintaining reliability, performance, and ensuring best practices are implemented to shore up the business.
Collaborate with application analysts, solution architects, and IT system owners to provide oversight and consultation during technical design, build, test, and operational phases, including active issue management and resolution of the global hybrid cloud infrastructure landscape (such as compute, storage, HA, security, data protection, and disaster recovery capabilities). Conduct peer review of technical solution designs to ensure consistency with Global IT standards and strategic alignments. Research trends in technologies; determine and propose trends and technologies applicable to optimizing and advancing IT and business capabilities.
Participate in design sessions of technical infrastructure & cloud processes; integrate solutions into existing infrastructure; and oversee continuous improvement of standards, processes, and procedure across the functional area of responsibility.
Review, validate, and develop technical designs, prototypes, process designs, testing, training, and definitions of support procedures for systems deployment in Cloud/On-Prem infrastructure(s).
Participate with troubleshooting, incident response, change control, testing, and validation of infrastructure changes or problems related to communication, collaboration, and web services across the hybrid-cloud infrastructure and distributed environment.
Provide regular communication to IT management and leadership team on internal team initiatives, Infrastructure-related projects, and other work assignment.
Develop and maintain appropriate documentation for architecture, design, implementation, standard operating procedures, and testing activities.
Prepare formal project documentation, including specifications, requirements summaries, logical system design documents, state diagrams, and test scripts.
Stakeholder and Vendor Management: Build, develop, and grow business relationships with users, within Global IT Infrastructure/Application/Security and with partners/vendors. This includes working with internal and external Infrastructure and Networking teams to provide support for both current and future hybrid-cloud datacenter landscapes.
Experience/Skills
15 years of experience in IBM iSeries OS400/AS400 domain infrastructure, operating systems, and application environment, including IBM iSeries and IBM Power Series hardware architecture design and installation, IBM Power HA/ViO, Operating Systems (AS400 i/OS V5R4 to V7R5, RedHat Enterprise & SUSE Linux)
15 years of enterprise IT industry experience encompassing a wide range of skillsets, roles, and industry verticals, including large-scale global IT operation, design, implementation, migrations, transformations, deployment rollout, including broad experience with driving IT platform architecture/design/administration, service management and IT governance/control processes
Progressive experience working with 3 or more of the following functional technology areas:
1) IBM iSeries OS400/AS400 domain infrastructure, operating systems, and application environment
2) Enterprise Application, development and database, analytic and reporting platforms ? Manhattan Associate WMi, IBM Client Access Software, Journaling, Implementor, MIMIX, DB2/400, Control Language (CL/400), SQL, INFORMIX, mySQL, MogoDB, and Power BI, etc.)
3) Enterprise hybrid-cloud Data backup, disaster recovery, and SAN storage technologies, MIMIX, PowerHA, Commvault, Cisco MDS SAN and Dell/EMC PowerMax array experience preferred
4) Azure Skytap or other Hybrid-cloud technologies supporting and managing IBM iSeries/Power platforms within a global hybrid-cloud datacenter infrastructure
5) Microsoft Windows hybrid domain infrastructure environment, including Server 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022, SQL Server, and all forms of Active Directory and DNS services
6) Modern Enterprise Collaboration and Web Services platforms, including Backend Azure/Office 365, Teams, SharePoint, Hybrid Exchange Online, IIS, Tomcat, Power App platforms, etc.
7) Hyper-Converged Infrastructure and datacenter virtualization, Hyper-V, Azure Stack, Nutanix AHV on Dell XC-Core server hardware preferred
8) Enterprise Modern End-User Computing platform technologies for virtual desktop, hosted desktop/applications, & application packaging/delivery such as Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop, Ivanti DesktopNOW, Intune, Azure Windows Virtual Desktop & FSLogic experience preferred
Advanced knowledge of networking, OSI model, TCP/IP, routers, load balancers and XML gateway devices, including IPv4, IPv6, SFTP, SSH, PKI, TCP/IP, DNS, HTTPS, etc.
5 years of experience with Change Management / ITIL Process
5 years of experience with enterprise job scheduling, scripting, and automating Infrastructure and cloud platforms using scripting languages, tools, and management of script libraries such as Azure PowerShell, PowerShell, Azure ARM, Python, Bash, Ansible, Broadcom (CA) Automic
3 years of experience with infrastructure orchestration and automation (Infrastructure-as-Code, Configuration-as-Code) for provisioning and management of on-premises infrastructure, Azure hosted Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service capabilities (Azure) including virtual networks, virtual machines, and data services
Education/Certifications
Bachelor?s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Management Information Systems, or related field preferred; or a combination of equivalent education and relevant experience
Certification in IBM iSeries and Power Series Platforms (e.g., IBM Certifications)
Combination of certifications in various Datacenter Technologies (e.g., IBM Power platforms (AS400/AIX), Manhattan Associate WMi applications, SAN storage, Data protection, Microsoft, Virtualization, Infrastructure Security, Various Operating Systems & database platforms, etc.)
ITIL Certification and experience preferred
Soft Skills
Communication: Builds positive relationships and uses tact in sensitive situations. Listens to various points of view and relates well to others at all levels. Understands the importance of relationships to ensure team success. Demonstrates compassion and understanding, and is open to other viewpoints in the interest of achieving best possible outcomes.
Action Orientation: Takes initiative and action with a drive to achieve and be successful. Seeks out challenging situations. Encourages others with positive and energetic support and enthusiasm. Ability to prioritize time and tasks with little direction in order to complete work on schedule. Organized and efficient with ability to bring order to complex and competing demands.
Technical Expertise: Maintains technically relevant skills and demonstrates the ability to apply technical skills in solving business/technical problems.
Results-Focused: Creates visibility for management and other stakeholders around progress toward key milestones. Contingency plans to anticipate barriers or problems. Provides the necessary focus to accomplish tasks and puts in the necessary effort to ensure the job gets done on time. Pushes through challenges and obstacles to achieve results.
Innovation: Demonstrates a creative approach to problem solving. Understands, adapts, and implements new approaches effectively and efficiently that resolve current and future challenges while providing unique solutions for the business. Able to articulate new approaches
Requirements
Must-Have Skills:
1) 15 years of experience in IBM iSeries OS400/AS400 domain infrastructure, operating systems, and application environment
2) 15 years of enterprise IT industry experience encompassing a wide range of skillsets, roles, and industry verticals
3) Progressive experience working with 3 or more of the following functional technology areas:
a. IBM iSeries OS400/AS400 domain infrastructure, operating systems, and application environment
b. Enterprise Application, development and database, analytic and reporting platforms
c. Enterprise hybrid-cloud Data backup, disaster recovery, and SAN storage technologies
d. Azure Skytap or other Hybrid-cloud technologies supporting and managing IBM iSeries/Power platforms within a global hybrid-cloud datacenter infrastructure
e. Microsoft Windows hybrid domain infrastructure environment
f. Modern Enterprise Collaboration and Web Services platforms
g. Hyper-Converged Infrastructure and datacenter virtualization
h. Enterprise Modern End-User Computing platform technologies
4) Advanced knowledge of networking, OSI model, TCP/IP, routers, load balancers and XML gateway devices, including IPv4, IPv6, SFTP, SSH, PKI, TCP/IP, DNS, HTTPS, etc.
5) 5 years of experience with Change Management / ITIL Process
6) 5 years of experience with enterprise job scheduling, scripting, and automating Infrastructure and cloud platforms using scripting languages, tools, and management of script libraries
7) 3 years of experience with infrastructure orchestration and automation (Infrastructure-as-Code, Configuration-as-Code)
Education/Certifications
Bachelor?s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Management Information Systems, or related field preferred; or a combination of equivalent education and relevant experience
Certification in IBM iSeries and Power Series Platforms (e.g., IBM Certifications)
Combination of certifications in various Datacenter Technologies (e.g., IBM Power platforms (AS400/AIX), Manhattan Associate WMi applications, SAN storage, Data protection, Microsoft, Virtualization, Infrastructure Security, Various Operating Systems & database platforms, etc.)
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