Senior Mainframe IMS Application DBA

Role: Senior Mainframe IMS Application DBA

Location: Austin, TX (Remote)

Duration: 13 Months

Must have: This position is for a hands-on Application IMS DBA

Summary:

• Senior Mainframe IMS Application Database Administrator, hereafter referred to as Candidate(s), who meets the general qualifications of a Systems Analyst, Level 2, and the specifications outlined in this document for the Railroad Commission of Texas.
• Provides technical leadership and guidance to the mainframe IMS application teams and collaborate with the Mainframe Systems teams to ensure the applications are highly available. Provide DBA maintenance and development support of application databases in all environments (development, acceptance, and production). Work will involve highly advanced (senior-level) systems administration in support of agency mainframe applications and supporting infrastructure; and coordination of day-to-day system administration functions.  As the DBA, you will conduct performance monitoring and tuning activities, backup and recovery as well as troubleshooting applications on IMS databases.
• Routine system administration functions to include performance monitoring, security monitoring, and maintenance.
• Work includes supporting production control processes, overseeing and coordinating mainframe operations in the State’s Consolidated Data Center Services (DCS), and working with the Network Administration, Customer Support and Applications Development & Support teams to provide support necessary for day-to-day mainframe operations.
• The Worker will apply their expert knowledge and experience as a Mainframe IMS Application Database Administrator to support both the needs of the Legacy Systems as well as those for the Mainframe Transformation Team.

Worker Skills And Qualifications 

• Administer mainframe application IMS databases.
• As the DBA, you will conduct performance monitoring and tuning activities, backup and recovery as well as troubleshooting applications on IMS databases.
• Proficient with using DBRC/RECONS and List reports
• Proficient with performing DBRC forward recoveries
• Experience with selecting points in time to do valid recoveries and performing actual database recoveries.
• Knowledgeable of IBM IMS utilities and familiar with vendor utilities.
• Create, modify and maintain IMS database descriptions.
• Add, remove and re-org database records as needed.
• Monitor and maintain IMS database performance.
• Application support issues that involve IMS databases.
• Assist application programmers on DBRC issues in the test environment
• Research and resolve DBRC related abends in the production environment
• Refresh Dev/Test databases with prod backup images as requested.
• Maintain Mainframe Operating Systems Administration.
• Coordinate testing of mainframe software upgrades and Disaster Recovery plans with DCS vendor.
• Assist primary agency DCS contact with problem management and change management activities.
• Maintains knowledge of DCS vendor standards and reports agency system non-compliance to management.
• Coordinates the testing and deployment of mainframe software upgrades with DCS contractor.
• Reviews and tests mainframe disaster recovery plans with DCS contractor.
• Maintain and provide technical support for Mainframe Production Control and Support Jobs and monthly Mainframe Job Scheduler.
• Support agency application development work by creating and maintaining procedures for use during application deployments; and creating and expanding application environments during development. Provide technical assistance to programmers and operations personnel for all problems and testing that involves mainframe operations.
• Provide after-hour support for nightly batch Mainframe schedule COBOL and JCL programs.

Required Skills:

• 7 Years of Required Experience with z/OS Systems platform
• 5 Years of Required Experience with mainframe application IMS database administration
• 5 Years of Required Experience with DBRC and forward recoveries
• 7 Years of Required Experience in basic z/OS utilities: TSO, SYSVIEW and/or SDSF, JSF, Basic IBM utilities IDCAMS, IEBGENER, IEFBR14
• 5 Years of Required Experience with Batch and CICS Cobol, IMS programming and problem resolution
• 5 Years of Required Experience developing and troubleshooting complex JCL
• 5 Years of Required Experience with JCL, CICS, VSAM, and TSO
• 2 Years of Required Experience writing, analyzing, and debugging REXX programs in a z/OS environment
• 2 Years of Required Experience with IMS HAL databases
• 2 Years of Required Experience with IMS Catalog 

Preferred Skills:

• 5 Years of Preferred Working knowledge of Top-Secret setup, administration, and reporting
• 2 Years of Preferred Experience maintaining mainframe printer assignments, including working knowledge of IPPrintway
• 3+ Years of Preferred Experience with ISPF panels, skeletons and REXX code
• 3+ Years of Preferred Experience with ISMF storage functions
• Preferred Working knowledge of batch SFTP and FTPS processing
• Preferred Working knowledge of Informatica Power Exchange software using mainframe datasets (IMS and VSAM) as either a source or target for change data capture
• Preferred Experience with logically related application IMS databases