Role Overview
We are seeking a highly skilled MQ Exit Developer with strong C programming expertise to maintain, enhance, and modernize custom IBM MQ exits that extend the enterprise messaging platform.
The role focuses on advanced IBM MQ capabilities, including Security Exits, API Exits, and Message Exits, supporting authentication, authorization, message transformation, and observability requirements across distributed and hybrid environments.
The ideal candidate will have deep experience in low-level C development, a strong understanding of IBM MQ internals, and the ability to develop and maintain thread-safe, high-performance code integrated with enterprise security and operational standards.
Key Responsibilities
IBM MQ Exit Development & Maintenance
- Maintain and enhance existing IBM MQ Channel Exits, API Exits, and Message Exits using C.
- Develop, debug, and optimize custom MQ exit implementations.
- Ensure all exit implementations are thread-safe and optimized for multi-threaded IBM MQ environments.
- Analyze existing exit code and identify opportunities for performance improvements and modernization.
- Integrate MQ exit logic with external enterprise systems, including:
- LDAP
- REST APIs
- Security and authentication services
- Enterprise monitoring/observability platforms
Production Support & Modernization
- Provide L3 production support for IBM MQ exit-related issues.
- Troubleshoot complex messaging, connectivity, performance, and exit-related issues.
- Partner with platform and application teams to evaluate opportunities to replace custom exits with native IBM MQ capabilities.
- Reduce dependency on legacy exits where appropriate.
- Simplify, refactor, and modernize legacy MQ exit implementations.
- Support IBM MQ migration, upgrade, and modernization initiatives.
- Participate in performance tuning and stability improvements.
Documentation & Governance
- Maintain detailed technical design documentation for MQ exits and related components.
- Follow established coding standards and development best practices.
- Maintain operational runbooks and troubleshooting documentation.
- Ensure proper lifecycle management of MQ exit code, including:
- Source-code versioning
- Build and deployment processes
- Release management
- Rollback procedures
- Ensure changes comply with enterprise security, development, and operational standards.
Mandatory Technical Skills
- 10+ years of overall IT experience
- Strong hands-on experience with IBM WebSphere MQ / IBM MQ Series
- Strong C programming experience
- Extensive experience developing and maintaining IBM MQ Exits
- Experience with:
- Channel Exits
- Security Exits
- API Exits
- Message Exits
- Strong understanding of IBM MQ architecture and internals
- Experience developing multi-threaded and thread-safe C applications
- Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills
- Experience supporting IBM MQ in production environments
- Understanding of MQ security, authentication, authorization, and message processing
- Experience integrating MQ exit logic with external systems such as LDAP and REST APIs
Preferred Skills
- Experience with IBM MQ upgrades and migration projects.
- Experience modernizing legacy MQ exits.
- Knowledge of native IBM MQ security and messaging capabilities.
- Experience with distributed and hybrid enterprise environments.
- Experience with enterprise monitoring and observability solutions.
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycle, version control, deployment, and rollback processes.
