Associate Principal, Infrastructure Engineering

OCC • Chicago, IL

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Principal of Infrastructure Engineering is responsible for OCC's infrastructure engineering while driving continuous improvement across the production environment. This role combines hands-on technical expertise with strategic operational excellence, managing production administration of application scheduling and automation using Automic/UC4 software across AWS and on-premises platforms (Windows, MVS, Linux). The position serves as a technical evangelist for the best operational practices, working cross-functionally with Production Support, Release Management, Platform Services, Development, Testing, and Business Operations teams to shift the organization from reactive to proactive operations.

Requirements

• Strongly customer service oriented with understanding of service level agreement urgency
• Excellent consultative, communication, analytical, and judgment skills
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities with capacity to perform well under pressure
• Highly detail-oriented with strong time management skills
• Ability to prioritize and align efforts with production availability requirements and business priorities
• Ability to work effectively and interact with clients, team members, technical staff, consultants, and vendors
• Adaptability to shifting priorities and embrace of change
• Natural curiosity with strong desire to share knowledge, cross-train, and mentor others
• Pragmatic approach to problem-solving that optimizes available resources
• Demonstrates sound analytical and diagnostic skills for complex, ill-defined issues
• Experience working in the financial services or clearing industry
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task in a high-intensity environment with constantly changing priorities
• Advanced proficiency with Automic/UC4 Scheduler and Automic scripting language
• Strong knowledge of OS/390 JCL and IBM utilities
• Proficiency with modern scripting languages (Python, PowerShell, Bash) and REGEX for pattern matching and validation
• Experience with REST API integration and development
• Proficiency with transmission protocols: Connect Direct, Sterling Integrator, FTP
• Experience with ServiceNow for incident, problem, and change management
• Working knowledge of ITIL principles and processes
• Proficiency with Unix/Linux commands and tools (Putty, WinSCP)
• Experience across multiple operating systems (Windows, OS/390, Linux) in both cloud and on-premises environments
• Strong understanding of technical monitoring, metrics, and alerting systems
• Knowledge of application lifecycle and deployment processes
• Strong PC skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Visio
• Sophisticated understanding of enterprise technology architecture
• Mature understanding of the relationship between software and hardware
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Telecommunications, or related technical discipline (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
• 5+ years of experience in infrastructure engineering and production systems operations

Nice To Haves

• AWS cloud infrastructure experience and/or AWS certifications
• Problem/Incident management certifications
• Background in disaster recovery planning and execution
• Experience leading continuous improvement initiatives
• Experience with hybrid cloud/on-premises infrastructure management
• Familiarity with legacy scripting languages (Perl, REXX)

Responsibilities

• Infrastructure Engineering & Production Administration
• Development Support: Code and maintain uc4 objects for development and testing teams; provide first-level support for non-production environments
• Production Support: Provide second-level troubleshooting for scheduling issues in production environments
• Automic Administration: Perform basic Automic/UC4 system administration including starting/stopping the Automic system and agents
• Security Management: Maintain accurate inventory of all departmental owned logon IDs and passwords in CyberArk
• Disaster Recovery: Provide support for all disaster recovery tests and exercises
• Enterprise Scheduling & Automation
• Complex Scheduling: Develop, maintain, and optimize job schedules using Automic/UC4 software across multiple AWS cloud and on-premises platforms (Windows, MVS, Linux), managing multi-job dependencies and automated workflows
• Scripting & Automation: Utilize Automic scripting language, Python, PowerShell, and other scripting tools to automate variable passing, job execution, and test environment setup; use REGEX for pattern matching and validation
• File Transmission: Coordinate and test new file transmissions with exchanges and members using Connect Direct, Sterling Integrator, and FTP protocols
• Batch Processing: Prepare and maintain batch jobs and REST API calls
• Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
• Proactive Operations: Lead the shift from reactive to proactive operational posture by identifying and addressing issues before they impact production
• Performance Analysis: Analyze and report on production performance, capacity planning, and critical-path processing opportunities
• Metrics & KPIs: Develop, monitor, and report Key Performance Indicators to maintain compliance and drive measurable improvements through trend analysis
• Problem Resolution: Identify and diagnose complex problems affecting production performance; stand up SWAT teams when needed to drive resolution of ongoing issues
• Cross-Domain Collaboration: Work across network, database, storage, and application teams to assist with tuning and optimization
• Risk Management: Surface environmental and operational risks; analyze repeating alerts to proactively identify issues
• ITIL Leadership: Actively participate in and shepherd Incident, Problem, and Change Management processes using ServiceNow; ensure adherence to ITIL best practices
• Process Automation: Evangelize for and implement repeatable, scalable automated processes
• Capacity Planning: Forecast system demands and recommend upgrades, expansions, and reconfigurations
• Documentation, Communication & Stakeholder Management
• Documentation: Maintain updated procedures on all supported products; create comprehensive process documentation
• Status Reporting: Provide daily status reports to management; attend project and status meetings as required
• Knowledge Sharing: Cross-train team members and stakeholders; deliver training on new product releases and best practices
• Vendor Coordination: Manage vendor support relationships and drive issue resolution
• Consultation: Serve as a consultant and evangelist for operational best practices across the organization
• Additional Responsibilities
• On-Call Support: Provide on-call and/or on-site support for installs, production issues, and system availability
• Off-Hours Work: Participate in after-hours and weekend maintenance windows as required
• Troubleshooting: Perform complex hardware and software troubleshooting, taking corrective actions or coordinating with IT staff and vendors

Benefits

• A highly collaborative and supportive environment developed to encourage work-life balance and employee wellness.
• A hybrid work environment, up to 2 days per week of remote work
• Tuition Reimbursement to support your continued education
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance
• Technology Stipend allowing you to use the device of your choice to connect to our network while working remotely
• Generous PTO and Parental leave
• 401k Employer Match
• Competitive health benefits including medical, dental and vision

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level