Mainframe Administrator

IPolarity•Whippany, NJ

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled Mainframe DB2 Systems Administrator to manage and support DB2 for z/OS subsystems in a mission-critical enterprise environment. This role is responsible for installation, configuration, performance tuning, and overall health of DB2 subsystems, ensuring high availability, security, and optimal performance.

Requirements

7–12+ years of mainframe experience
3–5+ years in DB2 Systems Programming / Administration
Experience with IBM DB2 for z/OS and Replication products (Qrep, SQLrep and CDC) - software installation, version upgrades and maintenance, certification testing, documentation of operational procedures, disaster recovery testing
Deep knowledge of: ZPARMs and subsystem configuration, Buffer pools, logs, BSDS, catalog/directory
Strong troubleshooting skills for: System-level DB2 issues, Performance and connectivity problems
Proficiency in: JCL, TSO/ISPF, SDSF
SMP/E (preferred)

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with: DB2 utilities and performance tools, Monitoring tools (OMEGAMON, MainView)
Knowledge of: DevOps tools for mainframe (Endevor, ISPW, etc.)
Exposure to: Cloud integration or hybrid architectures
Experience with: Large-scale DB2 upgrades or migrations, Performance optimization initiatives
Knowledge of: Modernization tools (z/OS Connect, APIs)
Experience with software support for BMC for DB2 Tools, IBM z/OS Connect, Software AG ADABAS and Natural products
Programming experience with REXX
Working knowledge of SQL, JIRA, SMP/E, RACF, TCP/IP, Network certificates, Splunk
Working knowledge of other Mainframe Subsystems (CICS, IMS, MQ)

Responsibilities

Install, configure, and maintain DB2 for z/OS subsystems
Perform version upgrades, patching (PTFs/APARs), and system maintenance
Manage subsystem configuration and initialization parameters
Maintain core DB2 components: ZPARMs (DSNZPARM), Buffer pools, Logs and BSDS, Catalog and directory
Monitor and tune DB2 system-level performance (CPU, memory, I/O)
Optimize: Buffer pools, Locking and concurrency, Thread and connection performance
Support capacity planning and performance analysis using DB2 and system tools
Manage and support: DB2 Data Sharing environments (Sysplex), Coupling Facility integration, Workload balancing and failover
Ensure DB2 availability and resilience through DR strategies
Analyze and resolve: Subsystem failures, Dumps, logs, and abends, Connectivity issues affecting DB2 operations
Perform root cause analysis and implement preventive actions
Support interaction with: Batch (JCL), CICS, IMS, MQ and distributed systems