Mainframe Senior Sys Prog / Database Administrator – Db2

Northwestern Mutual • Franklin, WI

16d • $108,160 - $186,600 • Remote

About The Position

This role involves working closely with IT teams to deploy and support z/OS Db2 infrastructure and its associated application stack. The position requires providing technical leadership on projects and support issues, contributing new ideas, and collaborating with teams to establish and enforce database standards. Key responsibilities include identifying opportunities for improving system and application infrastructure availability, reliability, and performance, as well as monitoring and recommending performance enhancements. The role also entails upgrading, configuring, and migrating Db2 releases, applying maintenance and fixes, managing Db2 logs, modifying Db2 zParms, recycling Db2, and ensuring system and application database recoverability. Support for Disaster Recovery (DR) activities, including RTO/RPO and synchronization methods, is also a critical function. Additionally, the role involves monitoring instances for events, resolutions, and escalations, ensuring proper alerting for Db2 messages, and performing triage and troubleshooting. This includes installing, upgrading, configuring, and migrating Db2 Independent Software Vendor (ISV) products, applying maintenance, and supporting these products. Developing scripting to automate Db2 systems engineering tasks is also a key part of the role.

Requirements

• Solid knowledge in Db2 subsystems and application tuning
• A keen eye on process improvement and automation
• Competence in Incident, Problem, and Change Management
• In-depth experience in supporting mainframe technology (i.e. z/OS ISPF, JCL, JES2, etc.) specifically SMP/E or ZOSMF
• Experience reviewing HOLDDATA
• Utilize stand-alone utilities (i.e. DSNJLOGF, DSNJU004, DSNJU003, etc.)
• Understand logical and physical database design
• Experience as a z/OS DB2 administration, working with DDL, DML/DQL, DCL, DTL, DB2 commands, and SQL
• System and Application Performance tuning; including tuning bufferpools
• Experience in the Db2 Utilities (i.e. COPY, QUIESCE, REPAIR, REORG, LOAD, etc.)
• Understand RACF Security
• Understand Db2 managed security using RACF opposed to Db2 security
• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
• 4-5 years professional experience.
• May include: 5 years of professional IT experience
• 5 years’ experience with at least one OS/hosting platform
• 5 years’ experience in performance tuning of application stacks
• 5 years’ experience with monitoring and performance management of systems
• 3-5 years’ experience with identity platform and tools
• 2 years’ experience with modern development and scripting languages
• Experience with CICD concepts, tools, branching strategies, and leveraging knowledge to assist in delivering an infrastructure as a product
• Excellent troubleshooting skills within area of expertise, and solid troubleshooting in adjacent domains
• Solid understanding of traditional or cloud computing technologies including Networking, Compute, Storage, Development, Data, Operations, or Security
• Experience with multiple delivery methodologies such as Agile and Waterfall
• Accountability: Holds self and their direct reports accountable for measurable, high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results, delivery, and execution. Determines objectives, sets priorities, delegates work to direct reports, and accepts responsibility for mistakes.
• Adaptive Communication: Formulates strategies to be used to convey complex information about services, products, systems, or processes to targeted audiences; communicates and liaises between technical and non-technical audiences.
• Analytical Thinking: Organizes and compares various aspects of a situation to comprehend and identify key or underlying complex issues through the use of quantitative data and analysis; leverages strong business acumen, problem solving, and interpersonal skills to think critically about situations from multiple perspectives and consistently seeks ways to improve processes.
• Cross Functional Partnering & Planning: Facilitates collaboration, communication, coordination, and planning with individuals and teams from different functions within the organization, and who have different areas of expertise, to achieve common goals.
• Infrastructure Development: Applies the knowledge of endpoint management and infrastructure platforms to analyze, design, implement, secure, and maintain hardware, network, and data storage platforms while ensuring that the infrastructure platforms align with the strategic direction of the organization. Designs, maintains, upgrades, and manages data centers and other operational components to support development operations efforts. Understands impacts on software development from Hardware design review.
• Learning Agility & Critical Thinking: Pursues learning and obtains knowledge continuously in relevant fields, methods, or technologies in current and future practices; continuously utilizes critical thinking to identify opportunities, execute solutions, and measure impact to constantly improve existing practices and processes based on feedback, lessons learned, and market trends.
• Monitor System Health: Applies the knowledge of various tools and techniques to monitor the performance of computer systems, networks, applications, and other infrastructure components to identify and diagnose problems, optimize performance, and ensure that the systems meet the established performance standards. Analyzes performance data, identifies trends, establishes performance baselines, sets up alerts and notifications, conducts periodic performance testing, and recommends solutions to improve system performance.
• OS Level Knowledge: Leverages the fundamental concepts, principles, and components of an operating system to interact with and manage different operating systems, including installation, configuration, and maintenance. Demonstrates knowledge of how an operating system manages hardware resources, such as memory, processors, and storage, and how software interacts with these resources to design, develop, and maintain software that operates effectively on different platforms and provides the best possible user experience.
• Technical Problem Solving: Conducts in-depth analysis of technology needs, issues, and roadblocks within assigned scope, applies best practice based on experience and expertise, explores the “art of possible”. Solves problems effectively and gains alignment on the path forward. Defines, understands, and documents what is being solved for.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with all levels of IT to deploy and support z/OS Db2 infrastructure and the associated application stack
• Provide leadership in technical aspects of assigned projects and support issues; bring new ideas to the table when appropriate
• Work with companion teams to set up and enforce database standards
• Identify opportunities to improve availability, reliability, and performance of system and application infrastructure
• Monitor system and application performance & provide performance improvement recommendations
• Upgrade, configure, and migrate new releases of Db2; regularly apply maintenance, and when necessary, apply PTFs/APRS
• Manage Db2 active and archive logs
• Modify Db2 zParms
• Recycle Db2
• Ensure recoverability of the system and applications’ database components
• Support DR activities (RTO/RPO: synchronization methods)
• Monitor instances for events and resolutions/escalations
• Ensure the proper alerting is occurring for Db2 messages
• Perform triage and troubleshooting
• Install, upgrade, configure and migrate new releases of Db2 ISV products, apply maintenance, and when necessary, apply fixes
• Support Db2 Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Products
• Develop scripting to automate Db2 systems engineering tasks

Benefits

• Compensation Range: Pay Range - Start: $108,160.00 Pay Range - End: $162,240.00
• Geographic Specific Pay Structure: Structure 110: $118,960.00 USD - $178,440.00 USD
• Structure 115: $124,400.00 USD - $186,600.00 USD
• If you’re living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable

What This Job Offers

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