The Treasury Board Secretariat, Infrastructure Technology Services (ITS), Data Centre Operations Branch (DCO), is seeking a Senior Admin Advisor – Mainframe, to provide authoritative, specialized, senior-level technical leadership and coordination for ITS's mainframe operating systems administration and software projects. You will also provide ongoing monitoring and service activities, analytical services and recommendations to enhance the mainframe hosting service capabilities that support ITS's multi-platform, multi-protocol 24/7/365, mission-critical computer processing operations environment.
If this sounds like you, please read on.
About the job
In this role, you will:
• Provide specialized, senior-level technical leadership for assigned mainframe and mid-tier operating systems administration, software design, development, review, change, implementation and optimization projects.
• Provide clients with Tier 3 incident and problem management services that involve specialized, senior-level technical performance analyses using interpretative reasoning to evaluate specific very diverse problems which may be broad in scope.
• Provide specialized senior-level operating systems software consulting support, technical advice and guidance to staff, operating systems administrators and application developers on system capabilities, operation, functionality and development.
• Develop and deliver technical education programs for clients and work teams to support them in dealing with change resulting from operating systems software decisions.
• Contribute specialized technical expertise and coordination for risk management activities, such as contingency and disaster recovery planning, testing, documentation and related staff education and training.
• Review standards in IT architecture plans and strategies and recommend additions or changes.
• Perform a wide variety of specialized, senior-level duties. For example, monitoring and reporting on vendor performance, verifying that vendor deliverables have completely met contract requirements before Manager authorizes payment, alerting management to defaults, and recommending and implementing solutions.
What you bring to the team
Mandatory requirements
• Requires security clearance from law enforcement agencies to support and operate security systems that access information that is sensitive but
unclassified.
• Must be familiar with mainframe performance and tuning best practices, as well as expert knowledge of various tools, for installing, monitoring and maintaining software in z/OS such as: Omegamon /MVS , RMF, SMP/E, REXX, Control-M.
Specialized Knowledge:
• You have excellent interpersonal skills with a strong interest in the z/OS platform support role.
• You are capable of maintaining the z/OS environment, which primarily includes: keeping the operating system and program products at their most current level, performance and tuning, debugging and troubleshooting system related issues, and providing technical support to the application development community.
• You must have expert knowledge of and hands-on experience working with the latest generation of IBM mainframes and the more recent releases of the z/OS operating system. You must also provide expert guidance to the application development community and the data centre operations staff, in all areas of operating systems functionality, as well as mainframe program products usage.
• You have hands-on experience in TSO automation.
• You have knowledge of ITS's computing centres' mainframe and system technologies, services, products, service providers and vendors, including all software (e.g. CA tools, etc.); hardware (computers, servers, storage, etc.).
• You have knowledge of IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and RACF processes, terms and definitions, to develop and implement approved solutions and manage technical change consistently in accordance with best practices and accepted standards.
• You have knowledge of client needs and business environment, to define current and future technical scope of work with a more senior analyst and/or the Manager, and assess and advise on the need for operating systems software change.
• You have knowledge of contingency and disaster recovery planning and testing to contribute specialized technical knowledge and co-ordination for planning, testing and education purposes.
• You have knowledge of technical training and education techniques to provide data, reports, problem resolution, education and information.
Research, Analytical and Planning Skills:
• You possess reasoning, planning, analysing and assessing skills to assess client needs, system usage, performance and capacity to meet needs.
• You have the ability to research and assess technology and methodology options, develop cost-benefit analyses and provide business-focused technical inputs and recommendations to support technology planning.
• You have troubleshooting, incident and problem management skills, with strong tolerance for ambiguity to analyze technical problems and provide viable solutions for specific difficult incidents and problems that may be very diverse and broad in scope.
Leadership and Organizational Skills:
• You possess group leadership skills to develop and encourage cross-functional project teamwork, good morale and high performance.
• You have the ability to balance competing demands and manage diverse concurrent technical projects.
• You are able to coordinate, consult, guide and manage diverse working relationships (e.g. with management, project team members, application developers, network administrators, vendors, etc.) to present, discuss, inform and develop support for recommendations.
Communication Skills:
• You have written and oral communication skills to write technical documentation protocols and standards.
• You have the ability to write, explain and present complex technical reports and recommendations for audiences and/or decision-makers whose area of expertise may not be in operating systems software.
• You are able to establish effective working relationships and provide instruction for less experienced team members, define needs to and instruct vendors and provide draft policies and procedures.
Computer Skills:
• You are able to utilize common office software (e.g. MS Office) in order to provide reports, recommendations, statistical and presentation materials, etc. for management.