Job Title: IBM z/VM Systems Administrator
Location: Springfield, IL
Duration: 6 Months
Job Description
Position Summary
- Client is seeking an experienced IBM z/VM Systems Administrator to manage and maintain the State’s mission-critical IBM mainframe virtualization infrastructure.
- This role is responsible for the installation, configuration, monitoring, and administration of IBM z/VM environments, ensuring system stability, performance, and security in support of statewide business applications and services.
- The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in z/VM systems management, virtualization, RACF security, and resource administration, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively on high-availability, enterprise-scale environments.
Key Responsibilities
System Administration
• Install, configure, and maintain IBM z/VM operating environments.
• Apply maintenance, service packs, and system upgrades.
• Monitor and manage z/VM system resources including CPU, memory, and I/O.
User and Resource Management
• Administer virtual machine definitions, directory entries, and user access.
• Manage z/VM spool, minidisks, and shared resources.
• Maintain performance tuning and capacity planning documentation.
Security & Compliance
• Implement and enforce RACF policies for z/VM directory and resource access.
• Configure and support secure networking with AT-TLS and SSL/TLS keyrings.
• Ensure compliance with SOC2, IRS Pub 1075, and other client security frameworks.
Disaster Recovery & High Availability
• Participate in Disaster Recovery (DR) testing and system restoration planning.
• Develop and maintain z/VM recovery runbooks and operational procedures.
Support & Collaboration
• Troubleshoot and resolve z/VM system issues, performance problems, and outages.
• Work with vendors (IBM, HPE, etc.) and internal DoIT teams for upgrades, migrations, and issue resolution.
• Provide documentation, training, and mentoring to junior staff and operations personnel.
Qualifications
Required:
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 8 years of experience administering IBM z/VM environments.
• Strong knowledge of z/VM systems administration, user directory management, and virtualization concepts.
• Experience with RACF administration and security enforcement in a z/VM environment.
• Proven ability in system performance tuning, capacity management, and resource allocation.
• Experience supporting Disaster Recovery procedures and high-availability architecture.
Preferred:
• Familiarity with LinuxONE environments and Linux guest management under z/VM.
• Experience with automation tools (REXX, Python, Ansible for z/VM/LinuxONE).
• Strong communication and documentation skills.
• Prior experience in government or other highly regulated environments.
