Mainframe Monitoring Specialist - Night Shift

Job Description

Job Description

Seeking a Mainframe Monitoring Specialist (Night Shift, Thu-Mon) to provide continuous operational monitoring, problem determination, and technical support for enterprise mainframe environments at a large federal agency. This role ensures rapid response to system issues, minimizes outages, supports maintenance activities, and assists with facility and equipment planning. The Specialist interfaces with software teams, vendors, management, and facilities personnel to maintain the highest degree of mainframe uptime across multiple national support centers.

• Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex system, network, and hardware issues in real time.
• Analyze and troubleshoot problems using COMM dumps, stand-alone dumps, JES3 dumps, LOGREC, OPSLOG, RMF, and SYSLOG.
• Provide technical guidance on isolating and resolving hardware and software issues.
• Coordinate with software teams and vendors to resolve application and z/OS operating system issues.
• Record and report incidents through ServiceNow (SNOW), vendor support systems, and the DSUSF SPRB Activity Log within required timeframes.
• Create and update charts, graphs, floor plans, CAD drawings, procedures, and specialized reports.
• Attend facilities planning and coordination meetings with building management and security stakeholders.
• Install and uninstall IT equipment; provide status updates on installations and complete related change tickets.
• Prepare work orders for facility modifications for network or hardware installations.
• Recommend cabling and hardware placement; develop installation plans for review.
• Assist in supporting open systems environments using ITSM best practices.
• Provide oral status reports to management on system problems, outages, and resolutions.
• Plan, coordinate, and oversee multi-vendor preventive maintenance, remedial service, and software testing.
• Reset systems, perform IMLs and IPLs before and after maintenance activities.
• Train other IT Specialists in problem resolution, maintenance planning, and proper documentation procedures.
• Update problem and change control records using SNOW.
• Coordinate secure data center access for vendors in partnership with OPSS personnel.

• Ability to obtain and maintain Public Trust Clearance.
• Bachelor’s Degree + 5 years’ experience.
• Experience supporting large scale mainframe environments and associated peripheral devices.
• Strong knowledge of z/OS MVS, JES3, MIM, Top Secret, and mainframe attached storage technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze systems dumps, logs, and performance data.
• Ability to diagnose and resolve complex hardware, software, and network issues under time-critical conditions.
• Experience using ServiceNow (SNOW) or comparable ITSM ticketing tools.
• Ability to create technical documentation, diagrams, and reports.
• Ability to coordinate with vendors, facilities, and internal support groups.
• Must be able to work fixed shifts in a 24x7 environment, including holidays and inclement weather conditions.
• Ability to provide clear written and oral communication to management.
• Expected to work onsite at our customer's location 5 days a week. 
• Ability to work Thu Mon (3:30 p.m. 12:00 a.m. Night Shift)

• Familiarity with FICON directors, coupling facilities, and mainframe cloud storage technologies.
• Experience with CAD tools for facility layout and planning.
• Knowledge of IT service management best practices (ITSM, ITIL).
• Experience coordinating large scale maintenance, vendor support, and multi team operations.
• Experience supporting open systems environments (servers, storage, network equipment).
• Ability to produce detailed technical installation plans, work orders, and specialized reports