Middleware Messaging Engineer

Senior Middleware Messaging & Platform Engineer


Job Overview


We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Middleware Messaging & Platform Engineer to join our Infrastructure Engineering team. This role is responsible for the design, administration, automation, security, and modernization of enterprise messaging and middleware platforms supporting mission-critical business applications.


The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in IBM MQ, API gateways, NGINX, container platforms, and cloud-native infrastructure, with a strong focus on automation, security, high availability, and operational excellence. This position will play a key role in strategic initiatives involving cloud adoption, Kubernetes-based deployments, infrastructure-as-code, vulnerability management, and disaster recovery planning.


Key Responsibilities


IBM MQ Administration & Support

• Install, configure, administer, and maintain IBM MQ Queue Managers and MQ Clients on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
• Perform IBM MQ upgrades, fix pack installations, patch management, and lifecycle maintenance activities.
• Configure and manage MQ components including:
• Queue Managers
• Local, Remote, Alias, and Model Queues
• Channels and Listeners
• Clusters
• Topics and Subscriptions
• Monitor system health, message throughput, queue depth, latency, and overall platform performance.
• Troubleshoot MQ connectivity issues, message delivery problems, security-related incidents, and performance bottlenecks.
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with application teams and serve as a subject matter expert for messaging solutions.

Performance, Capacity & High Availability

• Analyze logs, traces, and performance metrics to optimize messaging infrastructure.
• Monitor resource utilization including CPU, memory, storage, and network consumption.
• Develop capacity planning strategies and scalability roadmaps.
• Design and implement highly available messaging solutions including clustering and distributed queue architectures.
• Develop, maintain, and regularly test disaster recovery (DR) procedures and failover strategies.
• Participate in business continuity planning and multi-site resilience initiatives.

Security & Compliance

• Implement and manage IBM MQ security controls including:
• TLS/SSL encryption
• Channel Authentication Rules (CHLAUTH)
• Object Authority Manager (OAM)
• Certificate and keystore management
• Collaborate with security teams to ensure compliance with corporate security standards and regulatory requirements.
• Support vulnerability remediation efforts and security hardening initiatives.
• Apply security patches and mitigate risks associated with identified vulnerabilities and CVEs.

Cloud & Container Platforms

• Participate in the design and migration of middleware workloads to AWS.
• Deploy and manage IBM MQ within containerized environments using Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift, and Rancher.
• Support infrastructure modernization initiatives utilizing cloud-native technologies and container orchestration platforms.
• Configure and maintain middleware services deployed across multi-cluster and hybrid-cloud architectures.

API Gateway, NGINX & SFTP Platform Management

• Design, deploy, and support API gateway and reverse proxy solutions.
• Configure and troubleshoot API proxies, routing policies, security policies, and traffic management controls.
• Administer NGINX environments including:
• Reverse proxy configuration
• Load balancing
• SSL/TLS termination
• Health checks
• Rate limiting
• Kubernetes/OpenShift ingress controllers
• Manage SFTP gateways and managed file transfer (MFT) solutions, including:
• Key-based authentication
• User and directory management
• File transfer monitoring
• Integration with downstream services

Automation & DevOps

• Develop automation using Terraform, Ansible, GitOps, Shell scripting, Python, and other infrastructure automation tools.
• Build and maintain CI/CD deployment pipelines leveraging Jenkins, Harness, Artifactory, and HashiCorp Vault.
• Support infrastructure-as-code (IaC) initiatives and configuration management practices.
• Automate operational tasks, middleware deployments, environment provisioning, and compliance validations.

Monitoring & Operations

• Implement proactive monitoring and alerting strategies using enterprise observability platforms.
• Support production operations, incident response activities, and on-call responsibilities as required.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams including application development, networking, security, operations, and project management teams.
• Create and maintain architecture diagrams, operational procedures, standards, and technical documentation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of hands-on experience administering IBM MQ within enterprise environments.
• Strong expertise in:
• Queue Managers
• Queues
• Channels
• Clustering
• Publish/Subscribe
• MQ Security
• Extensive experience administering middleware platforms on Linux environments, particularly RHEL.
• Proven experience troubleshooting complex middleware and messaging issues.
• Strong scripting and automation skills using Bash, Python, Shell, or similar languages.
• Solid understanding of networking fundamentals including TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls, load balancers, and SSL/TLS.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and within cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience administering IBM MQ in cloud and containerized environments.
• Knowledge of advanced IBM MQ capabilities, including:
• Advanced Message Security (AMS)
• Managed File Transfer (MFT)
• MQ Appliances
• Experience with AWS-based middleware and messaging deployments.
• Hands-on expertise with Kubernetes, OpenShift, Docker, and Rancher.
• 6+ years of experience designing, deploying, and automating middleware technologies using Terraform, Ansible, and GitOps methodologies.
• 4+ years of experience administering API gateway and proxy technologies.
• Strong experience with:
• API proxy design and deployment
• OAuth 2.0 and API security
• API lifecycle management
• Traffic governance and rate limiting
• Experience supporting NGINX as both a reverse proxy and Kubernetes/OpenShift ingress controller.
• Experience administering enterprise SFTP and managed file transfer solutions.
• Experience building and supporting Jenkins-based operational and deployment pipelines.
• Working knowledge of enterprise monitoring and observability tools such as Splunk, Dynatrace, Instana, Nagios, or Prometheus.
• Familiarity with Kafka and other modern messaging technologies.
• Experience working in Agile, DevOps, and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) environments.
• Strong understanding of disaster recovery planning, high availability architectures, and multi-data-center deployments.

Security & Vulnerability Management Experience


Candidates should possess:

• Experience working with vulnerability assessment and scanning tools such as Qualys, Nessus, or equivalent platforms.
• Ability to analyze, prioritize, and remediate middleware-related vulnerabilities.
• Experience implementing CIS benchmark recommendations and security hardening standards.
• Familiarity with vulnerability remediation and patch management for API gateways, web servers, messaging platforms, and managed file transfer solutions within highly regulated enterprise environments.

What You'll Bring

• Deep technical expertise in enterprise messaging and middleware platforms.
• Strong automation and infrastructure-as-code mindset.
• Passion for modernization, cloud adoption, and platform engineering.
• A customer-focused approach with excellent collaboration skills.