System Administrator, MQ

Title: MQ Administrator

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Type: Contract

Direct applies only. No 3rd party candidates

Our client is seeking an MQ (Message Queue) Administrator. This is not a developer position. The role requires the following:

• Expert: IBM MQ Administration, IBM DataPower administration

• Secondary: MuleSoft, API Management, API Gateway

Key Accountabilities:

• Administer IBM MQ infrastructure, including:

• Creating and configuring Queue Managers, Queues, Channels, and Listeners.

• Implementing MQ clustering, multi-instance Queue Managers, and high availability strategies.

• Managing MQ security (SSL/TLS, authentication, and authorization).

• Monitoring and troubleshooting message flows, dead-letter queues, and channel connectivity.

• Performing backup, recovery, and disaster recovery planning for MQ environments.

• Applying patches, fix packs, and performing version upgrades with minimal downtime.

• Integrating MQ with monitoring tools for proactive alerting and performance tracking.

• Design, implement, and support highly available middleware infrastructure with a focus on IBM MQ and IBM DataPower.

• Develop and manage deployment strategies including clustering and load balancing for middleware components.

• Configure and manage API Manager, including the implementation of API policies.

• Perform runtime tuning of JVM, garbage collection, and DataPower appliances for optimal performance.

• Collaborate with Architects, Developers, Project Managers, and other engineering teams to deliver middleware solutions aligned with business needs.

• Provide business-as-usual (BAU) support, including incident resolution and change management, Participate in on-call rotation for production support and critical issue resolution.

Required Skills:

• 8+ years of experience with Middleware Technologies, with a strong emphasis on IBM MQ and IBM DataPower administration.

• Proficiency in Linux environments is essential.

• Proven experience leading triage calls and resolving complex integration issues.

• Strong communication skills and experience working directly with both technical and business stakeholders.

This position requires 2 days per week on site in Philadelphia, PA