IBM Workload Automation (IWS/TWS) Specialist
Remote
Contract
Design & Build: Create and maintain job definitions, job streams, calendars, variable tables, prompts, and restart logic; enforce naming/versioning standards.
Operate & Recover: Monitor via DWC dashboards/critical path, triage failures, analyze return codes, implement preventive fixes, and document runbooks.
Event-Driven Scheduling: Implement file/message/RC-based triggers, dependencies, and what-if analyses for late/missing upstreams.
Automation & Integration: Use IWS CLI/REST, Shell/Python/PowerShell to automate deployments, checks, and reporting; integrate with ServiceNow/Jira for change & incident.
Migrations/Upgrades: Plan and execute upgrades (e.g., 9.x 10.x), agent deployments/patching, backups, DR testing, and rollback plans.
Governance & Reporting: Produce weekly SLA/MTTR/failure trend reports; ensure controls for audit/compliance (access, approvals, segregation).
Collaboration: Partner with app/DB/infra teams for onboarding, cutovers, and performance tuning; mentor L1/L2 and promote best practices.
Must-Have Qualifications
8+ years hands-on with IWS/IBM Workload Automation (aka TWS) on distributed platforms and daily use of DWC.
Strong command of job vs job stream design, calendars (holidays/exceptions/offsets), dependencies, prompts, and idempotent recovery.
Proven SLA monitoring and incident management via DWC (critical path, what-if, dashboards).
Scripting proficiency (Shell/Python/PowerShell), using CLI/REST for automation; Git familiarity.
OS fundamentals on Linux/Windows; comfort with networks, agents, and service accounts.
Experience with change management and production controls (approvals, evidence, CAB, backout).
Nice-to-Have
Cross-platform exposure (z/OS), scheduler DB basics (DB2/Oracle), LDAP/SSO for DWC.
Integration with CI/CD pipelines and observability (logs/metrics).
Familiarity with other schedulers (Stonebranch/JAMS/Control-M/Autosys) and conversion projects.
Knowledge of data platform workflows (ETL/ELT), and cloud schedulers (Azure Data Factory, Databricks jobs) and how they align with IWS.
Success Metrics (KPIs)
SLA breaches: < 0.5%/month
MTTR: 30 50% for failed jobs within 90 days
Automated recovery coverage: quarter over quarter
Change success rate: > 98% with zero audit findings
Tools & Environment
IWS/IBM Workload Automation, Dynamic Workload Console (DWC), IWS CLI/REST
Linux/Windows, Git, ServiceNow/Jira/Confluence, Bash/Python/PowerShell
DB touchpoints: DB2/Oracle/PostgreSQL (read-only ops/reporting)
Soft Skills
Clear incident communication, stakeholder management, and crisp documentation.
Bias toward automation, standardization, and measurable improvements.
Ability to mentor, influence, and hold the line on production hygiene.
Education/Certs
Bachelor's in CS/IT (or equivalent experience).
IBM Workload Automation certifications a plus.
