Z Lab Services Storage Consultant

Job description / Role

Introduction
As a Package Consultant at IBM, get ready to tackle numerous mission-critical company directives. Our team takes on the challenge of designing, developing and re-engineering highly complex application components and integrating software packages using various tools. You will use a mix of consultative skills, business knowledge, and technical expertise to effectively integrate packaged technology into our clients' business environment and achieve business results.

Your Role and Responsibilities
The IBM Systems Lab Services organization is looking for an IBM Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (IBM GDPS®) IT Management Consultant with expertise in IBM Z and Storage technology and products to lead and deliver pre-sales and post-sales client engagements that enable the adoption of IBM GDPS.

Ideal candidates will have demonstrated a successful history of implementing IBM GDPS® engagements, be familiar with sysplex architectural methods, can independently assess IT infrastructures, evaluate gaps in best practices and create IBM GDPS® solution recommendations for client environments while displaying excellent collaboration and communication with Clients, Sellers, Business Partners and Colleagues by delivering reports to clients.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible for developing and delivering IBM GDPS® solution design, architecture, and implementation of IBM GDPS® solutions which may include:

- Setting up, configuring and cloning z/OS LPARs
- Configuring and customizing GDPS® functional capabilities
- Designing and customizing NetView automation, REXX and JCL to support IBM GDPS® environment.
- Assisting with customer IBM GDPS® deployment testing
- Providing technical guidance and skills transfer to customer personnel for IBM GDPS® related topics.
- Producing planning and implementation reports and documentation.
- Installation, configuration, testing and maintenance of IBM Z operating system, subsystem, and related Z software
- Other technical tasks as necessary to accomplish successful customer outcomes

This role requires a strong knowledge of the IBM Systems Z hardware and software ecosystem, focusing on IBM Geographically Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (GDPS®). Strong z/OS, Parallel Sysplex, Networking and Automation skills are needed.

You will work with customers and IBM Sales and Business Partners to position, scope, and delivery of IBM GDPS® which is a collection of system recovery offerings on the IBM Z® platform, each of which uses services, clustering technologies, and server and storage replication and automation. Candidates must possess a strong background in executive consulting or technical sales and knowledge of IBM's GDPS® portfolio.

Requirements

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

- 3+ years' experience working with:
- z/OS High Availability technology and capabilities including Parallel Sysplex (eg: GRS, Coupling Facilities and Sysplex Failure Management)
- z/VM system programming & Linux on z Systems administration
- Copy Services technology including Metro Mirror, Global Mirror and z/OS Global Mirror (plus FlashCopy Software replication (IBM InfoSphere Replication Server for DB2, IMS and/or VSAM on z/OS (GDPS®/Active-Active only)
- Successfully delivering IBM Z projects and/or architecting and planning infrastructures for customer's data centers

3+ years' experience in:

- Customer facing communications, requirements analysis, documentation, and report presentations.
- Project management and the ability to collaborate across teams globally
- Networking skills especially TCP/IP knowledge
- Tivoli System Automation and NetView
- Storage management experience using DFSMS
- Ability to lead customer technical workshops up to 20+ people
- Candidate should be self-organized, eager to learn with strong sense of analysis & troubleshooting skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Readiness up to travel 20% travel annually
- English: Fluent

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise

- Knowledge or experience with GDPS®, PPRC and DR solution design and procedures
- Practical SMP/E knowledge
- Assembler, JCL, REXX and CLIST knowledge
- IBM System Automation and Red Hat Ansible knowledge
- Basic RACF knowledge

About the Company

For more than six decades, IBM Middle East & Pakistan has played a vital role in shaping the information technology landscape of the region. Today, IBM is part of the region's technological fabric, solving real-world business and societal challenges, through its offices in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Pakistan, and also a diversity of centers across the region.

Within the region, IBM currently has groundbreaking initiatives in cloud computing, analytics, mobile, security, as well as nanotechnology, eGovernment, healthcare and many more, collaborating with leading educational institutes and governments. IBM supports hundreds of clients to drive transformation through technology, contributes to regional research & development programs and has an active Corporate Service Corps (CSC) program.

Reinvention is a keyword in the company's history and, today, IBM is much more than a "hardware, software, services" company. IBM is now emerging as a cognitive solutions and cloud platform company.