WebSphere Administrator

Position Title: WebSphere Administrator
Location: New York, NY (On-Site)
Direct Hire
Salary: $145,000/year

Overview:
A public sector client of ours in NYC is looking for a seasoned WebSphere Administrator to support critical HR functions and production maintenance. This position is a full-time, W2 role with their company based in the Manhattan area.

The WebSphere Administrator will support ongoing production maintenance and phased rollout implementation of the HR, Benefits, and Timekeeping functions within the organization's HR/Payroll systems. This role is responsible for the installation, maintenance, configuration, administration, and troubleshooting of middleware infrastructure supporting critical citywide applications.

The WebSphere Administrator will serve as a technical administrator for middleware platforms, including IBM WebSphere, IBM MQ, and Cognos. This individual will work with application teams, infrastructure teams, technical administrators, and project stakeholders to support application deployments, upgrades, patching, automation, configuration management, production operations, and issue resolution.

This position requires strong middleware administration experience, hands-on expertise with IBM WebSphere Application Server Traditional and WebSphere Liberty, and the ability to work independently, prioritize competing tasks, and meet project deadlines in a large-scale enterprise environment.

Key Responsibilities

Middleware Administration & Production Support

• Install, configure, maintain, and support middleware infrastructure, including IBM WebSphere, IBM MQ, and Cognos.
• Administer IBM WebSphere Application Server Traditional (tWAS) and WebSphere Liberty on Linux or UNIX-based platforms.
• Support middleware infrastructure for critical citywide HR, Benefits, Timekeeping, and HR/Payroll applications.
• Manage WebSphere Liberty server configurations, including server.xml, bootstrap.properties, and jvm.options.
• Perform middleware application upgrades, patch installations, and related maintenance activities.
• Support production maintenance and phased rollout implementation activities for HR/Payroll systems.

Automation, DevOps & Configuration Management

• Use Git for source control and configuration management.
• Use Ansible for middleware administration, automation, configuration management, and application deployments.
• Support configuration management standards and repeatable deployment processes.
• Collaborate with technical teams to improve automation, consistency, and efficiency across middleware environments.
• Support DevOps practices and CI/CD processes where applicable.

Application Deployment & Technical Support

• Work with application, infrastructure, and project teams to support middleware-related application deployments.
• Troubleshoot and resolve middleware issues across production and non-production environments.
• Understand, analyze, and debug Java errors related to middleware and application behavior.
• Perform detailed root cause analysis for complex technical problems.
• Clearly document symptoms, troubleshooting steps, resolutions, and technical recommendations.
• Work quickly to learn new applications and resolve issues efficiently.

Systems Integration & Enterprise Support

• Administer and support associated middleware products, including IBM MQ, IBM HTTP Server, IBM WebSphere Message Broker, Oracle WebLogic, and Cognos.
• Support integrations and middleware dependencies across enterprise applications.
• Apply understanding of relational database concepts and SQL when troubleshooting application or middleware issues.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in an enterprise-wide, large-scale environment.
• Ensure middleware solutions support application availability, performance, reliability, and operational needs.

Planning, Documentation & Communication

• Plan work, manage time according to schedules, and provide status updates as required.
• Prioritize tasks effectively to meet project deadlines and production support needs.
• Create and maintain clear technical documentation, procedures, and issue-resolution notes.
• Communicate technical problems and solutions clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Work independently while maintaining strong collaboration with team members and project stakeholders.

NOTE: Candidates who don't meet the required qualifications for this role will NOT be considered at this time.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Five (5) or more years of middleware administration experience.
• Experience administering IBM WebSphere Application Server Traditional (tWAS) on Linux or UNIX-based platforms.
• Experience administering WebSphere Liberty on Linux or UNIX-based platforms.
• Experience managing WebSphere Liberty server configurations, including server.xml, bootstrap.properties, and jvm.options.
• Experience using Git for source control and configuration management.
• Experience using Ansible for middleware administration, automation, configuration management, and application deployments.
• Experience administering associated middleware products such as IBM MQ, IBM HTTP Server, IBM WebSphere Message Broker, Oracle WebLogic, and Cognos.
• Experience performing middleware application upgrades and patch installations.
• Experience understanding and debugging Java errors.
• Good understanding of relational database concepts.
• Experience using SQL.
• Previous experience working in an enterprise-wide, large-scale environment.
• Ability to support 24x7 operations and work nights or weekends as required.
• Ability to perform detailed root cause analysis of technical problems.
• Ability to plan work, manage time according to schedules, and provide status updates when required.
• Ability to quickly learn new applications and resolve issues.
• Ability to clearly document and explain symptoms and solutions for complex problems.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work well in a team environment.
• Self-motivated with the ability to independently research issues and identify solutions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Jenkins, CloudBees, or similar CI/CD tools.
• Experience with Configuration as Code.
• Experience with DevOps methodologies.
• Experience supporting HR, Benefits, Timekeeping, Payroll, or similar enterprise business applications.
• Experience supporting middleware platforms for critical public sector, municipal, or citywide applications.
• Experience working in environments with formal release management, change control, and production deployment processes.

About Seneca Resources
At Seneca Resources, we are more than just a staffing and consulting firm, we are a trusted career partner. With offices across the U.S. and clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to government organizations, we provide opportunities that help professionals grow their careers while making an impact.

When you work with Seneca, you're choosing a company that invests in your success, celebrates your achievements, and connects you to meaningful work with leading organizations nationwide. We take the time to understand your goals and match you with roles that align with your skills and career path. Our consultants and contractors enjoy competitive pay, comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) retirement plans, and the support of a dedicated team who will advocate for you every step of the way.

Seneca Resources is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.