Information Systems Advisor II - z/OS Administration

Office of the Illinois Secretary of State
Alexi Giannoulias

Job Title:       Information Systems Advisor I – z/OS Administration
Division:        Technology Office
Union:            IFT
Location:       501 S 2^nd St, Springfield, IL – Sangamon County
Salary:           Range $8,020 to $14,138 monthly – commensurate with experience
Benefits:        https://cms.illinois.gov/benefits/stateemployee.html

Attention:      Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; the Office of the Secretary of State will not complete certification and/or sponsorship requests.

Overview:

Plans, implements, coordinates, and evaluates complex technical software functions for the ILSOS Mainframe environment.  This role maintains, modernizes, and optimizes the z/OS operating system and its core subsystems, oversees IBM SAN storage, replication, and VTL environments, and supports IBM mainframe hardware infrastructure.  It implements and maintains vendor software, provides 24x7 on-call support for critical issues, and guides staff in managing z/VM for virtualized workloads.  The position handles mainframe security through RACF, monitors and tunes system performance, manages z/OS networking, ensure thorough documentation, and maintains the ILSOS disaster recovery environment to support continuity and rapid recovery.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• This position is responsible for maintaining, modernizing and optimizing the z/OS operating systems and core subsystems, including TWS, DB2, CICS, and MQ, to ensure stability, reliability, and adherence to enterprise standards and modernization strategy.
• Supports IBM mainframe hardware infrastructure, including processors, storage subsystems, and peripheral components. Monitors performance and capacity management, coordinates maintenance, firmware updates, and hardware lifecycle activities.
• Exercises responsibility for the implementation and maintenance of vendor software which interfaces the system programs and hardware.  Provides 24×7 on‑call support for critical system issues, performing diagnostic analysis and coordinating resolution to maintain maximum system availability.
• Manages IBM SAN storage and replication environments as well as IBM VTL systems, including allocation, placement, capacity planning, catalog integrity, backup strategies, and recovery processes aligned with enterprise storage architecture.
• Administers and supports z/OS networking components, including TCP/IP configuration, network routing, encryption, z/OS Connect, and other networking technologies; performs security-focused network tuning and troubleshooting.
• Monitors and maintains the ILSOS disaster recovery (DR) environment, utilizing IBM Flexible Capacity and failover functions to ensure resilience, continuity, and rapid recovery of mainframe operations.
• Assists with maintaining mainframe security controls using RACF and related technologies, ensuring compliance with cybersecurity, audit, and regulatory requirements; Ensures that comprehensive documentation is produced by junior staff for system configurations, operational standards, maintenance procedures, and technical troubleshooting guides
• Guides staff in the configuration and maintenance of z/VM environments, ensuring proper support for virtualized Linux workloads and interoperability with z/OS.
• Monitors and tunes system performance using Omegamon, RMF, and WLM, analyzing trends, identifying bottlenecks, and adjusting system parameters to improve throughput and efficiency.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Education and Experience:
 
Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to the completion of two years of college, with coursework in the computer science field AND 4.5 years of experience with technical systems and/or programming experience and/or IT project management, including at least 1-year supervisory experience or any equivalent combination of education and experience.
 
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

•  Requires extensive knowledge of systems design and implementation, including the way programs are written, compiled, and tested, the methods of operating computers, and the way data is transcribed into a suitable form and has an appreciation of the wider business context for those programs.
• Requires excellent oral and written communication skills for effective engagement with colleagues and internal users/customers.
• Requires extensive knowledge necessary to effectively perform the ability to exercise sound judgement in analyzing, evaluating, and solving problems of a procedural, organizational, administrative, and/or technical nature.
• Requires the use and understanding of appropriate methods, tools, applications, and processes to demonstrate a rational and organized approach to work.
• Requires awareness and adherence to organizational standards for security, privacy, and ethics.
• Requires extensive knowledge of the devices for capturing data for computers and the means available for receiving and transmitting data from remote locations to a computer.
• Requires extensive knowledge of the principles and techniques of computer system documentation.
• Requires the desire to seek to identify learning and professional development opportunities.
• Requires extensive knowledge of the advantages and limitations of computer communication, and information retrieval systems as management information tools.
• Requires the ability to follow oral and/or written instructions and to carry out routine operations, once established, without further instructions.
• Requires the ability to organize facts and findings, analyze data logically and to present results with clarity and comprehension, orally and in written or graphic form.
• Requires willingness to travel and possession of a valid Illinois driver’s license as required by individual positions within the class.
• Requires the ability to lift, carry, and push/pull 0 – 50lbs.

Application Process: 

• Please visit https://ilsos.applytojob.gov/apply to apply by completing the online application; you may also upload a resume or other attachments as needed.
• Preference will be given to Illinois residents in the hiring and selection process, in accordance with the Illinois Secretary of State Merit Employment Code.
• Questions regarding this posting or Illinois Secretary of State employment practices may be directed to Job Counselors at our Personnel offices in Chicago (312-793-5515) or Springfield (217-782-4783).  

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Applicants must be lawfully authorized to work in the United States.
Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital or veteran status, or the presence of a non-job-related medical condition or disability.

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