Senior Mainframe Workload Scheduler Specialist (IBM Workload Automation & related non-IBM Products)

Your role: As a Senior Mainframe Workload Scheduler Specialist, you will be accountable for the design, reliability, and evolution of the mainframe batch workload automation environment. We’re seeking an expert in IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS (formerly Tivoli Workload Scheduler) with a strong grasp of non-IBM scheduling suite products (such as IWS/BatchAD, IWS/BatchCP, IWS/Audit, IWS/Graph, XINFO). In this role, you will design and optimize enterprise-wide batch scheduling solutions, improving how we orchestrate and automate business-critical processing. Key responsibilities include: 

• Ensuring reliable and efficient batch scheduling for all mainframe applications and systems, by configuring and fine-tuning IBM Workload Scheduler (IWS) to meet strict SLAs for job completion and throughput. 

• Developing scheduling architecture and processes that integrate seamlessly with z/OS Workload Manager (WLM) policies, ensuring that automated jobs get the necessary system resources for the best throughput under WLM-managed environments.

• Implementing and maintaining non-IBM workload automation tools (e.g., IWS/Audit, Graph, BatchAD/BatchCP, and XINFO) to extend and enhance the IBM Workload Scheduler environment. Leverage these tools to provide advanced scheduling analytics, audit capabilities, and improved operator interfaces. 

• Modernizing and integrating the scheduling environment with DevOps and agile processes, including exploring ways to introduce APIs and modern interfaces for scheduling (for example, via Zowe CLI or REST APIs) for better integration with enterprise CI/CD pipelines. 

• Monitoring scheduling performance and reliability: Build observability into the scheduling systems and establish robust monitoring to detect and resolve job failures or delays rapidly. Use metrics and tools (including non-IBM products) to ensure continuous improvement in scheduling efficiency and fault tolerance. 

• Stakeholder collaboration: Work closely with application development teams and operations to gather scheduling requirements, advise on workload planning, and ensure scheduling solutions have bank-wide impact and reliability, with minimal business disruption. Provide consultation and advisory services for improving enterprise batch processing and workload management strategies.

• Leadership and innovation: Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to automate manual tasks and improve our batch operations. You will make key technical decisions regarding workload automation design and present your proposals and their trade-offs to stakeholders and technical leadership for alignment. You’ll also contribute to hiring and mentoring within the team, sharing knowledge of scheduling best practices and fostering an engineering culture of reliability and innovation. 

Your team: You will join the zSoftware engineering Pod and closely collaborate with the Mainframe Production Control & Automation team (part of our broader Mainframe Platform Services crew) responsible for enterprise batch workload automation. Working in an agile crew, you’ll closely collaborate with application support teams, infrastructure engineers, and IT operations across regions to ensure our batch scheduling aligns with business needs and integrates with cross-platform workflows. You’ll frequently interface with mainframe system engineers (e.g., z/OS base systems, DB2, CICS/MQ teams) to coordinate changes that span multiple disciplines, ensuring that scheduling, infrastructure, and applications operate harmoniously. As a senior specialist, you may lead scheduling-related projects and coordinate with global staff (across locations such as Switzerland, India, and the US) to drive unified improvements in workload automation. 

Your expertise: To be successful, you should have extensive experience (8+ years preferred) in mainframe scheduling and automation. Key qualifications include: 

• Mastery of IBM Workload Scheduler for z/OS (IWS/TWS) – Profound knowledge of job scheduling concepts, calendar and plan management, JCL and OPC/IWS definitions. Hands-on experience customizing and tuning IWS subsystems (controllers and trackers) to meet complex enterprise scheduling requirements. 

• Batch supporting Product Suite – Expertise with Batch supporting tools job scheduling add-ons and tools (such as IWS/BatchAD, IWS/BatchCP, IWS/Audit, IWS/Graph, and XINFO), with ability to maintain and upgrade these tools in line with platform upgrades. Familiarity with vendor roadmaps and version support for these products is beneficial (e.g., transitions to IWS 10.x and related HORIZONT versions).

• Workload Optimization & WLM – Strong understanding of z/OS Workload Manager (WLM) principles and how workload scheduling interacts with WLM and system capacity. Able to configure scheduling policies that complement WLM to maximize throughput and resource utilization.

• Scripting & Automation – Proficiency in REXX and JCL scripting to automate scheduling tasks and implement advanced conditional scheduling logic. Experience integrating scheduling events with cross-platform orchestration tools or REST APIs (for example, using modern interfacing via Zowe CLI or similar frameworks to trigger or monitor mainframe workloads) is an advantage. 

• Software Maintenance & Configuration – Solid knowledge of SMP/E, with proven experience in installing, configuring, and migrating new product versions.

• High Availability & Resilience – Experience designing highly available scheduling configurations (e.g., dual controllers, fault-tolerant arrangements) and disaster recovery procedures for scheduling systems. Familiarity with GDPS or multi-site scheduling setups is a plus. 

• Problem-solving & Support – Demonstrated experience in troubleshooting complex batch job failures and scheduling anomalies under pressure. Comfortable providing 3rd-level support for scheduling platform issues, including analyzing critical path delays, late job executions, and root-cause determination to ensure timely resolution. 

• Strategic mindset – Proven ability to plan for modernization of batch processing, such as migrating to new versions (e.g., IWS 10+), implementing DevOps-friendly scheduling interfaces, and improving the overall agility of mainframe operations. You think ahead to ensure long-term scaling and sustainability of the workload automation environment. 

• Communication & Leadership – Excellent communication in English (verbal and written) is required, as you will liaise with diverse global teams and present scheduling strategies to senior IT management. You have a knack for translating complex scheduling concepts into understandable plans for stakeholders. As a senior specialist, you also have the leadership skills to mentor junior team members in workload automation practices and to champion best practices within the organization.