MANAGER APPLICATION SERVICES

City of Toronto; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 142,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Toronto seeks a Manager of Application Platform Services to oversee modern application hosting and database platforms. This essential role requires strong leadership, technical expertise, and strategic planning to enable application teams to meet operational needs effectively while maintaining high performance and innovation within technology services.

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing middleware platforms and databases.
• Proven track record in team management within a collaborative environment.
• Strong negotiation skills with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Oversees delivery of hosting services and database management.
• Manages teams providing 24x7 support for application platform services.
• Develops strategic plans for application platform technologies.

Skills

Team Leadership

Database Technologies

Cloud Hosting Solutions

Middleware Platforms

CI/CD Tools

Analytical Skills

Education

University degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

WebSphere

OpenShift

AWS

Azure

MSSQL

Oracle

Job description

• Job ID: 56785
• Job Category: Information & Technology
• Division & Section: Technology Services, Enterprise Services & Operations
• Work Location: Hybrid, 703 Don Mills Road
• Job Type & Duration: Full-time, Permanent Vacancy
• Salary: $142,104.00-$189,918.00
• Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week
• Affiliation: Non-Union
• Number of Positions Open: 1
• Posting Period: 09-JUN-2025 to 30-JUN-2025
  
  

Reporting to the Director of Infrastructure Services Delivery, the Manager of Application Platform Services is responsible for overseeing the delivery and management of modern application hosting services and database platforms that support enterprise applications across the organization. This role focuses on ensuring secure, reliable, and scalable hosting environments while enabling application teams to meet their operational needs. The manager will lead teams specializing in middleware platforms, containerized environments, databases, and application gateways. This position is critical in enabling modern hosting services that support enterprise applications across the organization with the help from the extended Infrastructure Services Delivery and Application teams. The successful candidate will ensure robust infrastructure capabilities while driving innovation in application platform technologies.

Major Responsibilities

Leadership and Team Management

• Develops and implements detailed plans and policies for application platform services.
• Manages, motivates, and trains staff to ensure effective teamwork, high standards of work quality, organizational performance, and continuous learning.
• Encourages innovation and ensures high organizational performance through effective team-building.

Application Hosting Services

• Oversees middleware platforms (e.g., WebSphere), containerized environments (e.g., OpenShift), and application gateways (e.g., IBM DataPower).
• Manages the availability of modern hosting platforms for enterprise applications through lifecycle management and capacity planning.
• Leads service delivery for cloud-based hosting solutions (e.g., AWS, Azure) while integrating private cloud environments.
• Ensures fast and reliable software releases by promoting and automating build, test, and deployment workflows.

• Collaborates with application teams to integrate CI/CD practices into their development cycles.

Database Management

• Manages database platforms services such as MSSQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle to support business-critical applications.
• Ensures database platform servicesmeet security, performance, scalability, and availability requirements.
• Oversees database lifecycle management including installation, upgrades, tuning, troubleshooting, and administration.

Operational Excellence

• Manages teams that provide 24x7 support for application platform services to ensure continuous SLAs and SLOs and Disaster Recovery.
• Monitors preventive maintenance schedules and emergency patches to minimize downtime.
• Coordinates new software and platform releases and upgrades while ensuring seamless integration with existing systems.

Vendor Management

• Prepares RFPs/RFQs for hardware/software acquisitions related to application platforms.
• Negotiates contracts with vendors in collaboration with purchasing/legal teams.
• Manages vendor deliverables including timelines, quality standards, payment schedules, and statements of work.

Strategic Planning & Reporting

• Collaborates with Enterprise Architecture to define strategic plans for application platform technologies.
• Develops tactical plans for capacity planning, high availability measures, security protocols (in conjunction with CISO), and technology standards.
• Prepares reports/briefing notes on application platform issues for senior management or council meetings.

Budgeting & Financial Management

• Develops annual budgets for the unit and ensures expenditures align with approved limits.
• Monitors financial performance metrics related to application platform services.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Promotes continuous improvement of hosting technologies by conducting market research on emerging trends.
• Evaluates feasibility studies for new tools/platforms to enhance service delivery.

Key Qualifications

University degree in Computer Science or Engineering or equivalent education/experience.

Significant experience managing middleware platforms (e.g., WebSphere), databases (e.g., MSSQL), containerized environments (e.g., OpenShift), and public/private hosting solutions (e.g., AWS/Azure/VMware/Nutanix).

Proven experience managing teams of union/non-union employees in a collaborative environment.

Expertise in database technologies (MSSQL/PostgreSQL/Oracle), middleware platforms (WebSphere/Kafka), containerization (OpenShift), cloud hosting solutions (AWS/Azure), CI/CD tools (e.g., SonarQube, Nexus, ArgoCD, GitLab), and application gateways (IBM DataPower).

Knowledge of IT lifecycle management principles including capacity planning and disaster recovery.

Strong team-building skills to foster collaboration across diverse teams.

Ability to negotiate effectively with vendors/stakeholders while promoting a collegial approach.

Excellent interpersonal skills to facilitate meetings and communicate across all organizational levels.

Demonstrated ability to develop strategic plans aligned with organizational goals.

Strong analytical skills with a focus on innovative problem-solving.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.

Accommodation

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs. Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request. Learn more about the City’s Hiring Policies and Accommodation Process.