L2 IBM Service Support Technician

Source Point Staffing; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is on the lookout for a highly skilled L2 Technical Support Engineer specializing in IBM systems. This role involves providing top-notch technical support, troubleshooting complex issues, and ensuring the seamless operation of IBM hardware and software. As part of a dynamic team, you'll engage in system monitoring, maintenance, and incident management while collaborating with cross-functional teams to resolve technical challenges. If you have a passion for problem-solving and a strong background in IBM technologies, this is your chance to make a significant impact in a supportive and innovative environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in L2 technical support with a focus on IBM systems.
• Strong troubleshooting skills for IBM hardware and software issues.
• Experience with ITIL-based case management systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide L2 technical support for IBM systems, including troubleshooting and maintenance.
• Monitor system performance and perform routine maintenance tasks.
• Document all troubleshooting steps and participate in root cause analysis.

Skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication abilities

Troubleshooting

IBM technologies

Customer service orientation

Critical thinking

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT or Computer Science

5+ years of experience in technical support

Tools

IBM Power Systems

IBM zSeries

IBM AIX

IBM i-series/p-series (AS/400)

IBM Tivoli Monitoring

Nagios

HMC (Hardware Management Console)

IBM System Director

Job description

Shyft Services is seeking a highly skilled L2 technical support engineer with expertise in IBM systems.

This position provides L2 technical support, troubleshooting complex issues, and ensuring efficient operations of IBM hardware and software.

The technical support engineer is responsible for OEM equipment repair, which includes 24x7 technical support of client enterprise server and network infrastructure. The ideal candidate should possess strong problem-solving skills, excellent communication abilities, and a strong understanding of IBM technologies.

This position includes consulting with onsite technicians and customers to solve complex issues and restore service availability, optimizing system performance, and proactively identifying potential hardware issues.

This position involves managing service requests in line with ITIL standards and staying current on OEM technologies. Create technical plans to facilitate onsite service repairs, and you will remotely support onsite technicians and advise on executing quality repairs. This includes compliance with Shyft Services operating procedures and client or OEM specific requirements.

What You'll Do

Troubleshooting & Problem Resolution:

• Provide L2 technical support for IBM systems, including servers (Power Systems, zSeries), storage solutions, and associated software.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and network issues related to IBM technologies.
• Consult on system configurations and plan of action to resolve complex incidents.
• Analyze system logs, error reports, and performance metrics to identify and rectify issues.
• Work with L1 support to escalate unresolved issues and take ownership until resolved or escalated to L3 support if necessary.

System Monitoring & Maintenance:

• Monitor the performance, capacity, and health of IBM systems to ensure high availability and performance.
• Perform routine system maintenance, including firmware updates, patch management, and software upgrades.
• Assist with backups, disaster recovery, and restore operations in coordination with the IT infrastructure team.

Incident & Service Management:

• Respond to incidents and service requests in a timely manner, adhering to the established SLAs.
• Strict adherence to case management procedures and utilizing the Tech Data system for all incidents, changes, and case management.
• Document all troubleshooting steps and resolutions in the IT service management system.
• Participate in root cause analysis (RCA) for critical incidents and help implement permanent fixes.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Provide courteous, professional phone support to both internal and external customers on a wide variety of technical issues.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (network, storage, database) to resolve complex infrastructure issues.
• Communicate with vendors and third-party providers for IBM hardware/software troubleshooting and support.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to L1 support engineers, helping them grow in their roles.

Installation & Configuration:

• Assist with the installation, configuration, and deployment of new IBM systems and solutions.
• Ensure all systems are properly integrated into the existing infrastructure and meet company standards.

Documentation & Reporting:

• Maintain up-to-date documentation on system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting guides.
• Provide regular reports on system performance, incidents, and resolutions to management.

Skills and Job-Related Experience:

• IBM AS400 hardware, software, and backups.
• Management tools, HMC and NIM.
• Strong knowledge of I Series storage, backup/restore archiving technologies.
• Experienced in LPAR management, tape libraries, and backup management.
• Experienced supporting Electro-Mechanical devices and replacement of motors, belts, bearing, and gears.
• Experienced replacing electronic components such as cards, boards, and assemblies.
• Use Troubleshooting MAPS/Diagrams/Documentation to resolve Hardware issues.
• Power Server platforms: IBM xSeries Equipment, IBM pSeries Equipment (RS/6000), IBM iSeries Equipment (AS/400).
• Diagnostics, system exercisers, and operating system utilities used to troubleshoot, interrogate, re-configure, and test IBM Servers (SMIT-DIAG- STRSST).
• Knowledge of Robotics (preferred).
• In-depth knowledge of IBM hardware (servers, storage) and operating systems (AIX, IBM I and P series, Linux on Power).
• Experience with IBM HMC (Hardware Management Console), IBM System Director, or other management tools.
• Strong troubleshooting and critical thinking skills related to network issues, storage configurations, and system performance tuning.
• Direct experience troubleshooting enterprise compute, networks, and storage equipment.
• Maintain a strong working relationship with vendors and contracted delivery partners.
• Must be customer service oriented and work well in a team and encourage collaboration and consensus building across all teams.
• Review OEM system logs and research system configurations and network topologies.
• Stay current on all OEM supported products and advanced technologies.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of experience in L2 technical support or a similar role, with a focus on IBM systems.
• Hands-on experience with IBM Power Systems, IBM zSeries (Mainframe), IBM AIX, IBM i-series/p-series (AS/400), or IBM storage solutions (such as Storwize or FlashSystem).
• Experience troubleshooting system logs, error reports for Lenovo and Supermicro systems.
• Familiarity with virtualization technologies such as IBM PowerVM or VMware.
• Familiarity with monitoring tools such as IBM Tivoli Monitoring or Nagios.
• Proficiency in command-line interface (CLI) usage, shell scripting, and automation tasks.
• Develop and maintain a strong working relationship with team colleagues and customers.
• Coach L1 technicians on process improvement and technical knowledge.
• Participate in on-call rotation every 4-6 weeks as required.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in IT, Computer Science, or a similar discipline is preferred, or +5 years of experience supporting enterprise compute, storage, and network systems.
• Demonstrated experience using an ITIL based case management systems.
• Demonstrated Root Cause Correct Action analysis, report generation, and presentation to customers.
• IBM Certified Specialist (e.g., IBM Power Systems, IBM Storage).
• ITIL v3/v4 certification for service/incident management.
• Knowledge of industry best practices for system administration and security.