Mainframe performance and capacity management engineer

Ztek Consulting, Inc.; Alpharetta (GA); Remote; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Ztek Consulting, Inc. is seeking a Senior Mainframe performance and capacity management engineer. This remote contract role focuses on real-time performance monitoring, anomaly detection, and incident prevention for mission-critical workloads on z/OS systems.

You will leverage RMF, WLM, and data analysis to identify bottlenecks, forecast capacity needs, and drive tuning and optimization across cross-functional teams including Infrastructure, DevOps, and Applications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems or related field.
• 10+ years of mainframe experience with performance management in z/OS.
• Strong knowledge of RMF, WLM, and capacity planning.
• Proficiency in JCL, DB2, and scripting (Python/REXX).

Responsibilities

• Monitor real-time mainframe performance and capacity across CPU, memory, DASD and WLM managed workloads.
• Detect anomalies, troubleshoot performance issues, and prevent incidents.
• Develop tuning strategies and forecast capacity requirements.
• Collaborate with DevOps, operations and application teams; provide guidance and on-call support.
• Migrate tooling to Git-based change management and modern DevOps pipelines.

Skills

z/OS

WLM

RMF

JCL

DB2

Python

REXX

Excel

PowerPoint

DevOps

Education

Bachelor's degree in Information Systems

Tools

RMF

MICS

PR/SM

Job description

Job Title: Mainframe performance and capacity management engineer

Location: Remote

Type of hire: Contract

Job Description :

The Mainframe performance and capacity management engineer will be responsible for real-time mainframe performance monitoring, anomaly detection, and incident prevention to support our mission‑critical workloads. You will use your expertise in performance optimization, capacity planning, and data analysis to identify both performance and capacity exceptions, ensuring our mainframe infrastructure operates efficiently and effectively. Leverage advanced tools and your technical expertise to safeguard performance, optimize resources, and enable seamless operations across critical business workloads. Collaborate with infrastructure, DevOps, operations, and application teams to ensure optimal workload behavior, guide performance tuning, and surface insights that drive engineering and business decisions.

Responsibilities

Performance Management and Capacity Planning:

• Monitor real‑time z/OS system health and performance across CPU, memory, DASD, and WLM‑managed workloads, using tools including RMF, SmartIS, MICS, and other internal tools. Analyze performance data to identify trends, bottlenecks, and potential issues.
• Detect, troubleshoot, and resolve resource anomalies, workload misbehaviors, and degradation risks in production systems. Partner with incident response teams to resolve performance issues quickly and accurately.
• Develop and implement performance tuning strategies by recommending changes to service definitions, dispatching priorities, and workload placement.
• Contribute to capacity planning by forecasting and modeling workload resource demand & capacity requirements.
• Support cost modeling, vendor reporting (SCRT), infrastructure sizing and resource optimization efforts.

Data Analysis:

• Collect and analyze system performance data to generate reports and dashboards.
• Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop metrics to track system performance.
• Visualize, summarize and present data findings, recommendations, and methodology to senior leadership, department leadership and enterprise stakeholders (technical and non‑technical stakeholders)

Collaboration and Communication:

• Work closely with cross‑functional teams, including operations, development, and infrastructure teams.
• Provide technical support and guidance to team members and stakeholders.
• Participate in on‑call rotations and provide timely responses to performance and observability issues.
• Participate in migration of performance/capacity tooling to Git change management and DevOps deployment pipelines.

Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Mathematics, Finance or another quantitative or related subject
• 10+ years of mainframe systems experience with proficiency in performance management for large, multi‑processor, multi‑LPAR, Parallel Sysplex environments utilizing z/OS
• Proven experience in mainframe performance monitoring, observability, capacity management, and data analysis.
• Proven experience resolving systems performance problems in real‑time via adjustments to WLM and batch initiators.
• Basic understanding of PR/SM.
• Proficiency in Job Control Language (JCL) & DB2
• Proficiency in REXX/Python (plus)
• Advanced user of MS Excel (Charts, Pivot tables, Vlookups, PowerPivot) and PowerPoint for data visualization.
• Experience with mainframe monitoring tools and performance tuning techniques.
• Experience working with large highly transactional datasets to draw insights and create organizational value.
• Experience with DevOps is a plus

Qualifications:

• Strong analytical, problem solving and strategic thinking skills including the ability to prioritize.
• Proficiency in data analysis and creation of dashboards and various visualizations that will provide actionable insights for operations, engineering and management decision making.
• Working knowledge of MS Office suite for management reporting using both PowerPoint and Excel analytical functions
• Comfortable taking information from disparate systems to bring data elements together for meaningful insights
• Analyze and solve business problems at their root, stepping back to understand the broader context.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Detail‑oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Deep expertise with SMF/RMF data, WLM service definitions, and z/OS workload behavior.
• MICS Product & Reporting experience (plus)
• Exhibit good time management skills, independent thinking and decision‑making capabilities.
• High sense of urgency and ability to prioritize competing requirements in a fast‑paced environment.