Senior Mainframe Storage and Backup Administrator

M&T Bank; Clanton (AL); On-site; USD 116,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Health benefits

401(k) match at 5%

Work-life balance

25 days PTO + 12 holidays

40 hours volunteer time

Job summary

M&T Bank is seeking an experienced Senior Mainframe Storage and Backup Administrator to oversee enterprise storage and data protection for mission-critical workloads, including IBM DS8000, GDPS, and TS7700/TS7780 environments.

You will design backup and recovery strategies, run DR drills, monitor performance, and mentor junior staff, while ensuring 24/7 on-call coverage and adherence to high-availability standards.

Qualifications

• Combined minimum of 9 years' higher education and/or related work experience.
• Strong knowledge of IBM DS8000/DS8950F, GDPS replication solutions, and TS7700/TS7780 virtual tape systems.
• Expertise with CA storage products: CA Disk, CA Allocate, CA View/Deliver, CA Vantage.
• Deep understanding of DFSMS, VSAM RLS, SMS constructs, DFP, enhanced-format datasets, and z/OS storage architecture.
• Proven experience with backup/recovery planning and execution.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Oversee storage administration for IBM DS8000/DS8950F arrays and GDPS environments.
• Manage virtual tape systems TS7700/TS7780 and data protection features.
• Design and implement backup/recovery strategies for mainframe systems.
• Perform capacity planning and performance tuning for z/OS storage.
• Create documentation and mentor junior staff.

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Mainframe Storage and Backup Administrator to oversee, manage, and optimize enterprise-level mainframe storage and backup environments. This role requires deep technical expertise in IBM DS8000 series storage systems, GDPS replication technologies, virtual tape (TS7700/TS7780), backup and recovery solutions, and mainframe data protection strategies. The ideal candidate will ensure stability, high availability, performance, and resilience across all storage and backup platforms supporting mission-critical business workloads.

Mainframe Storage Administration

• Manage and maintain IBM DS8000/DS8950F storage arrays and related components.
• Configure and support GDPS Metro Mirror, Global Mirror, and GDPS HyperSwap environments.
• Administer TS7700/TS7780 Virtual Tape Systems including Grid and Clustering.
• Implement and manage Safeguarded Copy and other data protection features.
• Support enhanced-format datasets and DFP segment management.
• Perform storage provisioning, allocation, tuning, and troubleshooting for z/OS environments.

Backup & Recovery

• Design, implement, and maintain backup and recovery strategies for mainframe systems.
• Manage backup schedules, retention policies, and virtual tape environments.
• Conduct routine recovery validations, DR drills, and failover/failback simulations.
• Support business continuity initiatives and CoLO or multi-DC migrations.

Performance & Capacity Management

• Conduct capacity planning for disk, tape, and replication environments.
• Analyze performance metrics, identify bottlenecks, and implement improvements.
• Generate regular reporting on consumption, growth, and performance trends.

Tools & Automation

• Administer CA Disk (DMS), CA Allocate, CA View/Deliver, and CA Vantage.
• Automate operational tasks and reporting using REXX, JCL, or other scripting tools.

Operational Support

• Provide 24/7 support as part of an on-call rotation, including off-business hours and weekend production changes.
• Collaborate with system programmers, application teams, and disaster recovery teams.

Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

• Develop and maintain detailed technical documentation, SOPs, and recovery guides.
• Mentor junior team members and assist in cross-training across the team.

Required Qualifications

• Combined minimum of 9 years' higher education and/or related work experience
• Strong knowledge of IBM DS8000/DS8950F, GDPS replication solutions, and TS7700/TS7780 virtual tape systems.
• Expertise with CA storage products: CA Disk, CA Allocate, CA View/Deliver, CA Vantage.
• Deep understanding of DFSMS, VSAM RLS, SMS constructs, DFP, enhanced-format datasets, and z/OS storage architecture.
• Proven experience with backup/recovery planning and execution.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years hands-on experience in mainframe storage administration in large-scale environments.
• Experience with Active-Active mainframe architectures.
• Prior involvement in multi-data center migrations or CoLO transitions.
• Familiarity with z/OS, JES2, REXX, and automation frameworks.
• IBM or Broadcom certifications in Storage, GDPS, or Tape Technologies.

Soft Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Strong collaboration across teams and stakeholders.
• Ability to mentor junior staff and lead knowledge-transfer efforts.
• High attention to detail and discipline in documentation.
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, high-availability environments.

We support our team members with generous benefits.

• Competitive compensation
• Health, welfare, and retirement benefits
• 401(k) match at 5%
• Work-life balance and flexible work arrangements
• Banking Officers start with 25 days PTO plus 12 paid holidays
• 40 hours paid volunteer hours per year
• Much more. For details, see: M&T Benefits Overview (https://www3.mtb.com/content/dam/mtb-web/mtb-migration/pdfs/health-care-benefits-overview.pdf)

M&T Bank is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for our employees. The pay range for this position is $116,400.00 - $194,000.00 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation. The range listed above corresponds to our national pay range for this role. The specific pay range applicable to you may vary based on your location.

Location

Clanton, Alabama, United States of America

M&T Bank Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, including disabilities and veterans.