Senior Middleware Engineer

Guardian; Bethlehem (Northampton County); On-site; USD 86,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian seeks an experienced Middleware Engineer to manage IBM MQ services, including Native High Availability, clustering, and disaster recovery. You will design, deploy, and support MQ across integration layers with WebSphere and Tomcat, and work with Java applications.

This role requires deep Linux/Unix admin skills, scripting for automation, and hands-on DevOps experience with Jenkins, Ansible, Puppet, GitHub or GitLab. Candidates with AWS exposure fit Guardian's hybrid-cloud environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in CS/IT/Engineering.
• 7+ years of middleware engineering or admin experience.
• Hands-on IBM MQ v9.3/v9.4 installation, configuration, upgrades, and production support.
• Strong experience with IBM MQ Native High Availability and failover testing.
• Experience with MQ clustering, distributed queuing, publish/subscribe patterns.
• Security-focused implementation for messaging/integration tech.
• Experience integrating IBM MQ with IBM WebSphere, Tomcat, App Connect/ACE, or IBM Integration Bus.
• Proficiency in Linux/Unix administration and scripting for automation.
• Exposure to AWS and hybrid-cloud middleware architectures.

Responsibilities

• Engineer and operate secure, resilient IBM MQ services, including HA, clustering, distributed messaging, and disaster recovery.
• Administer and improve IBM WebSphere Application Server and Apache Tomcat platforms, including configuration, patching, upgrades, integrations, performance, and production support.
• Automate provisioning, configuration, validation, monitoring, and operational tasks using scripting, DevOps pipelines, and configuration-management tools.
• Lead technical troubleshooting for complex middleware incidents, perform root-cause analysis, and implement durable corrective actions.
• Collaborate across application, infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, compliance, and operations teams to deliver middleware solutions aligned with enterprise standards.

Skills

IBM MQ

WebSphere AS

Apache Tomcat

Linux/Unix

DevOps tools

AWS

High Availability/DR

MQ clustering

Messaging security

Enterprise Java

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

IBM MQ v9.3/v9.4

Jenkins

Ansible

Puppet

GitHub/GitLab

WebSphere AS

Tomcat

App Connect/ACE

Job description

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of middleware engineering or administration experience supporting mission-critical enterprise applications.
• Extensive hands-on experience with IBM MQ v9.3/v9.4, including installation, configuration, upgrades, migrations, security hardening, performance tuning, and enterprise production support.
• Strong experience with IBM MQ Native High Availability, including deployment, administration, failover testing, troubleshooting, monitoring, patching, and production support.
• Experience designing and supporting high availability and disaster recovery architectures for enterprise messaging platforms.
• Experience with MQ clustering, distributed queuing, publish/subscribe, and enterprise messaging patterns.
• Expertise implementing end-to-end security for messaging and integration technologies.
• Experience integrating IBM MQ with IBM WebSphere Application Server, Apache Tomcat, IBM App Connect Enterprise or IBM Integration Bus, and enterprise Java applications.
• Strong working knowledge of IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment and Apache Tomcat administration and support.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across MQ, WebSphere, Tomcat, Java Virtual Machines, application deployments, connectivity, performance, and security.
• Proficiency with Linux or Unix administration and shell scripting for automation and operational efficiency.
• Experience with DevOps and automation tools such as Jenkins, Ansible, Puppet, GitHub, or GitLab.
• Exposure to Amazon Web Services and hybrid-cloud middleware architectures.

Preferred Qualifications

• IBM Certified MQ Administrator certification.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate or equivalent cloud certification.
• Experience with Splunk, AppDynamics, Amazon CloudWatch, or comparable observability platforms.
• Experience supporting middleware modernization, cloud migration, or platform transformation initiatives.

You Will

• Enterprise-wide collaboration with application, infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, compliance, network, and operations teams.
• Engineer and operate secure, resilient IBM MQ services, including Native High Availability, clustering, distributed messaging, and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Administer and improve IBM WebSphere Application Server and Apache Tomcat platforms, including configuration, patching, upgrades, integrations, performance, and production support.
• Automate provisioning, configuration, validation, monitoring, and operational tasks using scripting, DevOps pipelines, and configuration-management tools.
• Lead technical troubleshooting for complex middleware incidents and problems, complete root-cause analysis, and implement durable corrective and preventive actions.
• Collaborate across application, infrastructure, cloud, network, cybersecurity, compliance, and operations teams to deliver middleware solutions aligned with enterprise standards, technology strategy, risk requirements, and business priorities.

Salary Range

$86,210.00 - $141,635.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [e-mail]. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Notice Regarding Guardian’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian’s job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools (“AI Tools