IBM Systems Administrator
Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG)
Department: Information Technology | Enterprise Services
Location: US LA Remote
About the Role:
Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) is seeking an IBM Systems Administrator to join our Enterprise Services team within Information Technology.
The IBM Systems Administratorserves as a key technical resource supporting PALIG's IBM infrastructure and software ecosystem. Acting as a first point of contact for operational support and system reliability, this role is responsible for maintaining daily IBM i operations, including performance monitoring, backup management, patching, incident resolution, and proactive system improvements.
Reporting to the IBM Operations Manager, the IBM Systems Administrator collaborates closely with cross-functional teams and vendors to deliver timely and effective technical solutions while supporting a stable, secure, and highly available environment.
The ideal candidate demonstrates strong technical proficiency across IBM technologies, a commitment to continuous learning, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. This role offers the opportunity to deepen expertise within the IBM i platform and broader IBM ecosystem while supporting critical business operations.
Essential Functions:
Hardware and Software Management
- Provide support for IBM hardware, including concurrent maintenance, proactive monitoring, and service event management.
- Manage system resources through IBM consoles and advanced system configurations.
- Install firmware updates and service packs (SPs) for IBM hardware environments.
- Deploy, configure, and maintain third-party software across IBM i LPARs.
- Administer software licensing, ensuring compliance and timely renewals.
- Integrate IBM i environments with external solutions to support business and operational needs.
Vendor Coordination
- Serve as a liaison with vendors through email and ticketing platforms to escalate issues and obtain technical support.
- Coordinate vendor engagement for both day-to-day operational support and project-based initiatives.
- Partner with vendors to align support activities with operational priorities and strategic objectives.
Backup and Patch Management
- Monitor backup operations across IBM i LPARs, including daily, weekly, monthly, and annual backup processes.
- Maintain and update backup and media management policies using BRMS.
- Troubleshoot backup-related issues and coordinate timely resolution when needed.
- Execute save and restore operations to support business and operational requirements.
- Manage the PTF lifecycle, including the download, loading, and application of program temporary fixes.
- Monitor IBM CVE notifications and respond appropriately to identified vulnerabilities.
- Collaborate with the Information Security team to support vulnerability management best practices.
Operations Support
- Monitor server performance, jobs, queues, and system messages across production and non-production environments.
- Perform ASP cleanup activities and coordinate with development teams when additional remediation is required.
- Identify opportunities to automate or improve manual processes and recommend solutions to management.
- Resolve technical issues and service requests escalated by IT coordinators and operators.
- Adhere to established change management processes and IBM security standards.
- Support disaster recovery (DR) activities and business continuity planning (BCP) initiatives.
- Develop and maintain operational dashboards, reports, and system health metrics.
Security Management and Audit Compliance
- Create and maintain privileged accounts using corporate identity and access management tools.
- Enforce least-privilege access principles and review special access requests.
- Apply security best practices related to group profiles, authorization lists, IFS paths, and library configurations.
- Generate audit-ready reports using IBM and third-party reporting tools.
- Escalate complex security, compliance, and audit-related matters to the IBM Operations Manager.
Education & Experience:
Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, and a minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting IBM systems.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):
- Demonstrated knowledge of backup and recovery processes, including monitoring, testing, troubleshooting, and executing backup and restore operations.
- Working knowledge of IBM i operating systems, including system configuration, resource management, performance tuning, and operational support.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes and implement effective technical solutions.
- Ability to support system testing activities related to upgrades, patches, configuration changes, disaster recovery exercises, and technology implementations.
What We Offer:
- Competitive compensation package (base salary & bonus).
- Comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off, and tuition reimbursement.
- Medical and dental coverage effective the first of the month following 30 days of service.
- Flexible work environment supporting work-life balance through a hybrid work arrangement.
- Opportunities for professional growth and career development within a global organization.
