Senior Middleware/Messaging Engineer

About the job

Cognizant is seeking a Senior Middleware / Messaging Engineer with deep expertise in IBM WebSphere MQ running on the z/OS mainframe to administer, operate, and continuously improve enterprise messaging and integration services. The role ensures the stability, availability, performance, and security of mainframe-hosted MQ queue managers and the integration flows they support, delivered to contracted SLOs within a managed-services operating model.

The engineer bridges the Integration & Runtime Services messaging scope with the mainframe (z/OS) environment – operating MQ alongside mainframe scheduling, security, and file-transfer services (Connect:Direct between mainframe and open systems). The role also supports the enterprise modernization direction, contributing to the containerization and consolidation roadmap for runtime and messaging services and to AI-driven monitoring and automation.

Responsibilities:

· Administer, operate, and maintain IBM WebSphere MQ on z/OS – queue managers, queues, channels, clustering, and connectivity to distributed MQ – to meet availability, stability, and security targets.

· Perform MQ lifecycle activities including patching, upgrades, currency, and capacity planning across mainframe and connected environments.

· Operate and tune messaging and integration flows on z/OS, applying security and compliance controls across integration points (RACF, SOX/audit).

· Monitor MQ and mainframe runtime platforms to detect and prevent service disruptions; provide incident resolution and root cause analysis for messaging and integration issues.

· Support and coordinate IBM Connect:Direct file transfers between mainframe and open systems, ensuring reliable and secure data exchange.

· Automate operational tasks using JCL, Autosys, CA7, and mainframe scripting to reduce manual effort and improve resilience.

· Implement backup, recovery, and disaster-recovery practices for MQ and mainframe messaging services, with evidence and runbooks.

· Maintain centralized documentation, standard operating procedures, and best practices for runtime, messaging, and integration services. .

· Collaborate with application, architecture, security, and container-platform teams to align messaging services with enterprise architecture.

· Contribute to the modernization roadmap – containerization and consolidation of runtime/messaging services, and AI-driven observability and automation – while sustaining mainframe BAU.

The salary range for this role is between $114,000 and $130,000 depending on skills and qualifications of the candidate. Applications will be accepted till 10/20/2026.