RQ00518 - Middleware Specialist - Senior

In this role, the candidate will provide end‑to‑end middleware expertise, including planning, consulting, technical analysis, solution design, deployment, development support, testing, implementation, maintenance, upgrades, and daily operational support for HIAL middleware components. The candidate will work closely with cross‑functional teams—including support, security, privacy, change management, release management, quality assurance, and various program and business stakeholders—to ensure upgrades are executed successfully with minimal service disruption.

Must haves:

•   7–10+ years of progressive, hands‑on experience in middleware engineering, integration services, or related technical domains, with a demonstrated ability to lead complex platform upgrades and modernization initiatives.
  


• Proven experience supporting and sustaining large‑scale, mission‑critical application environments across diverse technology stacks, preferably within highly regulated sectors such as healthcare or public service.
  


•  Hands‑on expertise in the following technology stack: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Rsyslog process, IBM MQ and IBM Integration Bus, IBM Datapower, containerized Java Spring Boot microservices.
  


•  Familiarity with healthcare integration standards such as HL7v3 (asset), with additional exposure to related formats like HL7v2, FHIR, or SOAP‑based healthcare messaging considered an advantage.
  


• Solid experience with system administration and networking, including Windows Server and Linux environments, IP networking, routing, and firewall concepts, with the ability to diagnose and resolve infrastructure‑level issues.
  


•   Strong understanding of Information Management principles, including data governance, information lifecycle management, security policies, and compliance practices.
  


•  In‑depth knowledge of PKI security infrastructure, digital certificates, TLS configurations, encryption standards, and enterprise network architecture, with proven troubleshooting expertise in secure system‑to‑system communication.
  


•   Working knowledge of quality assurance practices, including test planning, defect management, risk assessment, and validation of middleware or integration components.
  


• Experience with system monitoring, performance tuning, capacity planning, and ensuring data integrity, following ITIL processes for incident, problem, and change management.
  


• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross‑functional teams, providing leadership, technical guidance, and subject‑matter expertise in middleware technologies and integration patterns
  

Responsibilities:

•  The Senior Middleware Specialist is accountable for the end\-to\-end implementation of the HIAL technology. This includes hands‑on technical execution, coordination across multiple support teams, guiding QA and validation activities, and ensuring all components are delivered successfully with minimal impact to mission‑critical health services.
  


•   Perform all technical activities required for the HIAL upgrade, including system preparation, deployment, configuration, optimization, and validation across all Agency environments.
  


• Provide expert‑level troubleshooting to resolve complex middleware, integration, and infrastructure challenges that arise during the upgrade lifecycle.
  


• Develop and maintain detailed implementation plans, technical procedures, runbooks, and operational guides for execution by cross‑functional support teams.
  


•  Identify risks and issues early, propose mitigation strategies, and communicate impacts to project stakeholders.
  


• Collaborate with Architecture, Security, Privacy, and Infrastructure teams to ensure all upgrade activities meet enterprise standards and compliance requirements.
  


• Coordinate with Infrastructure, UNIX, Network, Middleware Support, Backup & Storage, and QA teams to ensure all upgrade activities are executed efficiently and consistently.
  


• Support QA testing by preparing environments, resolving defects, and validating readiness for deployment.
  


•  Ensure full adherence to Agency change and release management processes throughout all upgrade stages.
  


• Prepare and maintain project documentation, status reports, and readiness checklists to support go‑live and operational transition.
  

Required Skills:

• Advanced expertise in middleware and integration technologies, including IBM MQ, IBM DataPower/Gateway, application servers, rsyslog, Oracle Database, and Linux.
  


• proficiency in middleware installation, configuration, tuning, administration, and operational support, with the ability to troubleshoot complex platform issues.
  


• Experience with development frameworks and integration technologies, with the ability to create scripts, configurations, and support application deployment.
  


• Strong understanding of change management and release management processes for large\-scale implementations.
  


• Familiarity with structured methodologies for design, development, implementation, and maintenance.
  


• Ability to produce design artifacts, code, configurations, scripts, and test cases.
  


• Skilled in analyzing functional, security, load, and performance test results, with the ability to diagnose and resolve issues across infrastructure and middleware layers.
  


• Strong troubleshooting capability across data integrity, configuration, security, and system recovery scenarios.
  


• Ability to assess and test Change Requests (CRQs) and update technical documentation and configurations accordingly.
  


• Experience leading environment promotions and production implementations, ensuring readiness and stability across all stages.
  


• Strong team collaboration skills, with proven ability to manage deadlines and deliver in high‑pressure environments.
  

Requirements

Rated Criteria Details:

• Technical Depth in Middleware & Integration Stack (IBM MQ, DataPower/Gateway, Containers, RHEL, rsyslog, Oracle). Hands on ownership of upgrades, migrations, performance tuning, HA/DR patterns, TLS/mTLS, cert management, and message durability/persistence. 20 points
  


• Troubleshooting, Monitoring & Operational Excellence (ITIL) Diagnostics, RCA, observability (logs/metrics), incident/problem management, and production stability. 15 points
  


• Experience with upgrade, release & environment promotion. Ability to plan and execute multi‑environment upgrades (Dev → QA → PST → PPE → Prod) with zero or minimal service disruption. 15 points
  


• QA, Testing Readiness & Validation. Ability to support test planning, environment setup, nonfunctional testing, and defect triage. 15 points
  


• Architecture, Security, and Compliance Alignment. Understanding of enterprise security, PKI, privacy requirements, hardening standards, and architectural alignment. 10 points
  


• Documentation, Technical Artifacts & Knowledge. Transfer ability to produce high‑quality build books, operational guides, scripts, and support artifacts. 10 points
  


• Cross‑Functional Leadership & Communication. Ability to coordinate with Architecture, Security, Network, Unix, QA, and business partners; clarity in communicating risks and technical concepts. 10 points
  


• Healthcare / Mission‑Critical Domain Understanding. Awareness of HL7v3, regulated environments, PHI handling, and 24×7 availability constraints. 5 points
  

Deliverables Include:

• Execute the end to end HIAL technology upgrade with minimal disruption to mission critical provincial health services, including upgrades to:
  


• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
  


• Rsyslog processes and servers
  


• BM MQ infrastructure
  


• HIAL Integration Bus (HIB) containerized applications
  


• Full Message Body Logging (FMBL) components and servers
  


• Perform hands on upgrade and deployment activities across all Agency environments, including Development, QA, PST, PPE, and Production, ensuring consistency, stability, and alignment with enterprise standards.
  


• Provide technical leadership and coordination across cross functional support teams, including Virtual Infrastructure & UNIX teams, Middleware Support, Network Services, Backup & Storage, and Quality Assurance, to ensure efficient planning, execution, and validation of all upgrade activities.
  


• Ensure strict adherence to Agency change management and release management processes, including preparation and submission of required documentation, scheduling, approvals, and communication for environment promotions.
  


• Update, maintain, and obtain approval for all required project and operational artifacts, including (but not limited to):
  


• Operational guides
  


• Build books
  


• Implementation and rollout plans
  


• Health check procedures
  


• Runbooks and support documentation
  

Must Haves: 

• 7–10+ years of progressive, hands‑on experience in middleware engineering, integration services, or related technical domains, with a demonstrated ability to lead complex platform upgrades and modernization initiatives. 
  


• 5+ years Proven experience supporting and sustaining large‑scale, mission‑critical application environments across diverse technology stacks, preferably within highly regulated sectors such as healthcare or public service. 
  


• 3+ years Hands‑on expertise in the following technology stack: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Rsyslog process, IBM MQ and IBM Integration Bus, IBM Datapower, containerized Java Spring Boot microservices.