Mainframe Operator - System Administrator II

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

DESCRIPTION:

The Mainframe Operator is responsible for the day-to-day operation, monitoring, and control of mainframe computer systems to ensure reliable, secure, and efficient processing. This role supports critical business applications by executing batch jobs, monitoring system performance, responding to alerts, and escalating issues as needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor mainframe systems (e.g., IBM z/OS) to ensure availability and performance
• Start, stop, and monitor batch jobs, online regions, and system tasks
• Respond to system alerts, console messages, and error conditions
• Perform job scheduling and manage workloads using tools such as CA-7, and CSAR.
• Execute operational procedures, including IPLs, system restarts, and recovery steps (as authorized)
• Maintain system logs and operational documentation
• Escalate incidents to system programmers or support teams when required
• Support backup, recovery, and disaster recovery procedures
• Ensure compliance with security, audit, and change management policies
• Provide shift handover updates and participate in 24/7 operations as required

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or equivalent experience
• Experience operating IBM Mainframe systems (z/OS preferred)
• Familiarity with:
  • JCL (Job Control Language)
  • JES2/JES3
  • TSO/ISPF (basic level)
  • Mainframe scheduling tools
• Ability to follow detailed operational procedures and runbooks
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills
• Effective communication skills for incident reporting and escalation

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a 24x7 production environment
• Knowledge of mainframe storage (DASD, tape systems)
• Basic understanding of mainframe security (e.g., RACF, ACF2, Top Secret)
• Exposure to ITIL-based operations or enterprise change management

Work Environment

• Shift-based role (including nights, weekends, and holidays)
• High-availability, mission-critical systems environment
• Requires ability to respond calmly and effectively to system incidents