z/OS Mainframe Operator

TB Consulting for CVS HealthcareRole: z/OS Mainframe Operations Specialist (L1/L2)Client: Major Healthcare Entity (Phoenix-based)Location: 100% Remote. Must live in the U.S. and not require sponsorshipShift: 1st and 3rd Shift (Overnight) and Weekends include some Sundays. U.S. MST TimeCompensation: W2 or 1099Opportunity OverviewWe are seeking a high-caliber Mainframe Operations Specialist to join a mission-critical infrastructure team supporting a large-scale healthcare environment. This is not a \"watch and wait\" batch role; you will have direct responsibility for HMC operations, System IPLs, and POR execution across a complex multi-LPAR environment.If you have a \"keep the lights on\" mentality and thrive in high-availability environments where uptime is measured in lives impacted, we want to talk to you.Core Technical ResponsibilitiesSystem Health & LPAR ManagementPerform daily production/QA checkouts of all LPARs, verifying started tasks and hardware configurations.Monitor and manage JES spool utilization; add capacity, purge output, or cancel batch jobs to maintain stability.Manage system resources (CPU, JNUM, JQES, BUFX) and execute \"spin-offs\" for resource-intensive tasks.Execute recycle procedures for MQ, DB2, CICS, and zOSconnect subsystems.Console & Hardware Operations (HMC)Manage restricted-access HMC operations, including POR profiles, LPAR load/dump profiles, and capacity weights.Execute Power-On Resets (POR) of mainframes, Coupling Facilities, and IDAA devices.Perform Data Transfer Pool Swaps and manage STP/time arbiter roles.Support z/OS hardware upgrades by configuring BCPii networking and creating new CEC profiles.Change Management & IPLsOwn the Sunday Mainframe Change Window, managing full System IPLs and PARMLIB updates.Maintain the master IPL SHEET (SOP), accounting for PORs, GDPS changes, and z/OS upgrades.Lead weekly Thursday IPL review meetings with Systems and Hardware Engineering.Emergency Response & SupportIdentify and mitigate looping jobs; perform address space or full stand-alone dumps on crashed systems.Execute DBAR system restoration in alternate data centers during major outages.Provide Level 1/2 triage, including TSO session management and user ID restoration.QualificationsMust-Have: Hands-on experience in a Production z/OS Mainframe Operations environment.Command Line Mastery: Proficiency with JES2/JES3, VTAM, TSO/ISPF, and MVS system commands.Hardware Familiarity: Proven experience with HMC, POR, and LPAR configuration.Operational Discipline: Experience managing GDPS/Parallel Sysplex environments is highly preferred.Shift Flexibility: Must be comfortable and proven in a 3rd shift (Overnight) capacity.Why This Role?This is a rare 100% remote opportunity to work on a modern mainframe stack (z16/z15) for a massive healthcare infrastructure. You will be a key player in the Sunday Change Windows, giving you high visibility and technical ownership that most \"Operator\" roles lack.