Technical Specialist

Job Summary

The AS/400 SME is responsible for the support, maintenance, enhancement, modernization, and optimization of IBM AS/400 (IBM iSeries) applications and infrastructure. The role involves providing technical leadership for legacy business-critical applications, troubleshooting production issues, performing system administration activities, and supporting integration with modern enterprise applications and cloud platforms.

The ideal candidate should possess deep expertise in IBM i (AS/400), RPG programming, DB2/400 databases, CL programming, system performance tuning, and application modernization initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Application Support & Maintenance

• Provide L2/L3 support for business-critical AS/400 applications.
• Analyze and resolve production incidents, performance issues, and system outages.
• Perform root cause analysis (RCA) and implement preventive measures.
• Support application enhancements and bug fixes.
• Ensure compliance with established SLAs and operational procedures.

AS/400 Development & Enhancement

• Design, develop, and maintain applications using:
• RPG III
• RPG IV
• ILE RPG
• Free Format RPG
• CL Programming
• Develop and maintain batch and online programs.
• Create and modify display files, printer files, and logical/physical files.
• Perform impact analysis and code reviews.

Database Management

• Design and maintain DB2/400 database objects.
• Optimize SQL queries and database performance.
• Create and manage:
• Physical Files
• Logical Files
• Stored Procedures
• SQL Packages
• Triggers
• Support data migration and integration activities.

System Administration Support

• Monitor AS/400 system performance and utilization.
• Support user profile management and security administration.
• Assist with backups, recovery, and disaster recovery activities.
• Monitor job queues, output queues, and subsystem operations.
• Support OS upgrades and PTF installations.

Integration & Modernization

• Integrate AS/400 applications with:
• SAP
• Oracle Applications
• Salesforce
• Microsoft Dynamics 365
• Web Applications
• Cloud Platforms
• Support API enablement and modernization efforts.
• Participate in legacy transformation initiatives.
• Implement web services and service-oriented integrations.

Performance & Reliability

• Identify opportunities for performance improvement.
• Tune application jobs, database access paths, and system resources.
• Support capacity planning and system optimization.
• Ensure high availability and business continuity.

Technical Skills

IBM i / AS400 Technologies

• IBM iSeries (AS/400)
• IBM i Operating System
• IBM Navigator for i
• IBM Access Client Solutions (ACS)

Programming Skills

• RPG III
• RPG IV
• ILE RPG
• RPG Free Format
• Embedded SQL
• CL/CLLE
• COBOL (Preferred)
• Query/400

Database Skills

• DB2/400
• SQL
• Data Modeling
• Query Optimization
• Stored Procedures
• Triggers

Development Tools

• Rational Developer for i (RDi)
• SEU
• PDM
• SDA
• RLU
• WRKOBJ Commands
• TurnOver/Implementer (Preferred)

Integration Technologies

• REST APIs
• SOAP Web Services
• XML
• JSON
• MQ Series (IBM MQ)
• FTP/SFTP
• EDI Integrations

System Administration

• User Profile Management
• Security Administration
• Backup & Recovery
• Job Scheduling
• System Monitoring
• Performance Tuning

Skill Requirements

Functional Responsibilities

• Support Order-to-Cash (O2C) processes.
• Support Procure-to-Pay (P2P) processes.
• Support Inventory and Warehouse Management applications.
• Support Manufacturing Execution and Production Planning applications.
• Partner with business users to gather and analyze requirements.
• Participate in system testing and release management activities.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Act as the primary technical SME for AS/400 platforms.
• Mentor junior developers and support teams.
• Lead troubleshooting sessions during critical incidents.
• Review technical solutions and code quality.
• Support estimates, solution planning, and modernization roadmaps.
• Coordinate with infrastructure, database, and business teams.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field.
• IBM i/AS400 certifications preferred.
• ITIL Foundation certification is an added advantage.

• Experience Requirements

  AS/400 SME

  • 8-15 years of experience in IBM iSeries/AS400 environment.
  • 5+ years of hands-on RPG IV and Free Format RPG development.
  • Strong experience in DB2/400 database administration and development.
  • Experience in large-scale production support and application maintenance.
  • Exposure to modernization and cloud integration initiatives.

Other Requirements

Preferred Industry Experience

• Manufacturing
• Retail & Consumer Goods
• Logistics & Supply Chain
• Distribution
• Automotive
• Banking & Financial Services
• Healthcare