Who We’re Looking For (Position Overview):
Spry Methods seeks a Senior Enterprise Middleware Engineer to support the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Contracting & Procurement (OCP) and its enterprise acquisition and financial systems.
This role is centered on IBM WebSphere Application Server, IBM MQ, and Oracle-based enterprise applications, supporting mission-critical procurement and financial platforms such as PRISM. The position focuses on sustaining, modernizing, and integrating legacy Java EE middleware environments while supporting USDA’s transition from AIX-based, on-prem platforms to Azure-hosted Linux environments.
While direct IAS or PRISM experience is beneficial, it is not required. The core need is deep enterprise middleware expertise combined with the ability to support and advise on platform migrations, system integrations, and operational risk management in complex federal environments.
What Your Day-To-Day Looks Like (Position Responsibilities):
A. USDA Procurement System Engineering
Provide senior-level engineering support for enterprise procurement and financial applications (e.g., PRISM, Oracle-based systems).
Support application sustainment, configuration, patching, upgrades, and troubleshooting across middleware and application tiers.
Assist with workflows, interfaces, and integrations between procurement, financial, and enterprise systems.
Develop and maintain system architecture diagrams, engineering documentation, and operational runbooks.
B. IBM WebSphere / IBM MQ Enterprise Middleware
Administer and support IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) and IBM MQ across enterprise environments.
Deploy, configure, and maintain WebSphere and MQ workloads on Linux-based platforms, including Azure-hosted environments.
Configure clustering, failover, performance tuning, and secure messaging.
Support automation of middleware configuration and deployments using scripting or configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform, shell scripting).
C. PRISM & Legacy Platform Modernization7.6.2 (AIX → Azure Linux/Cloud Migration)
Support PRISM and similar enterprise systems across AIX and Linux platforms.
Perform system tuning, patching, remediation, and environment troubleshooting.
Lead or contribute to efforts supporting migration of enterprise middleware and applications from AIX to Linux-based cloud environments (e.g., lift-and-shift or phased modernization).
Identify and document migration risks, dependencies, and operational impacts; contribute to migration planning, runbooks, and post-migration stabilization.
D. Oracle Application & Database Integration
Support Oracle-based enterprise applications and databases integrated with middleware platforms.
Develop and maintain PL/SQL packages, database automation, and integrations supporting procurement and financial workflows.
Support Oracle APEX-based user interfaces, dashboards, and APIs as needed.
Collaborate with database and functional teams to ensure reliable integration with Oracle Financial systems.
E. Cloud, Integration, and DevSecOps Support
Support deployment and operation of enterprise middleware and applications in Azure-hosted Linux environments.
Collaborate with cloud, DevOps, and security teams on hybrid hosting strategies spanning USDA data centers and commercial cloud platforms.
Support CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and configuration management related to middleware and application deployments.
Contribute to containerization or modernization initiatives where appropr
F. Security, Compliance & Governance
Ensure systems comply with FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST 800-53, and USDA OCIO security requirements.
Support ATO processes, security assessments, remediation activities, and audits.
Implement and support secure integration patterns (TLS, certificates, LDAP/SSO, RBAC).
G. Stakeholder Support & Documentation
Collaborate with OCP, OCIO, developers, architects, security teams, and operations staff.
Provide senior-level engineering recommendations, risk assessments, diagrams, SOPs, and onboarding documentation.
Participate in Agile ceremonies, sprint planning, and change control processes.
What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Requirements):
Public Trust clearance (or ability to obtain).
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or equivalent experience.
8+ years of experience supporting enterprise applications and middleware environments.
Strong hands-on experience with IBM WebSphere Application Server and IBM MQ in production environments.
Experience supporting enterprise Java EE / Jakarta EE applications and integrations.
Experience supporting systems on AIX and/or Linux platforms, including participation in platform migrations.
Working knowledge of Oracle databases, PL/SQL, and enterprise system integrations.
Strong Linux administration skills.
Experience supporting systems in hybrid or cloud-hosted environments (Azure preferred).
Scripting experience (e.g., Bash, Python, PowerShell).
Strong understanding of enterprise security principles and federal compliance requirements.
Ideally, You Also Have (Preferred Qualifications):
Experience supporting PRISM, IAS, or other large-scale federal procurement or financial systems.
Experience advising or leading legacy-to-modern platform transitions (e.g., AIX to Linux, on-prem to cloud).
Experience with Azure DevOps pipelines, Terraform, Ansible, or CI/CD automation.
Familiarity with Docker and Kubernetes in enterprise or middleware contexts.
Knowledge of Oracle Financials processes and integrations.
Strong communication skills and ability to interface effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
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