Job Description: Lead Administrator WebServices WebSphere-L1 (Band-B3) Experience: 7 10 years (relevant) | Primary Skill: IBM WebSphere Application Server Administration Role Overview Responsible for administering, supporting, and optimizing enterprise WebSphere-based middleware and associated web services platforms in production and non-production environments. This L3 role leads troubleshooting and root-cause analysis, performs performance tuning and capacity planning, drives platform stability and automation, and provides technical leadership to L1/L2 teams while ensuring adherence to security and change management standards. Key Responsibilities " Administer IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) environments (standalone and ND) including profiles, nodes, cell configuration, deployment manager, node agents, clusters, and web servers. " Build, configure, and manage WebSphere clusters (horizontal/vertical scaling), session management, workload management, and high availability/DR readiness. " Perform installations, upgrades, patching/fix packs, and security remediation for WAS and related components with minimal downtime. " Deploy and support Java applications and middleware components; coordinate with development teams on release readiness, deployment planning, and rollback strategies. " Troubleshoot complex incidents (L3) across JVM, application, OS, and network layers; conduct root-cause analysis (RCA) and problem management. " Execute performance tuning: JVM tuning (heap/GC), thread pools, connection pools, web container settings, and caching; analyze logs, thread dumps, heap dumps, and performance metrics. " Manage web server integrations and plugins (WebSphere Plugin) including routing rules, SSL/TLS, virtual hosts, and reverse proxy configuration. " Implement monitoring, alerting, and proactive health checks; create runbooks/knowledge articles and standard operating procedures (SOPs). " Drive automation/scripting for repeatable operations (start/stop, deployments, health checks, configuration drift reporting) using appropriate scripting tools. " Support change, release, and configuration management processes; participate in CAB reviews; ensure audit readiness and compliance with security baselines. " Mentor L1/L2 administrators; provide technical guidance, conduct peer reviews, and contribute to platform standards and continuous improvement. " Provide on-call/shift support as required and coordinate with cross-functional teams (DBA, Network, Security, App teams) to restore service quickly. Required Experience & Qualifications " 7 10 years of relevant experience in Middleware / WebSphere Administration in enterprise environments. " Strong hands-on experience with IBM WebSphere Application Server (ND preferred), including cluster build/management, deployments, and troubleshooting. " Experience supporting production environments with strict SLAs, change controls, and incident/problem management practices. " Working knowledge of Linux/UNIX and/or Windows administration concepts relevant to middleware operations (services, permissions, networking, certificates). " Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/IT or equivalent practical experience. " Preferred (optional): IBM WebSphere certifications and/or ITIL Foundation certification. Technical Skills Primary Skill: IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) Administration " Installation/configuration of WAS Base and WAS Network Deployment (ND), profile management, wsadmin scripting basics, and security configuration. " Cell/node/cluster administration; session replication, WLM, HA/DR planning and validation. " JVM & application server performance tuning; analysis of SystemOut.log/SystemErr.log, FFDC, thread/heap dumps. " SSL/TLS, keystores/truststores, certificates, and secure communication between WAS and web servers. " Plugin configuration and troubleshooting; virtual hosts, ports, and routing. Secondary / Cluster Skills (Related) " Apache HTTP Server: Install/configure vhosts, modules, reverse proxy, SSL/TLS, logging, performance and security hardening. " IBM HTTP Server (Client): WebSphere plugin integration, SSL, routing, failover configuration, and troubleshooting connectivity issues. " Apache Tomcat: Install/configure instances, connectors, service management, JVM tuning basics, log analysis, and web app deployments. " Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services): Site/app pool management, bindings/certificates, reverse proxy (as applicable), logs, and Windows service troubleshooting. " JBoss / WildFly: Standalone/domain mode basics, deployments, datasources, clustering concepts, and log/GC troubleshooting. Expected Tools & Platform Knowledge " ITSM / Ticketing: ServiceNow / Remedy / equivalent (incident, problem, change, request fulfillment; SLA tracking). " Monitoring & APM: Dynatrace, AppDynamics, IBM Tivoli/OMEGAMON, Prometheus/Grafana, Splunk/ELK (any combination); alert triage and dashboard interpretation. " Log & diagnostic utilities: grep/awk/sed, log rotation, thread dumps (jstack), heap dumps, GC log analysis, Wireshark/tcpdump basics. " Automation / Scripting: wsadmin (Jython/Jacl) fundamentals, Shell/PowerShell basics; familiarity with Ansible or similar is a plus. " CI/CD & Release: Jenkins/Azure DevOps/GitLab pipelines exposure; artifact repositories (Nexus/Artifactory) and deployment coordination. " Source control: Git basics for reviewing configuration/scripts and collaborating on automation. " Certificates: PKI concepts, CSR creation, certificate renewal processes, keystore/truststore management. Expected Soft Skills " Strong analytical and structured troubleshooting approach; able to drive incidents to resolution under pressure. " Clear communication (verbal/written): can articulate technical issues, risks, and action plans to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. " Ownership mindset with strong follow-through; proactive identification of stability and performance improvements. " Collaboration across teams (App/DB/Network/Security) and ability to lead bridge calls during major incidents. " Ability to prioritize work in an SLA-driven environment; good time management and attention to detail. " Documentation discipline: produces runbooks, SOPs, knowledge articles, and RCA reports. " Mentoring and leadership skills: supports L1/L2 enablement and promotes operational best practices. Evaluation Focus (Interview / Assessment) " Hands-on depth in WAS ND administration and cluster troubleshooting (real production scenarios). " Ability to interpret logs and diagnostics (FFDC, thread/heap dumps) and identify root cause. " Performance tuning knowledge (JVM/GC, thread pools, DB connection pools) and ability to propose measurable improvements. " Web server integration expertise (Client/Apache plugin, SSL, routing) and troubleshooting 502/503/timeout issues. " Operational maturity: change management, risk assessment, and rollback planning. " Automation mindset and scripting exposure (wsadmin + shell/PowerShell). " Communication and leadership during major incidents and cross-team coordination. Working Conditions (as applicable) May require on-call support, shift-based coverage, and participation in planned maintenance windows for upgrades/patching and releases.
Your job description is strong and detailed, but it's quite long and slightly inconsistent (mentions L1 in title, L3 in role). For hiring especially on platforms like Naukri or internal circulation you'll get better results with a sharper, structured version.
Here's a clean, recruiter-ready JD you can use directly:
Job Title: Lead Administrator WebSphere (WAS)
Experience: 7 10 Years
Level: L3 / Band B3
Primary Skill: IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS)
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced WebSphere Administrator to manage and support enterprise middleware platforms. The role involves L3 support, performance tuning, automation, and leading incident resolution while mentoring L1/L2 teams.
Key Responsibilities
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Administer and manage IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) (Standalone & ND)
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Configure and manage cells, nodes, clusters, deployment manager, and node agents
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Handle installations, upgrades, patching, and fix packs
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Perform application deployments and coordinate release activities
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Troubleshoot L3 production issues across JVM, application, OS, and network layers
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Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) and problem management
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Perform JVM tuning (heap, GC), thread pool, and connection pool tuning
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Manage WebSphere Plugin, SSL/TLS, virtual hosts, and routing
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Implement monitoring, alerting, and health checks
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Drive automation using wsadmin (Jython/Jacl), Shell, or PowerShell
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Ensure compliance with change management, security, and audit standards
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Mentor L1/L2 teams and lead major incident bridge calls
Required Skills
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Strong hands-on experience in IBM WebSphere Application Server (ND)
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Expertise in:
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Cluster configuration & management (HA/DR)
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Deployment & release management
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Troubleshooting logs: SystemOut, FFDC, thread/heap dumps
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Experience in production support environments with strict SLAs
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Knowledge of Linux/UNIX or Windows server environments
Secondary Skills (Good to Have)
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Web Servers: Apache, IBM HTTP Server (Client), IIS
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Middleware: Tomcat, JBoss/WildFly
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Monitoring Tools: Dynatrace, AppDynamics, Splunk, ELK
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CI/CD: Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GitLab
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Automation: Ansible (basic exposure)
Tools & Technologies
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ITSM tools (ServiceNow, Remedy)
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wsadmin scripting (Jython/Jacl)
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Log analysis tools (grep, awk, sed)
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Certificate management (SSL/TLS, keystore/truststore)
Soft Skills
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Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills
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Ability to handle high-pressure production incidents
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Good communication and stakeholder management
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Leadership and mentoring capabilities
Preferred Qualifications
Working Conditions
Evaluation Focus
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WAS ND hands-on experience
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Performance tuning & troubleshooting
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Web server integration (Client/Apache)
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Automation mindset
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Incident handling & leadership
=' Suggested Improvements (Important)
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Fix title inconsistency Use L3 instead of L1
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Add location + shift details (important for closure)
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Mention notice period preference
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Add budget range if using sourcing platforms
If you want, I can also:
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Create a Boolean search string for this JD
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Draft a short LinkedIn/Naukri posting version (more response-driven)
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Share screening questions for L1/L2/L3 filtering
