Senior IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE) Middleware Engineer/Architect

Senior IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE) Middleware Engineer/Architect 

Remote

Client is undertaking an initiative to modernize and upgrade its enterprise middleware environment from its current IBM middleware platform to IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE) 13.

We are seeking a Senior IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE) Middleware Engineer/Architect with deep hands-on experience with IBM integration technologies and enterprise middleware migrations.

This resource will work closely with CNH’s middleware team to assess the existing environment, develop the migration approach, identify compatibility and remediation requirements, and execute the transition to IBM ACE 13.

Because this is a specialized/niche IBM middleware environment, the ideal candidate should have significant practical experience with IBM Integration BWebSphere Message Broker and ACE 12/13, including application migration, configuration, deployment, troubleshooting, and production support.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess the current IBM middleware environment and develop a migration strategy to IBM ACE 13.
• Analyze existing middleware applications, integrations, message flows, interfaces, configurations, and dependencies.
• Identify compatibility issues, technical debt, unsupported components, and remediation requirements associated with the upgrade.
• Develop detailed migration plans, sequencing, dependencies, and implementation approaches.
• Migrate existing integration flows/applications to IBM ACE 13.
• Configure and deploy ACE 13 integration runtimes and associated components.
• Perform application/integration testing and troubleshooting.
• Support system, integration, performance, and production-readiness testing.
• Troubleshoot issues related to message flows, integrations, connectivity, transactions, and middleware infrastructure.
• Work with application, infrastructure, security, network, cloud, and database teams as required to resolve dependencies.
• Document the existing environment and target-state architecture.
• Develop technical documentation, migration procedures, runbooks, and operational documentation.
• Support cutover planning and execution.
• Provide knowledge transfer to CNH’s internal middleware team.
• Assist with establishing best practices and standards for the ACE 13 environment.
• Identify opportunities to improve reliability, scalability, maintainability, monitoring, and operational support.

Required Technical Experience

IBM Middleware / ACE

• Strong hands-on experience with IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE), preferably ACE 13.
• Significant experience with IBM Integration Bus (IIB) and/or WebSphere Message Broker.
• Experience performing upgrades or migrations from legacy IBM middleware platforms to newer ACE versions.
• Strong understanding of IBM ACE architecture and runtime components.
• Experience developing, modifying, deploying, and troubleshooting IBM integration flows.
• Experience with IBM message flows, integration servers, nodes, policies, and configurations.
• Strong understanding of enterprise integration patterns and middleware architecture.

Integration Technologies

Experience with several of the following:

• IBM MQ / WebSphere MQ
• REST / SOAP APIs
• HTTP/HTTPS
• XML / JSON
• JDBC / database integrations
• Enterprise application integrations
• Messaging and event-driven architectures
• File-based integrations
• Authentication and secure communications
• TLS/SSL and certificates

DevOps / Deployment

• Experience with deployment automation and CI/CD for IBM ACE environments.
• Familiarity with source control and automated build/deployment processes.
• Experience with scripting and automation.
• Understanding of infrastructure, networking, security, and connectivity dependencies within enterprise middleware environments.

Preferred Experience

• Direct experience with IBM ACE 13 migrations/upgrades.
• Experience migrating from IBM Integration Bus 10 / IIB v10 to ACE.
• Experience with large, complex, globally distributed enterprise middleware environments.
• Experience supporting high-volume or business-critical integrations.
• Experience with IBM MQ administration or integration.
• Experience with containerized ACE deployments / Docker / Kubernetes/OpenShift.
• Experience with cloud-based integration architectures.
• Experience with Azure and/or hybrid cloud environments.
• Experience with monitoring and operational tools used to support enterprise middleware.
• Experience developing migration assessments and roadmaps.
• Experience working within large global organizations.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is not simply an IBM middleware developer. Customer is looking for someone who can understand the existing environment at an architectural level while also getting hands-on with the actual migration.

The candidate should be capable of:

Assess → Plan → Remediate → Migrate → Test → Deploy → Stabilize → Transition

They should be comfortable working independently, identifying issues before they become project blockers, and communicating technical risks and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Soft Skills

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work directly with client technical teams.
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Comfortable working in a complex enterprise environment.
• Ability to document technical findings and recommendations clearly.
• Self-directed and able to operate with limited supervision.
• Comfortable working across infrastructure, applications, security, networking, and cloud teams.
• Ability to mentor and transfer knowledge to internal resources.

Recruiter Search Keywords

Recruiters should prioritize candidates with combinations of:

IBM ACE 13 + IIB 10 + IBM Integration Bus + WebSphere Message Broker + IBM MQ + middleware migration + integration flows + ACE upgrade + enterprise integration

Additional useful search terms:

• IBM App Connect Enterprise
• IBM ACE
• ACE 13
• IBM Integration Bus 10
• IIB v10
• WebSphere Message Broker
• IBM Integration Bus migration
• ACE migration
• ACE upgrade
• IBM MQ
• Enterprise Integration
• Middleware Architect
• Integration Architect
• IBM Middleware Engineer

Seniority

Senior / Lead level

Recommended target profile: 7–10+ years of enterprise integration/middleware experience, with meaningful recent hands-on experience with IBM ACE/IIB.