IWS Workload Scheduling Engineer

IWS Workload Scheduling Engineer (Contract) Location: Remote / Hybrid (UK & Europe) Engagement: Contract (Inside/Outside IR35 depending on setup) Domain: IBM Z Workload Automation Skills Focus: IWS (TWS/OPC), z/OS batch scheduling, CA7 desirable Role Summary We are seeking an experienced IBM Workload Scheduler (IWS/TWS/OPC) contractor to support, enhance, and maintain enterprise‑scale batch scheduling across a complex z/OS environment. The ideal contractor will have deep experience with IWS scheduling, jobstreams, dependencies, critical path management, and strong operational awareness of z/OS batch workflows. Knowledge of CA7 is highly desirable — especially for organisations running mixed schedulers, migrating from CA7, or maintaining legacy job definitions. Key Responsibilities • Manage and optimise IWS batch schedules, jobstreams, calendars, and dependencies. • Maintain and troubleshoot the Current Plan (CP) and Long‑Term Plan (LTP). • Analyse and resolve scheduling failures, late jobs, and critical path delays. • Work closely with operations teams to ensure smooth batch execution across multi‑LPAR environments. • Implement scheduling changes, new job definitions, and workload automation improvements. • Support integration with subsystems such as CICS, DB2, IMS, MQ, JES2, and distributed workloads. • Provide SME‑level guidance on scheduling standards, best practices, and optimisation opportunities. • Assist with CA7 → IWS migration, coexistence, or cross‑scheduler mapping (if applicable). • Produce clear documentation, runbooks, and knowledge transfer materials. Essential Skills & Experience • Strong hands‑on experience with IBM Workload Scheduler (IWS/TWS/OPC) on z/OS. • Deep understanding of: • Jobstreams, operations, and dependencies • LTP/CP management • Critical path analysis • Batch window optimisation • Solid z/OS operational knowledge (JES2, datasets, utilities, JCL). • Experience supporting large, complex batch environments. • Strong problem‑solving and incident‑resolution skills. Desirable Skills • CA7 experience (job definitions, triggers, queues, predecessors). • Experience in mixed‑scheduler environments (IWS + CA7). • Knowledge of enterprise workload automation across distributed platforms. • Familiarity with REXX, automation frameworks, or mainframe monitoring tools. • Understanding of RACF, SMP/E, and z/OS system programming fundamentals.