Middleware Platform Engineer

Remote / Hybrid: Remote first with occasional travel to Manchester when required. We promote a hybrid working environment, which means you will work at our office in Manchester roughly once a week and then remotely from home. To enable you to work from home, you will need to have a suitable office set up which includes a desk and a chair in a location which is free from the interruptions of day-to-day life.

The role: As the platform engineer for Middleware, you will be responsible for day-to-day operations. You will be responsible and accountable for the implementation of the Bank’s future Middleware Roadmap, providing architectural design and technical leadership to projects, managing middleware designs within the Bank’s architectural governance framework and work with 3rd party build and service teams to ensure solutions are implemented and run to the highest standards. You will also engage in the operational support of middleware, including Risk and Lifecycle Management, as well as have input into Major Incident.

Key Accountabilities:

• Produce middleware infrastructure design documentation based on solution architecture to be implemented by the Bank’s 3rd party suppliers.
• Input to infrastructure solution frameworks and patterns displaying awareness of external markets and suppliers, so that the best value for money and service is delivered.
• Lead 3rd parties in providing design for product integration for existing and new solutions.
• Work with Project Managers and 3rd party supplier build teams to ensure that solutions implemented across the Bank project portfolio are of a high standard and compliant to design.
• Assist with the smooth transition of new middleware technologies from design through production in order to minimise the interruption to service.
• To be a point of contact for Major Incident where required, providing a high level of expertise, support and advice to other areas of IT to ensure that service and incidents are managed effectively and appropriately.
• To be point of contact in identifying and resolving root causes with the supplier, ensuring an appropriate course of action is taken to prevent any reoccurrence.
• Act as a centre of expertise throughout the team and in a wider consultative capacity across other areas of IT and the Bank’s suppliers.
• Actively promote, seek opportunities, and deliver continual service improvements, whilst encouraging others within the team to do similar.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required:

• Demonstrate skills with enterprise-wide middleware technologies such as but not limited to Apache Tomcat, JBoss, IBM WAS, IBM MQ, IBM Connect:Direct and SQL Databases.
• Experience of operating within a complex business consuming 3rd Party managed services.
• Proven track record of accomplishment in managing Governance, Architecture, Design, Project Change and Service Delivery within large and complex enterprise.
• The ability to drive significant change and improvement within a large enterprise.
• Proven expertise in leading infrastructure solution, design and process improvement activities within an IT operational environment resulting in improved efficiency, performance and financial benefit.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, dealing with internal management and teams, liaison with business partners, customers and external IT service providers.
• Good people skills with the ability to work effectively at all levels, including senior management, internal stakeholders and external service providers, taking a naturally proactive, collaborative approach.
• Good analytical and conceptual thinking skills.
• Excellent process and documentation skills.

What You Can Expect From Us:

• Flexible and home working options.
• 27 days holiday rising to 30 with service, plus opportunity to buy 5 extra days.
• Competitive pension with up to 10% employer contribution.
• Income protection / life assurance.
• Commitment from employers on continued learning & development.
• Wellbeing support ‘Help@Hand’ offers mental health support, physiotherapy, GP’s for both you and your family.
• 2 paid days for volunteering per year.
• ‘MyReward’ corporate discount for over 800 retailers and Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Family friendly policies and supportive working environment.
• Colleague network groups committed to inclusion and diversity within our Bank.

At The Co-operative Bank we’re proud to be different. We’re proud of our values and ethics, and our unique, customer-led Ethical Policy that shapes everything we do. Born out of the co-operative movement over 150 years ago, you could say that doing the right thing has always been our thing. We don’t just help people with their money, but help people fight for justice and the causes they care about. We put people at the heart of every decision we make and there’s never been a more important time for our Bank to stand up for the causes that matter most to our customers, colleagues and partner organisations. Join us and help us continue to make progress in environmental and societal change, all with the UK’s original ethical bank.

We can only consider candidates with the right to work in the UK at this time. Our Bank is passionate and committed to continuing to create a diverse workforce and an inclusive environment where all colleagues can fulfil their potential.

If you require more information or this document in a different format, please contact careers@co-operativebank.co.uk.

As a reputable employer regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, all offers of employment for this role are subject to a series of background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks.