Senior Middleware Specialist

We are seeking a highly accomplished Senior Middleware Specialist for an enterprise-level contract opportunity based in Toronto. In this role, you will take on a premier middleware administration, cloud migration, and infrastructure modernization capacity, specializing in leading the technical transition of mission-critical application portfolios from on-premises environments to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

As a senior middleware specialist, you will bridge the gap between complex application servers, database layers, DevOps pipelines, and enterprise cloud architecture. Operating fully onsite in Toronto, you will lead a phased "migrate first, modernize second" program—executing middleware software installation, tuning, and optimization across web/application tiers (WebSphere, WebLogic, Tomcat), designing target-state AWS infrastructure, building CI/CD pipelines, and establishing future-state containerization strategies on Amazon EKS. This position is tailored for a technical authority who can manage enterprise middleware gateways, optimize platform performance, and ensure cloud security and identity integration.

Location: Toronto, ON

Assignment Type: Onsite

Contract Duration: 6-month contract (with potential for extension)

Advantages
Large-Scale Cloud Migration: Lead AWS migrations and modernizations for complex enterprise application suites.

Modern DevOps & IaC Integration: Build automated CI/CD pipelines using AWS CDK, CloudFormation, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and Azure DevOps.

Future-State Containerization: Drive container orchestration strategies using Docker, Kubernetes, WebSphere Liberty, and Amazon EKS.

Enterprise Middleware Depth: Oversee installation, tuning, and administration across WebSphere, WebLogic, Oracle databases, and middleware gateways.

Responsibilities
Assess, validate, and execute AWS cloud migration strategies, roadmaps, and target-state architecture transition plans for enterprise applications.

Install, configure, tune, optimize, and administer enterprise middleware software, application servers, and integration gateways.

Support the migration of complex application suites, including WebSphere Application Server, WebLogic, Cognos Analytics, Informatica, and shared integration platforms.

Design and configure AWS core cloud infrastructure components, including VPCs, EC2 instances, S3, Route 53, Load Balancers, Transit Gateways, Security Groups, and IAM.

Build, maintain, and manage automated CI/CD pipelines for application build, testing, and deployment using DevOps tools.

Drive containerization initiatives, supporting Java upgrades (Java 21), WebSphere to WebSphere Liberty migrations, and Amazon EKS deployments.

Review cloud security architectures, integrate enterprise identity and SSO services, and support secure connectivity between cloud and on-premises environments.

Monitor system health, perform root-cause incident analysis, and execute performance tuning across web and application tiers.

Manage change control processes, risk mitigation strategies, and architectural decision records for complex releases.

Produce comprehensive technical design documentation, build books, runbooks, and deliver knowledge transfer sessions to internal teams.

Qualifications
Core Requirements & Technical Stack
Middleware Administration & Tuning: Extensive experience in middleware software installation, configuration, tuning, system optimization, and administration across web and application server tiers (WebSphere, WebLogic, Apache, etc.).

Middleware & Gateways: Direct experience managing middleware gateways, enterprise integration platforms, and application development components.

AWS & Cloud Migration: Hands-on experience with AWS cloud platforms, migrating, deploying, and managing cloud-native applications, infrastructure (VPC, EC2, S3, IAM, CloudWatch), and shared services.

DevOps & Automation Tools: Hands-on experience with CI/CD tools and Infrastructure-as-Code platforms such as AWS CodePipeline, CDK, CloudFormation, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Azure DevOps.

Web & Application Tiers: Proven track record supporting multi-tier architectures, web servers, and containerized workloads.

Preferred Assets
Enterprise Product Exposure: Familiarity with enterprise applications such as Cúram, Oracle Siebel, Oracle eBS, IBM Business Automation Workflow (BAW), Informatica, Cognos, or Oracle databases.

Container Orchestration: Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes, Amazon EKS, or Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Security & Monitoring: Familiarity with PKI infrastructure, IAM/SSO protocols, and enterprise monitoring suites (Dynatrace, Prometheus, Grafana, Nagios, OpenSearch).

Soft Skills & Delivery Attributes
Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Strong ability to facilitate technical workshops, mentor team members, and guide architectural decision-making.

Analytical Problem Solving: Superior diagnostic capabilities to resolve performance bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, and data integrity issues.

Communication & Collaboration: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills to articulate complex infrastructure designs to technical and executive partners.

Summary
If you're interested in the "Senior Middleware Specialist" role based in Toronto, we encourage you to apply online at www.randstad.ca.
Only qualified candidates will be contacted for the next steps. We look forward to hearing from you!

Randstad Canada is committed to fostering a workforce reflective of all peoples of Canada. As a result, we are committed to developing and implementing strategies to increase the equity, diversity and inclusion within the workplace by examining our internal policies, practices, and systems throughout the entire lifecycle of our workforce, including its recruitment, retention and advancement for all employees. In addition to our deep commitment to respecting human rights, we are dedicated to positive actions to affect change to ensure everyone has full participation in the workforce free from any barriers, systemic or otherwise, especially equity-seeking groups who are usually underrepresented in Canada's workforce, including those who identify as women or non-binary/gender non-conforming; Indigenous or Aboriginal Peoples; persons with disabilities (visible or invisible) and; members of visible minorities, racialized groups and the LGBTQ2+ community.

Randstad Canada is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible workplace for all its candidates and employees by supporting their accessibility and accommodation needs throughout the employment lifecycle. We ask that all job applications please identify any accommodation requirements by sending an email to [email protected] to ensure their ability to fully participate in the interview process.

This posting is for existing and upcoming vacancies.