Application Support Specialist Unix Linux Job Description

To be responsible for the Support & administration of applications and services used for the production, management & delivery of content and services.

• Providing capacity planning, monitoring, and maintenance of designated system(s) Identifying trends or problems (as defined under ITIL).
• Understanding, in depth, the business processes supported by the system
• To maintain production environments relating to the online services. This will include development, stage and production systems across all relevant data centres.
• To ensure that applications are maintained in a manner that supports delivery of services to multiple platforms, resilience, and performance
• To ensure continuity of the business processes supported by one or many applications / services
• Ensuring continuity and quality by owning the resolution of issues across platforms. Tracking progress and escalating as appropriate unless resolution reached
• To ensure standards and guidelines are applied and maintained across applications for administration, deployment and monitoring over a range of platforms that largely comprises industry standard components. This includes applications, web server components and databases.
• To ensure application and service processes and outputs are error free and complete.
• Identifying faults and issues and recommending appropriate paths to resolution, and fixing as appropriate

• To keep abreast of technical developments of operational importance and to participate in developing or setting standards as directed.
• To establish and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders. This will include technical, operational and editorial staff as well as third parties.
• To undertake advanced administration tasks as required e.g. to support problem resolution.
• To support the development teams and the 24/7 group in deploying applications and solving problems.
• To participate in the on-call support to the 24/7 team

• Ensuring appropriate contingency procedures are in place for applications and that they are regularly tested.
• Managing change control implications for designated systems
• Contributing to process development and best practice. Looking at new ways to improve resilience, performance levels and supportability
• To ensure that applications and related services are documented and kept current.
• Reviewing and ensuring complete and appropriate handover of documentation prior to operational acceptance of new or changed applications

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Experience of building and maintaining applications in a multiplatform environment (Windows Server and/or Unix/Linux environments).
• Good understanding of security issues surrounding applications
• Experience of monitoring of service thresholds
• Experience of managing third parties
• Experience of working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams with a focus on delivery in a rapidly changing environment.
• Experience in an producing and publishing web based content
• Demonstrable knowledge of three or more of the following:
o Knowledge of building highly scalable systems
o Knowledge of automated deployment
o Knowledge of source control and release management tools
o Experience of monitoring tools and/or transaction monitoring
o Experience of virtualisation of applications particularly using VW-Ware
o Experience of multiple database environments
o Experience in programming languages / scripting e.g. Unix shell or Perl

DESIRABLE KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Previous experience in a support or customer facing role.
• Previous experience of ITIL methodologies
• Ideally be able to demonstrate knowledge in two or more of the following:
o Use of Open source products to help maintain systems.
o Web server (ideally Apache) configuration and management.
o Knowledge of application servers such as JBOSS.
o Knowledge of capacity management
o Experience of database connectivity
o Experience of large scale file replication or messaging systems

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Ability to cope in a technically complex and fast-changing environment, and to respond calmly and rationally to changing aspirations in a deadline-driven situation.
• Strong planning and organising skills including the ability to manage several work streams simultaneously while meeting daily deadlines.
• Rational, systematic approach to identifying faults and pursuing paths to resolution.
• Ability to perform under pressure and remain calm and positive in the face of setbacks.
• Ability to think strategically and evaluate options in the short, medium and long term.
• Ability to foresee relevant issues and assist in proposing possible solutions.
• Proactive approach to support of systems with a focus on continual service improvement.
• Excellent communication skills with a capacity to present, discuss and explain issues coherently and logically both in writing and verbally.
• Good influencing and persuasion skills with the ability to enthuse and inspire multidisciplinary teams and build successful relationships at all levels.
• Clear decision-making ability with the facility to judge complex situations and assess when to escalate issues.
• Ability to balance conflicting and changing demands through prioritisation and a pragmatic approach
• Good team player, self motivated and able to work on own initiative. A flexible approach, appropriate to supporting live services in a 24-hour environment.