Job Description & Details
This is a hands-on administration and integration gig focused heavily on keeping legacy IBM DataStage environments stable while pushing for automation and modernization. If you enjoy untangling complex ETL pipelines, tuning sluggish SQL queries, and handling infrastructure maintenance without hand-holding, this 6-month contract in Culver City is worth a close look.
What You'll Actually Be Doing
You'll spend your days wrangling IBM DataStage admin tasks, keeping production pipelines humming, and troubleshooting performance bottlenecks across databases and Unix environments. Since it's a hybrid setup requiring four days onsite in Culver City, you'll likely be collaborating closely with an onshore-offshore delivery model, bridging the gap between daily operations and long-term architectural improvements. Expect to roll up your sleeves on root-cause analysis when jobs fail and automate repetitive maintenance tasks using shell scripting.
The Core Tech Stack
You need absolute mastery over IBM DataStage—specifically administration, support, and development—alongside deep expertise in traditional RDBMS and ANSI SQL-compliant databases. Performance tuning is non-negotiable here; you will be expected to instantly spot and fix poorly performing queries. Solid Unix/Linux scripting is mandatory for automation, and having familiarity with tools like Control-M or Managed File Transfer will give you an immediate edge over other applicants.
Interview Expectations
The hiring manager will likely test your production troubleshooting mettle by asking how you diagnose a DataStage job that suddenly grinds to a halt during a peak load window. They want to hear a structured approach: checking system resources, isolating database locks, reviewing logs, and rewriting inefficient SQL execution plans rather than just restarting the service. Expect a deep dive into your administration experience, testing your knowledge of memory management, project migrations, and configuration tuning in DataStage.
Application Advice
To get past the automated screening, ensure your resume explicitly highlights your hands-on years with IBM DataStage administration alongside specific metrics around performance tuning and pipeline optimization. Don't just list keywords like RDBMS and Unix scripting; describe scenarios where you automated manual processes or resolved stubborn bottlenecks in high-volume production environments. Make sure your local or regional availability for a hybrid schedule in Culver City is crystal clear.