Middleware Specialist

Assignment: RQ00763 - Middleware Specialist - Senior Requisition: RQ00763 Job Title: Sr. Middleware Specialist for HIAL Client: Ontario Health Start Date: 2026-09-21 End Date: 2027-09-20 Department: Digital Excellence in Health Office Location: 525 University Avenue, Toronto Business Days: 252.00 Location: 3 days in office Public Sector Experience: Nice to have

Must Haves:

• 7 10+ years of progressive, hands on experience in middleware engineering, integration services, or related technical domains, with a demonstrated ability to lead complex platform upgrades and modernization initiatives.
• Proven experience supporting and sustaining large scale, mission critical application environments across diverse technology stacks, preferably within highly regulated sectors such as healthcare or public service.
• Hands on expertise in the following technology stack: IBM DataPower (migrating from physical appliance to OpenShift Container Platform), and IBM App Connect Enterprise, Java Spring Boot microservices.
• Hands-on experience with AWS cloud services and CI/CD pipeline development for deploying, automating, and managing containerized middleware solutions, including IBM DataPower, on OpenShift or cloud-native platforms.

Description

• The successful candidate will support the Provincial Common Integration Service team, which is responsible for managing and delivering enterprise shared service products, including the Health Information Access Layer (HIAL) and the ONE Access Gateway (OAG).
• The current HIAL technology components are approaching end of life. The successful candidate will be responsible for the HIAL migration to AWS & upgrade initiative, overseeing modernization efforts across the following technology stack: Containerization of IBM DataPower and IBM App Connect Enterprise in OpenShift Container Platform, upgrade of operating system such as RHEL 7 and Java Springboot, and redesign and implementation of HIAL Full Message Body Logging (FMBL).
• In this role, the candidate will provide end to end middleware expertise, including planning, consulting, technical analysis, solution design, deployment, development support, testing, implementation, maintenance, upgrades, and daily operational support for HIAL middleware components. The candidate will work closely with cross functional teams-including support, security, privacy, change management, release management, quality assurance, and various program and business stakeholders-to ensure upgrades are executed successfully with minimal service disruption.

Responsibilities:

• The Senior Middleware Specialist is accountable for the end to end implementation of the HIAL technology upgrade and migration to AWS project. This includes hands on technical execution, development of CI/CD pipelines for the deployment of IBM DataPower and other components to OpenShift Container Platform, coordination across multiple support teams, guiding QA and validation activities, and ensuring all components are delivered successfully with minimal impact to mission critical health services.
• Perform all technical activities required for the HIAL technology upgrade and migration to AWS, including system preparation, deployment, configuration, optimization, and validation across all the Agency environments.
• Provide expert level troubleshooting to resolve complex middleware, integration, and infrastructure challenges that arise during the upgrade lifecycle.
• Develop and maintain detailed implementation plans, technical procedures, runbooks, and operational guides for execution by cross functional support teams.
• Identify risks and issues early, propose mitigation strategies, and communicate impacts to project stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Architecture, Security, Privacy, and Infrastructure teams to ensure all upgrade activities meet enterprise standards and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate with Infrastructure, UNIX, Network, Middleware Support, Backup & Storage, and QA teams to ensure all upgrade activities are executed efficiently and consistently.
• Support QA testing by preparing environments, resolving defects, and validating readiness for deployment.
• Ensure full adherence to the Agency change and release management processes throughout all upgrade stages.
• Prepare and maintain project documentation, status reports, and readiness checklists to support go live and operational transition.

Required Skills:

• 7 10+ years of progressive, hands on experience in middleware engineering, integration services, or related technical domains, with a demonstrated ability to lead complex platform upgrades and modernization initiatives.
• Proven experience supporting and sustaining large scale, mission critical application environments across diverse technology stacks, preferably within highly regulated sectors such as healthcare or public service.
• Hands on expertise in the following technology stack: IBM DataPower (migrating from physical appliance to OpenShift Container Platform), and IBM App Connect Enterprise, Java Spring Boot microservices.
• Hands-on experience with AWS cloud services and CI/CD pipeline development for deploying, automating, and managing containerized middleware solutions, including IBM DataPower, on OpenShift or cloud-native platforms.
• In depth knowledge of PKI security infrastructure, digital certificates, TLS configurations, encryption standards, and enterprise network architecture, with proven troubleshooting expertise in secure system to system communication.

Desired Skills:

• Solid experience with system administration and networking, including Windows Server and Linux environments, IP networking, routing, and firewall concepts, with the ability to diagnose and resolve infrastructure level issues.
• Familiarity with healthcare integration standards such as HL7v3 (asset), with additional exposure to related formats like HL7v2, FHIR, or SOAP based healthcare messaging considered an advantage.
• Strong understanding of Information Management principles, including data governance, information lifecycle management, security policies, and compliance practices.
• Working knowledge of quality assurance practices, including test planning, defect management, risk assessment, and validation of middleware or integration components.
• Experience with system monitoring, performance tuning, capacity planning, and ensuring data integrity, following ITIL processes for incident, problem, and change management.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross functional teams, providing leadership, technical guidance, and subject matter expertise in middleware technologies and integration patterns.

Required Experience:

• Technical Depth in Middleware & Integration Stack (IBM DataPower, OpenShift Containers, RHEL). Hands on ownership of upgrades, migrations, performance tuning, HA/DR patterns, TLS/mTLS, cert management, and message durability/persistence.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience designing, developing, and supporting CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment processes for containerized middleware solutions such as IBM DataPower on OpenShift platforms or AWS
• Troubleshooting, Monitoring & Operational Excellence (ITIL) Diagnostics, RCA, observability (logs/metrics), incident/problem management, and production stability.
• QA, Testing Readiness & Validation. Ability to support test planning, environment setup, non functional testing, and defect triage.
• Architecture, Security, and Compliance Alignment. Understanding of enterprise security, PKI, privacy requirements, hardening standards, and architectural alignment.
• Documentation, Technical Artifacts & Knowledge Transfer, Ability to produce high quality build books, operational guides, scripts, and support artifacts.
• Cross Functional Leadership & Communication Ability to coordinate with Architecture, Security, Network, Unix, QA, and business partners; clarity in communicating risks and technical concepts.
• Healthcare / Mission Critical Domain Understanding, Awareness of HL7v3, regulated environments, PHI handling, and 24 7 availability constraints.

Deliverables

• Deliverables Include (Deliverables resource is responsible for):
• Execute the end-to-end HIAL technology upgrade and migration to AWS with minimal disruption to mission critical provincial health services, including:
• Migration of IBM DataPower from physical form factor to container
• Upgrade of operating system, such as, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
• Upgrade of HIAL Integration Bus (HIB) containerized applications
• Redesign and implementation of Full Message Body Logging (FMBL) components and servers
• Perform hands on upgrade and deployment activities across all the Agency environments, including Development, QA, PST, PPE, and Production, ensuring consistency, stability, and alignment with enterprise standards.
• Coordination across cross functional support teams, including Cloud Operation team, Virtual Infrastructure & UNIX teams, Middleware Support, Network Services, Backup & Storage, and Quality Assurance, to ensure efficient planning, execution, and validation of all upgrade activities.
• Ensure strict adherence to the Agency change management and release management processes, including preparation and submission of required documentation, scheduling, approvals, and communication for environment promotions.
• Update, maintain, and obtain approval for all required project and operational artifacts, including (but not limited to):
• Operational guides
• Build books
• Implementation and rollout plans
• Health check procedures
• Runbooks and support documentation

Additional Terms

• The term of this Engagement Assignment is for 252 Business Days, with an option to extend for up to an additional 127 days at the Agency's discretion. The Engagement Assignment may be extended for unused Business Days at the Agency's discretion.
• The resource will comply with the Agency's policies and procedures.
• The resource will be issued an Agency laptop and is expected to provide at least one additional monitor, an external keyboard and a mouse at their own expense. In addition, when the resource is working from their home location they must have a private office space and are not permitted to work in an open communal space. Internet connection must be hard-wired and suitable bandwidth to support the IT requirements of this role. If these conditions cannot be met within their home office space, the resource will transition to full time in office, and the hybrid option will no longer be available.
• The Agency systems cannot be accessed from outside the province of Ontario, and Agency assets including laptops and related equipment cannot be removed from the province of Ontario, without prior written approval from the Agency.
• Assignment Type: This position is currently listed as "Hybrid". The resource under this request will be required to work onsite as per Hiring Manager sole discretion.