IBM Security Verify Directory (LDAP) SME with DB2, ISVG/ISIM & ISVA/ISAM Exp. || G.C / U.S.C 6+Months Remote W2 Only (No C2C) Role Summary: Lead and execute enterprise-grade upgrades of IBM Security Verify Directory (ISVD/IBM Security Directory Server) from v10.x to v11.x on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) across multiple client environments. Ensure seamless integration continuity for IBM Security Verify Governance (ISVG, formerly ISIM) and IBM Security Verify Access (ISVA, formerly ISAM), with minimal downtime and full compliance to change-control processes. Key Responsibilities: - Assess and plan - Perform environment discovery, dependency mapping, and risk assessment - Define upgrade strategy (in-place vs. parallel/blue-green) and rollback plan - Validate hardware/OS prerequisites, kernel/file system settings, and capacity - Upgrade execution - Build and harden new v11.x instances; manage schema, ACIs, indexes, and replication topology - Migrate configurations (cn=config or dse.ldif), tuning parameters, and plugins - Implement TLS/SSL, certificate/GSKit management, and cipher/hardening standards - Execute data export/import or online replication cutover as appropriate - Coordinate change windows, cutovers, and backout procedures - Integration and testing - Validate integrations with ISVG/ISIM and ISVA/ISAM (authN/Z, provisioning, password policies) - Conduct functional, regression, performance, and failover tests - Remediate issues related to replication, referrals, timeouts, and connection pools - Operations readiness - Update monitoring/alerting, backup/restore jobs, and runbooks - Deliver operational documentation, upgrade reports, and knowledge transfer - Ensure compliance with security baselines and ITIL/change-management processes Required Qualifications: - 5+ years administering enterprise LDAP directories, with 3+ years hands-on IBM ISVD/ISDS/ITDS - Proven experience upgrading IBM LDAP from 10.x to 11.x on RHEL in multi-instance, HA environments - Strong RHEL administration (systemd, SELinux, networking, storage, performance tuning) - Expertise in LDAP schema/ACI design, indexing, replication (multi-master/hub-spoke), and tuning - Proficiency with TLS/SSL, certificates, GSKit/OpenSSL, and secure cipher configuration - Scripting/automation skills (bash; Ansible or similar desirable) and Git-based change control - Strong troubleshooting with ldapsearch/ldapmodify, logs, tcpdump, lsof, and performance tools - Excellent stakeholder communication; ability to lead cutovers and incident resolution Preferred Skills: - IBM Security Verify Governance (ISVG/ISIM) and Verify Access (ISVA/ISAM) integration experience - DB2 familiarity as used by ISVG/ISVA components - Experience with ServiceNow (or equivalent ITSM), Splunk/Elastic, and enterprise monitoring - Knowledge of backup/restore tooling, DR design, and security hardening standards - Certifications: IBM Security (Directory/Access/Governance), RHCSA/RHCE Deliverables: - Environment inventory and pre-upgrade assessment report - End-to-end upgrade plan with test cases, risk register, and rollback strategy - Configuration baselines, schema/ACI documentation, and replication topology diagrams - Cutover execution checklist and completion report for each environment - Post-upgrade validation results (functional, performance, HA/DR) - Updated operations runbooks, monitoring/alerting configuration, and knowledge transfer materials Success Criteria: - All targeted environments upgraded to ISVD v11.x on schedule, within change windows - Zero or minimal unplanned downtime; tested and documented rollback available - No regression for ISVG/ISIM and ISVA/ISAM integrations; performance at or above baseline - Audit-ready documentation and handover accepted by operations