This is a remote position. Location: Darwin, Northern Territory (On-site preferred) Role Overview We are seeking an experienced Technical Lead – Mainframe Middleware to provide expert technical leadership and ensure the stable, secure, and efficient delivery of middleware and integration services. The role is an organizational change management function operating within a complex organization with a primary focus on business readiness, stakeholder adoption and benefit realisation. It would lead a specialist middleware team responsible for supporting business‑critical government services. It combines hands-on technical expertise, team leadership, service management, and stakeholder engagement, with a strong focus on service stability, continual improvement, and ITIL-aligned operations. Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership & Service Delivery Lead and coordinate the mainframe middleware team to deliver reliable and secure integration services aligned to agreed service levels and business outcomes. Provide expert technical advice and guidance on middleware platforms, integration architecture, and operational best practices. Design, develop, and support secure integration solutions using IBM middleware technologies (e.g. MQ, Integration Bus, App Connect Enterprise). Operations & ITIL Service Management Manage BAU activities including incident, problem, service request, and change management to ensure minimal disruption to services. Maintain accountability for change management, ensuring changes are assessed, approved, tested, and implemented in line with governance requirements. Lead the resolution of complex technical incidents and problems, working collaboratively with internal teams, vendors, and service providers. Platform Stability & Continuous Improvement Ensure platform stability, performance, and security through patching, upgrades, monitoring, automation, and lifecycle management. Drive continual service improvement initiatives focused on performance, resilience, efficiency, and automation. Ensure effective monitoring, performance tuning, recovery, and failover mechanisms are in place. Stakeholder Engagement & Governance Build and maintain strong relationships with business stakeholders, technical teams, and external vendors. Provide advice to management on middleware strategy, risks, operational demands, and technology opportunities. Ensure compliance with enterprise standards, governance frameworks, and security policies. Team Leadership & Capability Development Plan and prioritise team workloads and individual responsibilities. Mentor staff and support knowledge transfer and capability uplift within the middleware team. Develop, maintain, and improve operational standards, procedures, and documentation. Produce regular reports on service performance and team productivity for senior management. Project & On‑Call Responsibilities Contribute to or lead middleware-related projects, enhancements, and platform changes. Participate in on-call support and after-hours work as required. Requirements Technical Skills & Experience Essential Proven experience delivering enterprise middleware services in a mainframe environment. Strong expertise in SOA and integration using IBM technologies such as: IBM MQ IBM Integration Bus IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE) or equivalent Experience managing complex message transport, transformation, and integration environments. Strong skills in middleware administration, monitoring, performance tuning, automation, and recovery. Solid understanding of ITIL practices, including incident, problem, change, and service level management. Leadership & Professional Capability Ability to operate with autonomy under broad direction and take accountability for service and technical outcomes. Demonstrated leadership in managing specialist technical teams in complex ICT environments. Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence outcomes collaboratively. Proven ability to perform under pressure, manage competing priorities, and adapt in dynamic environments. Commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and staying current with industry trends and technologies.