z/OS UNIX System Services (USS) Security Engineer – Vice President
Profile Description
We’re seeking someone to join our ETS team as the USS Security Engineer who is responsible for securing and administering z/OS UNIX System Services (USS) environments on the mainframe. This role focuses on enforcing least privilege, protecting privileged access, and ensuring alignment between UNIX permissions, ESM controls (RACF/TSS), and enterprise security standards. The engineer will partner closely with Enterprise Z security architect, system programmers, middleware teams, and audit/compliance stakeholders to maintain a secure and compliant USS platform.
About Enterprise Technology & Services (ETS)
Enterprise Technology & Services (ETS) delivers shared technology services that support all business applications and over 3,000 production systems globally. ETS enables the full software development lifecycle—from development and testing to release engineering, monitoring, and operational support.
In the Technology division, we leverage innovation to build the connections and capabilities that power our Firm, enabling our clients and colleagues to redefine markets and shape the future of our communities. This is a Lead Infra Prod Management & Reliability Engineering position at Vice President Level, which is part of the job family responsible for developing and maintaining software solutions that support business needs.
Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world.
What you’ll do in the role:
Responsibilities:
- Administer and manage USS identities, including UIDs, GIDs, OMVS segments, and service/shared IDs based on policy.
- Enforce naming standards, ownership traceability, and lifecycle controls for USS users and services.
- Manage and audit POSIX permissions, ownership, and execution rights across critical USS file systems.
- Control and monitor privileged access, including UID(0), setuid/setgid programs, and elevated authorities.
- Administer USS‑related ESM controls (RACF/TSS), including UNIXPRIV, FACILITY resources, and STARTED task identities.
- Secure USS configuration files, shell environments, PATH settings, and file system mount options.
- Monitor USS security events, logs, and audit records.
- Support production issues, security incidents, and access‑related investigations.
- Develop and maintain USS security standards, procedures, and documentation.
What you’ll bring to the role:
Required Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of experience with mainframe and z/OS UNIX System Services.
- At least 6 years' relevant experience would generally be expected to find the skills required for this role.
- Strong hands‑on experience securing USS environments.
- Proven experience administering RACF or equivalent ESM for USS.
- Solid understanding of:
- UIDs, GIDs, OMVS segments, and service IDs
- POSIX permissions, ownership, and execution controls
- Experience with USS‑related security controls, including:
- UNIXPRIV class
- FACILITY class resources impacting OMVS
- STARTED task identities for USS services
- Working knowledge of zFS/HFS file systems, mount options, and USS SMF/audit logging.
- Strong understanding of least‑privilege and separation‑of‑duties principles.
Desired
- Experience with PKI, digital certificates, Kerberos, SSL/TLS, SSH, or OpenSSL.
- Exposure to systems programming concepts (e.g., SMP/E, SYS1 datasets, Assembler).
- Understanding of mainframe networking concepts.
- Experience supporting or securing middleware technologies (e.g., MQ).
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:
At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.
To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.
Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.
Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.
For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- 10+ years experience with mainframe and z/OS UNIX System Services
- Hands-on experience securing USS environments
- Proven experience administering RACF or equivalent ESM for USS
- Understanding of UIDs, GIDs, OMVS segments, and service/shared IDs
- Knowledge of POSIX permissions, ownership, and execution controls
- Experience with USS-related security controls (UNIXPRIV, FACILITY, STARTED task identities)
- Working knowledge of zFS/HFS file systems, mount options, and USS SMF/audit logging
- Strong understanding of least-privilege and separation-of-duties principles
- Experience with PKI, certificates, Kerberos, SSL/TLS, SSH, or OpenSSL
- Exposure to systems programming (SMP/E, SYS1 datasets, Assembler)
- Understanding of mainframe networking concepts
- Experience supporting or securing middleware technologies (e.g., MQ)
Morgan Stanley Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Morgan Stanley and has not been reviewed or approved by Morgan Stanley.
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Parental & Family Support — Family support is extensive, with paid parental leave for all parents, adoption and fertility assistance, backup childcare, and eldercare resources. Feedback suggests these programs meaningfully enhance the overall package and help with retention.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage spans medical, dental, vision, mental‑health access, care navigation, and expert second opinions. Convenient primary care access and condition‑specific support reinforce the depth of healthcare coverage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity compensation and stock ownership are positioned as core motivators that encourage commitment and retention. Feedback suggests education and support are provided to help participants manage equity and related financial benefits.
Morgan Stanley Insights
What We Do
Morgan Stanley mobilizes capital to help governments, corporations, institutions and individuals around the world achieve their financial goals. For over 85 years, the firm’s reputation for using innovative thinking to solve complex problems has been well earned and rarely matched. A consistent industry leader throughout decades of dramatic change in modern finance, Morgan Stanley will continue to break new ground in advising, serving and providing new opportunities for its clients. Morgan Stanley is committed to maintaining the first-class service and high standard of excellence that have always defined the firm. At its foundation are five core values — putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back — that guide its more than 60,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 41 countries.
