**Introduction** At IBM, work is more than a job - it's a calling: To build. To design. To code. To consult. To think along with clients and sell. To make markets. To invent. To collaborate. Not just to do something better, but to attempt things you've never thought possible. Are you ready to lead in this new era of technology and solve some of the world's most challenging problems? If so, lets talk. **Your role and responsibilities** The mission of the Competitive Researcher / Developer is to conduct hands-on competitive research comparing IT solutions deployed on IBM Z / LinuxONE against equivalent or comparable IT solutions based on x86 servers and cloud platforms. * The IT solutions might include transactional, database, web, cloud-native, and AI workloads. * The research requires the implementation and performance testing of various types of cloud-native and other solutions. * The outputs of the competitive research are performance analysis, Total Cost of Ownership, and other assets that objectively compare IBM Z and LinuxONE vs competing platforms. **Required technical and professional expertise** * Excellent problem-solving abilities. * Quick learner who continuously acquires new expertise and skills. * Excellent communication skills. * The ability to work productively across the infrastructure (operations), development, and product teams. * Agile development methodology and tools. * Understanding fundamentals of performance engineering. * IT architecture and design skills. Required technical skills and product experience: * Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform - admin, build, deploy, instrument, etc. containerized applications for multi-architecture environments. * K6 testing, bash scripting. * Instana, Grafana, Prometheus, and InfluxDB. * VMWare vSphere, KVM. **Preferred technical and professional experience** * Relational and non-relational databases - Db2, MongoDB, Redis, etc. * Understanding of z/OS and z/VM operating systems, and VMRM. * IBM and competitor IT automation solutions. * IBM and competitor AI solutions. * Experience with delivering solutions on public cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, IBM Cloud, Google Cloud. In Return: * Company-paid training and certifications * Access to fully functional lab facility for education purposes and problem recreation * Work in a team with leading specialists * Company support for home office equipment * Competitive remuneration package * Diverse job role structure giving opportunities for growth within the team. * Hybrid working model with flexibility to work from home on a regular basis. * A workplace in an open, friendly hi-tech environment * Recognition awards * Additional health coverage * Special offers and discounts/ corporate badge program * Did we mention free coffee, snacks? * Eco friendly travellers are welcome to the office - parking places for bikers and monthly allowance for transportation are available to all employees * Referral bonus program IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.