Senior Mainframe Developer

Senior Mainframe Developer

Experience: 11+ years in mainframe application development
Employment Type: Full-time(Contract W2)

Role Summary

We are seeking a senior mainframe developer to design, build, enhance and support business-critical applications on IBM z/OS. You will work across the full development lifecycle, mentor junior developers, and help modernize legacy systems while keeping core batch and online workloads stable.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze business requirements and translate them into technical designs and specifications
• Develop, modify and maintain applications in COBOL, JCL, PL/I, REXX and Assembler
• Build and support batch processing and online transaction systems (CICS, IMS DC)
• Write and optimize Db2 SQL, stored procedures and embedded SQL in COBOL programs
• Work with VSAM, sequential files, GDGs and IMS DB data structures
• Perform unit, integration and regression testing, and support UAT
• Tune application performance and resolve abends, data issues and production incidents
• Use tools such as File-AID, Xpediter, Abend-AID, SDSF and CA-7/Control-M for debugging and scheduling
• Manage code through Endevor, ChangeMan or Git under change-control procedures
• Integrate mainframe applications with distributed systems through MQ, web services and APIs
• Create technical documentation, review code, and mentor junior team members
• Take part in on-call support and production releases

Required Qualifications

• 11+ years of hands-on mainframe development experience
• Expert-level COBOL and JCL, with strong TSO/ISPF skills
• Strong experience with Db2 for z/OS, including SQL tuning and bind processes
• Experience with CICS and/or IMS
• Working knowledge of VSAM, SORT utilities (DFSORT/SYNCSORT) and job scheduling tools
• Experience with the SDLC, Agile methodology and release management
• Strong debugging, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Clear communication with business and technical stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with mainframe modernization, code refactoring or migration projects
• Exposure to REST APIs, z/OS Connect, MQ or web services
• Familiarity with Git, Jenkins or Zowe and other DevOps practices
• Knowledge of Java, Python or SQL for hybrid application work
• Experience with IDz, VS Code or other modern mainframe IDEs
• Domain experience in banking, insurance, healthcare, retail or government
• Experience leading small teams or acting as a technical lead
• Relevant certifications, such as IBM or Db2 credentials