Sr. Mainframe Developer & Production Support Specialist

About the role

Our client is a well-established organization that relies on a robust mainframe environment to support mission-critical business operations. The team values technical excellence, stability, and collaborative problem-solving, offering an opportunity to work on high-impact systems within a supportive, long-tenured technology group.

Responsibilities

• Design, code, test, and deploy applications using COBOL, JCL, and DB2 (including stored procedures).
• Develop and maintain online (CICS) and batch processing systems.
• Work with VSAM files, DB2 databases, and file processing utilities (SORT).
• Ensure code quality, performance optimization, and adherence to coding standards.
• Participate in application modernization and system upgrades where required.
• Provide L2/L3 production support for mainframe applications.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to batch failures, abends, and data inconsistencies.
• Support Tivoli Workload Scheduler (TWS) batch job scheduling and monitoring.
• Perform root cause analysis (RCA) and implement preventive solutions.
• Handle incident, problem, and change management processes.
• Work with IBM MQ for message-based integrations.
• Support CICS transaction flows and troubleshoot transaction-related issues.
• Collaborate with distributed systems teams for end-to-end interface support.
• Use code management tools (e.g., LCM or similar) for version control, migration, and deployment.
• Manage code promotion across environments (DEV, QA, PROD).
• Ensure proper documentation and audit compliance.
• Collaborate with business analysts, developers, QA teams, and infrastructure teams.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to junior team members.
• Participate in release planning, code reviews, and design discussions.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Experience: 8+ years of experience in Mainframe Development & Support, with strong experience in production support environments (24/7 support model preferred).
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex system issues.
• Required Skills & Technical Expertise:
  • Platform: IBM Mainframe (z/OS)
  • Programming: COBOL
  • Database: DB2, DB2 Stored Procedures
  • Job Control: JCL
  • File Handling: VSAM
  • Online Systems: CICS
  • Schedulers: Tivoli Workload Scheduler (TWS)
  • Middleware: IBM MQ
  • Utilities: SORT
  • Code Management: LCM or equivalent tools
  • Other Tools/Knowledge: ZWDYL (or similar framework/tools)
• Key Competencies: Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, excellent communication and documentation skills, team player with mentoring capability.
• Preferred Qualifications: Experience with Hogan Banking System, exposure to mainframe modernization initiatives, knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies, automation and scripting for batch/monitoring improvements.