Mainframe Logical Security Engineer

Contract Duration: 6 Months [NO BENEFITS]
Work Locations: Phoenix, AZ; Plano, TX; Charlotte, NC; Richmond, VA; Jacksonville, FL; Pennington, NJ; Chicago, IL
Work Arrangement: Hybrid – 3 Days Onsite and 2 Days Work From Home

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Mainframe Logical Security Engineer to design, implement, and manage security controls across IBM z/OS environments. The role focuses on protecting enterprise systems and sensitive data by maintaining robust access controls, enforcing security policies, and ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory and organizational requirements.

Key Responsibilities

RACF Administration and Access Management

• Administer and maintain the RACF security environment across IBM z/OS systems.
• Create, modify, and revoke user IDs, groups, resource profiles, and dataset or subsystem access permissions.
• Implement and maintain least-privilege access controls for datasets, applications, and system resources.
• Manage access permissions for mainframe applications and subsystems, including CICS, DB2, IMS, and MQ.

Security Controls and Compliance

• Configure and maintain security policies aligned with enterprise security standards.
• Conduct periodic access reviews, security audits, and compliance assessments.
• Support regulatory compliance requirements, including SOX, PCI, and HIPAA, where applicable.
• Implement data protection controls and access-monitoring mechanisms.
• Maintain security documentation and support internal and external audit activities.

Security Monitoring and Incident Response

• Analyze security logs and reports, including SMF records, RACF reports, and SIEM alerts.
• Investigate access violations, unauthorized access attempts, and other security incidents.
• Troubleshoot and resolve authorization failures, RACF-related abends, and access issues.
• Identify potential security weaknesses and recommend appropriate corrective actions.

Security Architecture and Integration

• Secure mainframe subsystems and integrations, including CICS, DB2, IMS, MQ, TCP/IP, and UNIX System Services (USS).
• Support integration with enterprise Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions.
• Assist with Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) integration, where applicable.
• Define and maintain RACF classes, resource profiles, and security rules to protect system-wide resources.

Encryption and Advanced Security

• Support digital certificates, TLS/SSL configurations, and ICSF cryptographic services.
• Ensure adherence to secure key management and encryption practices.
• Assist in implementing and maintaining security controls for sensitive data and communications.

Required Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience administering RACF security in IBM z/OS environments.
• In-depth knowledge of RACF profiles, classes, dataset security, and access control models.
• Experience managing mainframe user IDs, groups, permissions, and resource access.
• Experience analyzing SMF data and using security reporting and audit tools.
• Strong understanding of z/OS security concepts, system internals, and mainframe security controls.
• Ability to investigate and resolve access-related issues and security incidents.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in banking, financial services, or other highly regulated environments.
• Exposure to alternative mainframe security products such as ACF2 or Top Secret.
• Familiarity with SIEM tools such as Splunk or IBM QRadar.
• Experience with security automation using REXX or Python.
• Exposure to identity governance and enterprise IAM solutions.
• Experience supporting enterprise-wide security transformations or IAM integrations.
• Knowledge of Zero Trust principles and modern security frameworks.
• Experience supporting regulatory audits and security assessments in large enterprise environments.