Senior Mainframe Developer & Support Specialist

Position Type: Contract Assignment
Work Location: Remote (Candidates must reside in Central or Eastern Time Zones)
Schedule: Standard business hours aligned to CST/EST
Please note - we are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.

Overview

We are seeking a detail‑oriented and highly reliable professional to support our team on a contract basis. This role is fully remote; however, all work must be performed from within the Central or Eastern time zones to ensure seamless collaboration with internal teams and stakeholders.

Key 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.

Required Qualifications

Production Support

• 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.

Integration & Middleware

• 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.

Configuration & Code Management

• 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.

Collaboration & Communication

• 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.

• Proven success working remotely in a structured, deadline‑driven environment

• Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate across distributed teams

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

• Must be physically located in Central or Eastern Time Zones for the duration of the contract

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting fast‑paced teams or project‑based work

• Comfort with virtual collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Zoom, Slack, shared drives, etc.)

• Ability to adapt quickly to new systems, processes, and priorities