Mainframe Technical Specialist - Cobol, DB2, VSAM, JCL, CICS

Job Summary

The Technical Specialist in Mainframe Cobol, DB2, VSAM, JCL, Mainframe CICS will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining mainframe applications using various technologies. The role involves ensuring the stability and performance of mainframe systems while collaborating with cross functional teams to deliver high-quality solutions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Own end-to-end solution design, impact analysis, and technical architecture for complex systems.
2. Develop, optimize, and review COBOL programs, JCL jobs, DB2 queries, and CICS transactions.
3. Lead performance tuning for batch windows, DB2 access paths, and CICS TPS optimization.
4. Manage code promotion, release planning, and ensure compliance with audit and security standards.
5. Drive modernization initiatives (API enablement, DevOps pipelines).
6. Mentor and coach junior developers; enforce coding standards and best practices.
7. Collaborate with cross-functional teams (BA, QA, Ops, DBA) and manage stakeholder expectations.
8. Provide production support leadership, RCA for critical incidents, and implement permanent fixes.
9. Prepare technical documentation, runbooks, and contribute to governance frameworks.
10. Stay updated with the latest industry trends and technologies related to mainframe development.
11. Conduct Daily Team huddle meetings and Shift handover calls

Skill Requirements

1. COBOL: Advanced programming, modular design, error handling, performance optimization.
2. JCL: Complex job streams, utilities (SORT, IDCAMS), scheduling dependencies.
3. DB2: Advanced SQL, stored procedures, triggers, bind/package management, performance tuning.
4. VSAM: Dataset design, IDCAMS scripting, recovery strategies.
5. CICS: Transaction design, pseudo-conversational flows, resource definitions, BMS maps.
6. Expertise in debugging tools (Abend-AID, Xpediter), File-AID, and job schedulers (CA7/Control-M).
7. Strong knowledge of SDLC, Agile practices, and change management processes.
8. Leadership in code reviews, mentoring, and technical governance.

Other Requirements

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