Job Description & Details
Mainframe platforms remain the backbone of many financial and government systems, making expertise in legacy technologies more valuable than ever. Companies are actively seeking seasoned COBOL professionals who can lead teams and modernize critical applications. This lead/developer role offers a chance to showcase deep mainframe knowledge while working onsite in high‑impact locations.
Job Summary
We are looking for a Mainframe Developer or Lead to join an on‑site team in Columbus, OH or Dallas, TX on a C2C basis. The role requires 8+ years of hands‑on COBOL/JCL development or 12+ years in a leadership capacity, with strong knowledge of CICS and DB2/IMS. The candidate must reside within a 40‑mile radius of the site and will be engaged for a minimum of 12 months.
Top 3 Critical Skills Table
| Skill | Why it's critical | Mastery Level |
|---|---|---|
| COBOL | Core language for business‑critical batch and online processing | Senior |
| CICS | Enables transaction processing and real‑time connectivity | Senior |
| DB2/IMS | Provides the data storage backbone for mainframe applications | Senior |
Interview Preparation
- Explain how you would design a high‑volume batch job in COBOL and schedule it with JCL.
What the interviewer is looking for: Understanding of batch architecture, JCL syntax, and performance considerations. - Describe a scenario where you optimized a CICS transaction for latency.
What the interviewer is looking for: Experience with CICS programming, tuning techniques, and impact measurement. - How do you handle data integrity when interacting with DB2 versus IMS?
What the interviewer is looking for: Knowledge of relational vs hierarchical databases, commit/rollback strategies, and schema design. - What leadership practices do you employ when guiding a team of mainframe developers?
What the interviewer is looking for: Ability to mentor, code‑review, and manage delivery timelines. - Walk through a difficult debugging session using dump analysis.
What the interviewer is looking for: Proficiency with mainframe debugging tools and systematic problem‑solving.
Resume Optimization
- Mainframe Developer
- Lead
- COBOL
- JCL
- CICS
- DB2
- IMS
- C2C
- Onsite
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- 12+ months
Application Strategy
When reaching out to the recruiter, send a concise email that starts with a polite greeting, attaches your resume, and clearly highlights your top mainframe skills. Make sure to mention related skills you possess, such as COBOL, CICS, and DB2/IMS, and reference any leadership or project experience that aligns with the 12‑month onsite commitment.
Career Roadmap
| Current Role | Typical Experience | Core Focus | Next Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainframe Developer | 8‑12 yrs | Application development, JCL, debugging | Mainframe Lead |
| Mainframe Lead | 12‑15 yrs | Team leadership, architecture, performance | Mainframe Architect |
| Mainframe Architect | 15+ yrs | Enterprise design, modernization strategy | Director of Mainframe Services |