Mainframe Developer

We are seeking a highly skilled, proactive, and analytical Software Engineer to join our global development team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the end-to-end design, development, maintenance, and successful delivery of complex technical solutions within our Core Mainframe environment. This role requires an excellent balance of deep technical mainframe expertise and outstanding interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with diverse virtual teams and global stakeholders across different time zones.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and optimize robust software solutions using core Mainframe technologies, ensuring system stability, scalability, and optimal runtime performance.

• Proactively solve complex technical challenges through creative thinking, individual initiative, and targeted external research.

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional, virtual, and geographically distributed teams to deliver projects on schedule.

• Engage with internal and external stakeholders, building relationships of trust, credibility, and respect to deliver practical solutions that balance multiple agendas.

• Manage complex interfaces across organizational boundaries, leveraging personal networking and influence to drive collaborative outcomes.

• Adapt swiftly to changing project demands, priorities, and project environments when transitioning from one assignment to another.

• Develop and expand functional knowledge of the Trading & Supply business domain to support targeted technical specifications and requirements.

• Stay abreast of evolving technologies, industry best practices, and modern mainframe engineering standards through continuous self-study and research.

Profile Requirements

Technical Expertise (Mandatory)

• COBOL (Advanced / Specialist Level):

  • Proven experience in the complete software development lifecycle (SDLC) using COBOL (designing, coding, testing, and debugging).

  • Strong ability to write clean, structured, efficient, and maintainable code for both Batch (offline) and Online (interactive) applications.

  • Demonstrated experience in tuning and optimizing COBOL programs to improve execution times and minimize CPU consumption.

• CICS (Customer Information Control System):

  • Hands-on experience in developing and supporting high-volume, online transaction processing (OLTP) applications.

  • Deep understanding of CICS internal architecture, screen management (BMS/MAPs), program control, storage management, and file control.

  • Strong capability in troubleshooting and analyzing transaction failures (interpreting CICS abends and dumps).

• DB2 (Database Management & Access):

  • Expertise in writing and optimizing complex SQL queries embedded within COBOL applications for high-performance execution.

  • Comprehensive knowledge of cursor management, handling massive datasets, and resolving concurrency issues such as deadlocks and timeouts.

  • Familiarity with DB2 Bind/Rebind processes, analyzing access paths, and using database monitoring tools.

• JCL (Job Control Language):

  • Advanced skill in writing, customizing, and executing JCL streams to automate critical Batch processes.

  • Proficiency in parameter configuration, managing datasets (VSAM, Sequential, Partitioned), and utilizing system utilities (such as IEFBR14, IEBGENER, IDCAMS, and SORT/MERGE utilities).

  • Extensive experience in analyzing Job execution outputs, interpreting return codes, and resolving complex job abends.

Desirable Qualifications & Pluses

• Practical experience with FOCUS and other mainframe productivity tools, including:

  • OPCA (TWS): Batch scheduling, execution, and dependency monitoring.

  • Endevor: Software lifecycle management and version control.

  • File Manager / File-AID: Data manipulation, inspection, and test data management.

  • BMC: Performance diagnostics, recovery, and DB2 database utilities optimization.

• Familiarity with Oil/Commodity Trading business workflows and terminology is highly advantageous.

• Relevant professional certifications in Software Engineering, Agile methodologies, or Mainframe administration.

Soft Skills & Competencies

• Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Strong communication abilities with a proven track record of establishing trust, credibility, and respect among developers and business stakeholders.

• Stakeholder Management: Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders and negotiate balanced solutions across multiple project agendas.

• Adaptability & Multitasking: Flexibility to seamlessly transition between assignments, multi-task, and self-manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Influence & Networking: Capability to operate across geographic boundaries and utilize indirect influence and collaboration to achieve business-critical deliverables.