Software Engineer

Harvey Nash; Brussel Hoofdstad; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvey Nash Group is seeking a Senior Backend Software Engineer to join the IT team of a financial institution operating in an international environment. You will design, develop, test and maintain backend applications in a mainframe context, translating business needs into functional and technical designs.

You will collaborate with IT and business stakeholders, perform code reviews, and support production by modifying programs and maintaining test cases.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of backend software development experience.
• Solid mainframe development background.
• Experience translating business requirements into designs.
• Exposure to COBOL, DB2, EGL, PL/I.
• Familiarity with CI/CD and version control (GitHub).

Responsibilities

• Analyze functional specifications and understand designs.
• Translate requirements into functional/technical designs.
• Define program structures from designs.
• Develop and maintain backend applications in a mainframe context.
• Create, execute and maintain test cases.
• Update design documentation with technical changes.
• Conduct code reviews with peers.
• Analyze and resolve incidents and defects to closure.
• Perform technical integration testing with interfacing systems.
• Participate in on-call rotation.

Skills

Backend development

Mainframe

Problem solving

Independent worker

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Dutch & English

Tools

COBOL

DB2

EGL

PL/I

CI/CD pipelines

GitHub

Changeman

Job description

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Backend Software Engineer to join the IT team of a financial institution operating in an international environment.

In this role, you will be responsible for designing, developing, testing and maintaining backend software applications within a mainframe environment. You will translate business needs into functional and technical designs, contribute to the quality and reliability of applications, and work closely with both IT and business stakeholders.

Your responsibilities

• Analyze functional specifications and understand the corresponding functional designs.
• Translate business requirements into functional and technical designs.
• Define program structures based on technical designs.
• Develop and maintain backend applications, including modifying existing programs for production.
• Create, execute and maintain test cases.
• Update design documentation to reflect technical changes.
• Perform individual and peer code reviews.
• Analyze and resolve assigned incidents and defects, ensuring follow-up through to closure.
• Perform technical integration testing between applications and their interfacing systems.
• Participate in an on‑call rotation (permanence arrangement).

Your profile

• At least 5 years of experience in backend software development.
• Solid technical experience in a mainframe environment.
• Good knowledge and practical experience with:
• COBOL
• DB2
• EGL (Enterprise Generation Language)
• PL/I
• CI/CD pipelines and GitHub
• Changeman
• Ability to translate business needs into clear functional and technical designs.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work independently, quickly familiarize yourself with new technical and functional environments, and remain open to innovation.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to work effectively with both IT and business colleagues.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present ideas clearly and in a structured manner.
• Comfortable working in a complex environment requiring coordination with multiple stakeholders.
• A proactive, result‑driven attitude and willingness to learn.

Nice to have

• Experience in financial markets and investments.

Languages

• Dutch and English: Strong communication skills in both languages are essential, given the international working environment.