Mainframe Developer- Montreal, QC (Relocation is MUST for Non-Local Candidates)

Q1 Technologies, Inc.; Montreal (administrative region); On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A technology solutions firm in Montreal seeks a skilled mainframe developer with over 7 years of experience in COBOL, JCL, DB2, and CICS. The role includes design, development, and maintenance of both new and existing applications, along with critical production support responsibilities. The candidate should exhibit strong problem-solving skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams. A long-term contract (6 months) is offered with an onsite requirement three days a week.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in mainframe development.
• Strong knowledge of COBOL, JCL, DB2, CICS, and VSAM.
• Experience in production support and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Design and enhance mainframe applications using COBOL and other tools.
• Analyze business requirements and create technical specifications.
• Provide L2/L3 support for critical mainframe applications.

Skills

COBOL

JCL

DB2

CICS

VSAM

SQL

Tools

FileAid

Expeditor

Abend-AID

Changeman/Endevor

REXX scripts

Job description

Montreal, QC- 3 days a week Onsite Reporting Must

Long Term Contract(6 Months to start with)

Experience: 7+ years

Skillset: Mainframes – Cobol, DB2, JCL, VSAM, CICS

MUST HAVE:

JCL: job setup, PROC/INCLUDE, condition codes, overrides, restart/rerun, dataset management.

COBOL: file/DB I/O, modularization, error handling, copybook usage, working storage vs linkage, performance considerations.

DB2: SQL (joins, correlated subqueries), embedded SQL in COBOL, bind/plan/package basics, commits/rollbacks, performance (indexes, access paths).

CICS (where applicable): pseudo‑conversational design, COMMAREA/Channels & Containers, MAP/MAPSET, task initiation/termination, error handling.

Mainframe Job Description

Key Responsibilities

1. Application Development & Maintenance Design, develop, and enhance mainframe applications using COBOL, JCL, DB2, CICS, VSAM, and other IBM mainframe tools.
2. Maintain and optimize existing code to improve performance, reliability, and scalability.
3. Conduct root-cause analysis and resolve production issues within SLAs.

2. Systems Analysis & Design

1. Analyze business requirements and translate them into technical specifications.
2. Participate in architecture and design discussions for new modules and system enhancements.
3. Work with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of mainframe components.

3. Testing & Quality Assurance

1. Develop and execute unit, integration, and regression test cases.
2. Support QA teams in test planning and defect resolution.
3. Ensure compliance with coding standards, documentation, and audit requirements.

4. Production Support

1. Provide L2/L3 support for critical mainframe applications.
2. Monitor batch jobs and troubleshoot job failures and data issues.
3. Participate in on-call rotation for production support (if required).
4. Work closely with business analysts, testers, and project managers to deliver high‑quality solutions.
5. Prepare and maintain technical documentation, including design specs, data flow diagrams, and operational procedures.
6. Participate in peer reviews to ensure code quality and knowledge sharing.

Technical Skills

Strong experience with:

• COBOL (COBOL/370, COBOL II)
• JCL (Job Control Language)
• DB2 / SQL
• CICS / IMS
• VSAM
• Batch and online processing

Hands-on experience with:

• FileAid, Expeditor, Abend-AID, Changeman/Endevor, REXX scripts (optional)
• Familiarity with mainframe modernization tools or cloud migration (nice-to-have).