Senior COBOL Developer

act digital; Lisboa; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

act digital is recruiting a Senior COBOL Developer to join a premier banking tech hub in Lisbon. This role bridges mission-critical transactional logic with modern distributed systems on Unix/Linux environments.

You will work with Eclipse IDE, DBeaver and GitLab for version control, code reviews and automated pipelines, while writing Bash scripts for batch orchestration and API integration with banking layers.

Qualifications

• Senior COBOL Developer with proven track record.
• Hands-on COBOL on Unix/Linux environments (not mainframe).
• Experience with Eclipse IDE, DBeaver, GitLab and Bash.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and modernize mission-critical COBOL business logic on Unix/Linux.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams using GitLab for reviews and pipelines.
• Write Bash scripts for batch orchestration and automation.
• Design and consume APIs to interface engines with distributed services.
• Promote software design best practices and robust data interaction.

Skills

COBOL

Unix/Linux

GitLab

Bash scripting

APIs

Open Systems COBOL

COBOL Open

Tools

Eclipse IDE

DBeaver

GitLab

Job description

Are you a Senior COBOL Developer who thrives outside traditional mainframe silos? Looking to apply your core legacy expertise within a modern open-systems ecosystem powered by Git, automated CI/CD, and API integrations?

At act digital, we are recruiting a Senior COBOL Developer to join a premier banking tech hub in Lisbon. This role is tailored for engineers who want to bridge mission-critical transactional business logic with modern distributed systems running on Unix/Linux environments.

What you will do

• Core Application Development: Develop, maintain, and modernize mission-critical business logic using COBOL hosted on Unix/Linux platforms (non-mainframe architecture).
• Modern Development Ecosystem: Work with Eclipse IDE, DBeaver, and GitLab for version control, code reviews, and automated build pipelines.
• Automation & Scripting: Write and maintain Bash scripts for batch process orchestration, environment automation, and data handling.
• API & System Interfacing: Design and consume APIs to interface transactional engines with distributed services and modern banking layers.
• Code Quality & Architecture: Drive best practices in software design, database interaction, and collaborative delivery alongside cross-functional engineering teams.

What we are looking for

• Technical Experience: Solid, proven track record as a Senior COBOL Developer.
• Target Architecture: Strong, hands-on experience running and optimizing COBOL on Unix / Linux operating systems (Open Systems COBOL, Micro Focus, GNU COBOL, etc. — not classic z/OS Mainframe).
• Modern Tooling Stack: Familiarity with modern developer toolsets, including Eclipse, GitLab, DBeaver, and Bash scripting.
• Integration Skills: Working knowledge of APIs (REST/JSON or service-oriented interfaces).

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience or working exposure to Java (ideal for ongoing application modernization and microservices integration).
• Background in banking, payment processing, or financial services.

What we offer

• The rare opportunity to work with COBOL within a contemporary DevOps, Git-driven open-systems environment.
• Collaborative, people-first culture inside a certified Great Place to Work.
• Long-term stability supporting international enterprise banking platforms.