Lead Mainframe Engineer

Valiant Technologies LLC; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Valiant Technologies LLC seeks a Lead Software Engineer to join the Safe Deposit Box Modernization team, focusing on the Mainframe System of Record Application. You will evaluate, plan, and support modernization efforts, incorporating AI-assisted discovery, code and dependency analysis, and technical documentation with proper human review and risk controls.

The role requires expert COBOL, JCL, and z/OS experience, with strong collaboration across enterprise systems and Agile delivery.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering with IBM z/OS mainframe apps.
• 5+ years COBOL, structured and modular programming, and debugging.
• 5+ years JCL, PROC, batch schedules, utilities, and abends.
• 3+ years VSAM (ESDS/KSDS/RRDS) structures and IDCAMS.
• 3+ years CICS with Db2/IMS and data access/perf analysis.
• 3+ years integrating mainframe apps with MQ, Kafka, APIs or MFT.
• Experience with source-control, build, testing, and deployment in z/OS environments.
• Exposure to Agile software delivery lifecycle and documentation.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted engineering tools for mainframe discovery and modernization with human validation.

Responsibilities

• Analyze, design, and develop strategic mainframe modernization solutions.
• Interface with enterprise systems of record, architecture, frontend, and middleware.
• Resolve issues, test solutions, and create end-to-end test data with partners.
• Perform production research and validate implementations in production.
• Ensure appropriate validation, security, and risk controls for AI-assisted outputs.

Skills

COBOL

z/OS

JCL

CICS

DB2/IMS

VSAM

MQ

Kafka

APIs

Agile

Tools

IBM MQ

Kafka

APIs

Job description

Client is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join the Safe Deposit Box Modernization team supporting the Safe Deposit Box Mainframe System of Record Application.

This role will be critical in helping to evaluate, plan, and support our mainframe modernization, including responsibly using approved artificial intelligence (AI) tools to accelerate application discovery, code and dependency analysis, technical documentation, solution design, modernization planning, code development, and test creation.

The engineer will apply appropriate human review, validation, security, data protection, and risk controls to AI-assisted outputs to help preserve business logic, improve delivery efficiency, and reduce implementation risk.

This role will analyze, design, and develop strategic technical solutions and interface with enterprise systems of record, architecture, frontend channels, and middleware servicing applications.

This role also supports resolving issues, testing coded solutions, locating, or creating test data for end-to-end testing with partners, performing production research to resolve reported issues or assist other team members, and validating implemented solutions in production to confirm successful outcomes.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience with IBM z/OS mainframe applications, including application development, maintenance, production support, and troubleshooting
• 5+ years of hands‑on COBOL experience, including structured and modular programming, copybooks, file processing, debugging, unit testing, and analysis of existing business logic
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience developing, maintaining, and troubleshooting JCL, cataloged and in-stream PROCs, job steps, parameters, utilities, restart and recovery procedures, batch schedules, dependencies, and job abends
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience with VSAM datasets, including ESDS, KSDS, or RRDS structures; file definitions; IDCAMS utilities; data access; and production issue resolution
• 3+ years of experience with CICS and one or more mainframe data technologies such as Db2 or IMS, including transaction flows, program interfaces, data access, and performance or failure analysis
• 3+ years of experience integrating mainframe applications with enterprise platforms using technologies such as IBM MQ, Kafka, APIs, or managed file‑transfer patterns
• Experience using source‑control, build, debugging, testing, scheduling, monitoring, and deployment tools within a mainframe development environment
• Experience working across the full software development lifecycle in Agile delivery environments, including requirements analysis, solution design, coding, testing, implementation, production validation, incident management, and technical documentation
• Familiarity with approved AI‑assisted engineering tools for mainframe application discovery, COBOL and JCL analysis, dependency mapping, documentation, code development, test creation, business‑rule extraction, and migration or modernization planning, with appropriate human validation and adherence to security, data‑protection, and risk‑management requirements

We are an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, citizenship/ immigration status, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.