Senior CICS System Programmer

Optum; Eden Prairie (MN); On-site; USD 92,000 - 164,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Stock purchase plan

Job summary

Optum is seeking a Senior I O Engineer specializing in CICS System Programming to maintain and optimize the CICS environment on IBM z/OS. The role involves working with multi-LPAR/Parallel Sysplex, utilizing AI tools for productivity, and guiding disaster recovery planning on a global scale.

The position offers telecommuting from anywhere in the United States. You will configure, monitor, and optimize CICS environments, support application teams, and engage in proactive health checks and

Qualifications

• 8+ years of system programming with z/OS, TSO, JCL, started tasks, and RACF.
• 7+ years CICS system programming incl. RSUs and upgrades.
• 7+ years with z/OS file types (PDS/PDSE, VSAM, zFS).
• 7+ years ITSM processes: Incident, Change, Release management.
• 7+ years using metric/monitoring tools to evaluate system health.
• On-call readiness for 24x7 operations.

Responsibilities

• Configure, maintain, and optimize CICS on IBM z/OS in multi-LPAR/Parallel Sysplex.
• Create and manage CICS regions and support resource definitions.
• Diagnose incidents using Mainview, Splunk, MXG, Omegamon, Sysview, Abend-aid.
• Support z/OS Connect APIs and automated deployments (XL Deploy, Artifactory).
• Leverage AI tools to streamline workflows and capacity planning.
• Plan disaster recovery and perform region decommissioning.

Skills

z/OS

TSO

JCL

RACF

CICS

RSUs

ITSM

Monitoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT

Tools

BMC MainView

Splunk

MXG

Omegamon

Sysview

Abend-aid

XL Deploy

Artifactory

Job description

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

As a Senior I O Engineer specializing in CICS System Programming, you will play a critical role in maintaining and optimizing the CICS environment on IBM z/OS systems. In this role, you will apply deep technical expertise in system integration, software maintenance, and performance tuning across multi-LPAR, Parallel Sysplex environments. Our operational environment is continuously evolving, and you will leverage enterprise-approved AI productivity and diagnostics tools to analyze capacity data, summarize complex team communications, and streamline documentation. Working alongside cross-functional automation and application teams, you will help implement proactive health check systems, manage CICS regions, and guide disaster recovery planning to sustain operational resilience on a global scale.

You will enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities

• Configure, maintain, and optimize CICS environments on IBM z/OS across multi-LPAR, Parallel Sysplex environments to ensure high system resilience
• Create and manage CICS regions, support application teams with resource definitions, and troubleshoot stability issues
• Diagnose and resolve system incidents independently using monitoring tools such as BMC/AMI Mainview, Splunk, and MXG, as well as Omegamon, Sysview, and Abend-aid
• Support the integration of z/OS Connect APIs and contribute to automated deployments using tools like XL Deploy and Artifactory
• Use enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline workflows, automate tasks, analyze capacity planning metrics, and drive continuous operational improvement
• Evaluate emerging technology trends to inform environment design, strategic optimization, and intelligent automation strategies
• Partner with external vendors to compile diagnostic documentation, troubleshoot technical issues, and manage support tickets
• Perform disaster recovery planning, performance optimization, and region decommissioning initiatives
• Support 24x7 critical operations as part of a scheduled on-call rotation

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear directions on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of system programming experience including z/OS skills with TSO, JCL, started tasks, and RACF
• 7+ years of CICS system programming experience including upgrades and applying RSUs to the CICS product and related ISV products
• 7+ years of experience working with multiple z/OS file types and file systems, including PDS/PDSE, VSAM, and zFS (including allocation and related Unix commands)
• 7+ years of experience with IT Service Management (ITSM) processes, including Incident, Change, and Release management
• 7+ years of experience utilizing metric and monitoring tools to evaluate system health
• 5+ years of CPSM (CICS Plex System Manager) experience
• Ability to work on-call to support 24x7 operations as part of a scheduled rotation

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
• Experience using enterprise-approved productivity tools (such as Microsoft 365 Copilot) to draft technical communication and recap collaborative sessions
• Experience utilizing AI-driven tools or intelligent analytics to analyze capacity planning data, system logs, or automated alerts
• Experience with Java and JVM Administration on z/OS and/or CICS
• Experience with IBM Operational Decision Manager (ODM) or Mainframe Configuration Managers
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while mentoring junior team members
• Experience utilizing metric and monitoring tools (such as BMC/AMI Mainview, Splunk, and MXG) to evaluate system health
• All Telecommuters will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy.

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $91,700 to $163,700 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Application Deadline

This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location, and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups, and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

#RPO #GREEN