Senior Mainframe Systems Programmer

American Greetings; Westlake (OH); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A major greeting card company in Westlake, Ohio, is seeking a Senior Mainframe Systems Programmer. This hybrid role focuses on the performance, stability, and configuration of the mainframe environment while fostering technical leadership. Candidates must have over 10 years of technical experience in mainframe systems, along with skills in IBM z/OS, project planning, and disaster recovery. The ideal candidate will provide technical guidance to teams and work closely with IT leadership to optimize the mainframe platform.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of technical experience in mainframe and open system environments.
• 5+ years providing technical leadership to engineers.
• Hands-on experience installing IBM mainframe hardware and software.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise and support for the mainframe platform.
• Lead installation and configuration of software packages.
• Drive capacity planning and resource optimization.

Skills

IBM Mainframe Administration

Performance Tuning

CICS Administration

Project Planning

Disaster Recovery Planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science

Tools

IBM z/OS

CA Software

BMC Software

JobTrac

Job description

Overview

As this is a hybrid role based out of our Creative Studios in Westlake, Ohio, we will focus on candidates who currently reside in Northeast Ohio. This is not an application development role; it is a deep technical infrastructure position focused on the performance, stability, and configuration of the mainframe environment.

The Sr. Mainframe Systems programmer is responsible for the overall engineering, operations, and planning of the mainframe, IBM z/OS operating system software and all other IBM and third-party software. The individual will be the primary technical mainframe specialist, providing technical expertise and guidance to the applications support team, scheduling team, and data center operations. The role involves developing long-term strategies with IT leadership to optimize the mainframe platform and ensuring disaster recovery and storage management for business-critical applications.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Function as the subject matter expert for the mainframe platform to provide technical expertise and support to infrastructure, applications and third-party teams.
• Lead the planning, installation, configuration, customization, and testing of IBM z/OS and third-party mainframe software packages such as TopSecret, CA-1, CA-Disk, BMC AMI Storage, Endevor, MIM, VPS, and related products.
• Perform CICS administration.
• JobTrac application administration.
• Drive capacity planning and resource optimization for the mainframe, storage and tape management systems.
• Evaluate specifications and features of new products, performing cost comparisons, feasibility and cost-benefit analysis, performance, compatibility, and testing to make recommendations.
• Mentor less experienced Mainframe System Administrators, including assigning work, reviewing work for adherence to standards, and providing technical guidance.
• Assist with disaster recovery planning and annual testing for the mainframe and storage replication services.
• Identify and plan for the use of new technologies and capabilities, including Linux and cloud-ready capabilities to improve optimized use of the mainframe platform.
• Perform performance data collection, analysis, and tuning of the z/OS operating system and related applications.
• Develop standards and procedures that support current and future operational needs with a focus on continuous improvement and automation on the mainframe environment.
• Work closely with IT leadership to develop and implement new technology and solutions.
• Assist with planning and delivery of major software upgrades, system maintenance, technical patching, and hardware refresh initiatives for the mainframe environment.
• Manage and drive IT service delivery and management disciplines with the mainframe and data center operations teams, including incident, change, and problem management.
• Review technical requirements and solutions to ensure mainframe security requirements are addressed and aligned with corporate standards.
• Provide engineering and support of enterprise scheduling packages, including training and development of process documentation for scheduling and data center operations teams.
• Assist the client security team with provisioning system and application access to mainframe-hosted applications.
• Work with manufacturing and distribution locations to install, configure, and support printer hardware and software administration.

Experience Required

• 10+ years of technical experience in engineering and supporting a large, complex mainframe and open system environment.
• 5+ years of providing technical leadership and engineering assistance to experienced and junior infrastructure engineers and administrators.
• Hands-on, proven experience installing IBM mainframe hardware, operating systems and major third-party software vendors including CA, BMC, LRS and Information Builders.
• Experience in designing, implementing and operating enterprise-wide mainframe and server infrastructure in a highly virtualized and dynamic environment.
• Experience planning for and executing large, complex projects including major hardware architecture changes, hardware refreshes, major software version upgrades and global consolidations across multiple sites.
• Experience delivering and supporting services that are used across large organizations with international, 24 x 7 support needs.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Expert-level knowledge of IBM z/OS operating system administration, performance tuning, installation, upgrade and patching.
• Strong knowledge and technical skills in IBM mainframe hardware, including hardware installs and upgrades, firmware and module patching and lifecycle planning.
• Strong knowledge of IBM mainframe storage and tape management systems, including storage replication technology.
• Deep knowledge in CICS administration.
• Strong knowledge of mainframe security, CICS, and workload management tools and methodologies.
• Strong knowledge of JobTrac administration.
• Knowledge of database concepts in Mainframe, particularly IDMS database administration.
• Ability to plan for and execute third-party software patching and upgrades on the mainframe to resolve technical issues and maintain supported versions of all installed software.
• Ability to provide strong and effective technical leadership to infrastructure and application resources to drive new development efforts.
• Strong knowledge of ITIL service management and disciplines to drive continuous improvement of service delivery.
• Ability to learn new technologies and apply skills to drive adoption of new capabilities and improve overall usage of the mainframe platform.
• Ability to demonstrate and deliver excellent troubleshooting and analytical skills to drive rapid problem resolution individually and within the server team.
• Strong understanding of project implementations, project structure and life cycle and best practice standards and tools.
• Excellent communications and interpersonal skills to drive process improvements within the server team and across other infrastructure teams.

Education Required

Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent combination of relevant education, training and experience.