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Mainframe Programmer Contract Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Pantheon Data

Program Manager - Deployment

Arlington, VA · On-site

... engineering, program management, strategic communications, engineering, and cybersecurity. We have ... Proven experience integrating legacy mainframe data sources (CDC/ETL/ELT against DB2, VSAM, or ...

shentel

Manager Application Support

Edinburg, VA · On-site

Supervising, mentoring, and guiding junior developers and analysts • Process improvement ... Assisting with vendor engagement, contract negotiations, and renewals • Customer service:

shentel

Manager Application Support

Richmond, VA · On-site

Supervising, mentoring, and guiding junior developers and analysts • Process improvement ... Assisting with vendor engagement, contract negotiations, and renewals • Customer service:

USM

Project Manager

Chester, VA · On-site

... Engineering, Business Intelligence, Data Management, SOA, BPM, Data Warehousing, SharePoint ... Proven track record in business P&L management, financial concepts and contract law. Experience ...

Shentel

Manager Application Support

Reston, VA · On-site

$109K - $137K/yr

Supervising, mentoring, and guiding junior developers and analysts • Process improvement ... Assisting with vendor engagement, contract negotiations, and renewals • Customer service:

Apavo Corporation

Tier 1 Help Desk Analyst

Arlington, VA · On-site

$23.50 - $32.25/hr

This role supports a long-term contract (currently in year 4 of 10) within the Department of ... mainframe applications or hardware. * Interact with network services, software systems engineering ...

Apavo Corporation

Tier 1 Help Desk Analyst

Arlington, VA · On-site

$60K/yr

This role supports a long-term contract (currently in year 4 of 10) within the Department of ... mainframe applications or hardware. * Interact with network services, software systems engineering ...

Apavo Corporation

Tier 1 Help Desk Analyst

Arlington, VA · On-site

$23.50 - $32.25/hr

This role supports a long-term contract (currently in year 4 of 10) within the Department of ... mainframe applications or hardware. * Interact with network services, software systems engineering ...

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Mainframe Programmer Contract information

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How much do mainframe programmer contract jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average hourly pay for mainframe programmer contract in Virginia is $53.65, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $46.73 and $62.69 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Mainframe Programmer Contract job?

A Mainframe Programmer Contract job is a temporary position where a programmer develops, maintains, and troubleshoots software applications running on mainframe systems. Contractors are typically hired for specific projects or to fill short-term gaps in an organization's IT team. They work with legacy programming languages like COBOL, JCL, and assembler to ensure the smooth operation of critical business applications. Contract durations vary based on project needs and may be extended or converted into full-time roles. These roles often require experience with mainframe environments such as IBM z/OS.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Mainframe Programmer Contract position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Mainframe Programmer Contract, you need deep expertise in COBOL, JCL, and mainframe operating systems, often backed by a computer science degree or equivalent experience. Familiarity with tools like IBM z/OS, TSO/ISPF, DB2, and knowledge of middleware or integration technologies is highly valuable and sometimes enhanced by relevant certifications. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication are important soft skills for this position. These competencies enable you to efficiently maintain legacy systems, troubleshoot complex issues, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

What typical responsibilities can contractors expect in a Mainframe Programmer role?

As a Mainframe Programmer on a contract basis, you will often be responsible for writing, updating, and maintaining code in languages such as COBOL or PL/I, managing batch processing jobs, and performing data migrations or system integrations. You may also debug existing mainframe applications, resolve performance issues, and collaborate closely with business analysts, QA teams, and system administrators to meet project objectives. Contractors are frequently engaged in system upgrades or modernization initiatives, which require flexibility and strong problem-solving abilities. Project scopes and daily tasks can vary depending on the organization’s reliance on mainframe systems and current technical goals.

What are popular job titles related to Mainframe Programmer Contract jobs in Virginia? For Mainframe Programmer Contract jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Mainframe Programmer Contract jobs in Virginia look for? The top searched job categories for Mainframe Programmer Contract jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Mainframe Programmer Contract jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Mainframe Programmer Contract job openings:
Mainframe Programmer Contract jobs near you
Program Manager - Deployment

Program Manager - Deployment

Pantheon Data

Arlington, VA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 16 days ago

Job description

Company Overview
Pantheon Data (a Kenific Holding company) is a private, small business based in the Washington, DC, area. Pantheon Data was founded in 2011, initially providing acquisition and supply chain management services to the US Coast Guard. Our service offerings have grown in the past ten years, including infrastructure resiliency, contact center operations, information technology, software engineering, program management, strategic communications, engineering, and cybersecurity. We have also grown our customer base to include commercial clients. The company has used this experience to expand our service offerings to other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other Federal Civilian Agencies.
Position Overview
Pantheon-Data is a digital modernization, data, and cloud solutions provider delivering mission-critical capabilities to federal agencies. We modernize legacy environments, operationalize enterprise data, and field secure, scalable systems in the cloud for our government customers. This position supports a major Department of the Navy enterprise modernization effort.
The Deployment Program Manager owns the end-to-end data integration and secure cloud deployment of an advanced decision support system across a large enterprise environment. This is a hands-on technical leadership role accountable for delivery, not solely schedule administration: the successful candidate leads a delivery team, sets technical direction, and is responsible for accreditation-ready outcomes in secure AWS GovCloud enclaves at Impact Level 4 / Impact Level 5 (IL4/IL5).
Responsibilities
  • Own the data-integration strategy and execution for the platform across the enterprise data estate: source-system inventory, ingestion design, transformation, validation, and propagation back to consuming systems and workflows.
  • Lead migration and integration of data from large consolidated warehouses and their dozens of underlying source systems, and design the connector/interface layer to both legacy mainframe systems (e.g., DB2/VSAM, COBOL-fronted data) and modern enterprise data and analytics platforms.
  • Apply current AWS lakehouse and warehouse best practices - data federation, fine-grained governance, security, and explicit data ownership/stewardship - and integrate the platform's knowledge engine into that fabric without coupling it to any single domain.
  • Architect and deploy the production system into AWS GovCloud IL4/IL5 enclaves, owning the path to and maintenance of an Authority to Operate (ATO).
  • Lead a working delivery team (hands-on plus team leadership): manage the backlog, set technical direction, remove blockers, and drive delivery against the priority enterprise problem sets.
  • Serve as the embedded technical advocate between the field/deployment context and the core product team - translating customer problems into well-formed backlog items and correctly routing platform issues to product engineering.
  • Own data governance and security posture for the integrated environment: access control, lineage, data quality, and authoritative-source reconciliation.
  • Coordinate with government data owners and stakeholders to secure data-sharing agreements and authoritative-source access.

Required Skills and Experience
  • Bachelors degree in related field.
  • 10+ years delivering complex data/enterprise systems, with 5+ years leading technical teams or programs.
  • Must have experience managing geographically dispersed, remote work, teams.
  • Demonstrated, hands-on ownership of a large-scale data migration or data-warehouse/Lakehouse build - ideally consolidating many heterogeneous source systems into a governed cloud data platform.
  • Deep, current AWS data-platform expertise: S3-based Lakehouse (open table formats such as Apache Iceberg), Glue, Lake Formation (LF-Tags / fine-grained access control), Redshift, Athena, and cross-source federation patterns.
  • Proven experience integrating legacy mainframe data sources (CDC/ETL/ELT against DB2, VSAM, or equivalent) into modern cloud platforms.
  • Working command of data governance: cataloging, lineage, data ownership/stewardship, data contracts, and data-quality frameworks.
  • Hands-on AWS GovCloud experience and a working understanding of IL4/IL5 accreditation, RMF/ATO, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, FedRAMP High, and DISA STIGs.
  • Ability to work effectively remotely in cross-functional teams.
  • Ability to meet deadlines and produce quality work.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Suite software including Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Skills and Experience
  • Familiarity with data mesh / domain-oriented ownership and with AWS DataZone or equivalent governance/federation tooling.
  • Experience integrating LLM/RAG or knowledge-graph systems against an enterprise data layer.
  • ICAM / ABAC implementation experience for attribute- and clearance-driven access control.
  • Eligibility for TS/SCI; relevant AWS or security certifications (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect Associate, CompTia Security+).

Clearance Requirements
Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements. Secret Clearance is required for continued employment.
Work Location: Work location is on-site with the client in Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC, with 25% travel to other military installations.
  • Our company prioritizes the benefits of flexibility and collaboration, whether that happens in person or remotely.
  • If the position is remote or hybrid, you may periodically work from a Pantheon Data office location or client site.
  • If this position is assigned to a Pantheon Data office location or client site, you'll work with colleagues and clients in person, as needed for specific client requirements.

Compensation
The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $225,000. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.
Benefits Overview
We are always looking for good people! Pantheon Data is committed to providing its employees with competitive salaries and benefits in order to increase employee satisfaction and productivity. In addition to our benefits, we also offer SmartBenefits through the Washington Metro Area Transportation Authority, where you specify an amount of your pre-tax wages be paid directly to your SmarTrip account. In some cases, tuition assistance may be available for continuing education expenses and certifications related to their position. Additional details may be found at
Pantheon Data Important Information
All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.
As part of the application process, you are expected to be on camera during interviews and assessments. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to our Talent Team at or by phone (571) 363-4020.
This company uses E-Verify to confirm each employee's work authorization. For more information, click here

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