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Senior Mainframe Developer Jobs in Cleveland, OH

Partner with cross-functional teams-architects, developers, QA, and business analysts-to gather ... Collaborate with senior leadership to secure executive sponsorship and organizational buy-in for ...

Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager

Cleveland, OH · On-site

$125K - $162K/yr

... Mainframe, Compute, Storage), Telephony, Network, Service Centers, Application Development, and ... Engineering. Success in this position requires a strategic mindset, strong executive presence, and ...

Senior Mainframe Developer information

See Cleveland, OH salary details

$37

$55

$64

How much do senior mainframe developer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average hourly pay for senior mainframe developer in Cleveland, OH is $55.83, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $52.36 and $61.01 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior mainframe developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Mainframe Developer, you need deep expertise in mainframe programming languages (like COBOL, JCL, and PL/I), systems analysis, and a strong understanding of legacy application architectures, typically supported by a degree in computer science or related experience. Familiarity with tools such as IBM z/OS, DB2, CICS, and version control systems is essential, along with relevant certifications like IBM Certified System Programmer. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills help you collaborate effectively and mentor junior developers. These skills are crucial for maintaining mission-critical systems, ensuring reliability, and guiding modernization efforts in complex enterprise environments.

What are some common challenges faced by senior mainframe developers when integrating legacy systems with modern technologies?

Senior Mainframe Developers often encounter challenges when integrating legacy mainframe systems with newer technologies such as cloud platforms, APIs, or microservices. These challenges include ensuring data consistency, maintaining system security, and minimizing downtime during migrations. Collaboration with cross-functional teams, such as infrastructure engineers and application developers, is key to developing seamless integration solutions. Staying up-to-date with modernization tools and best practices can help address these complexities and support the organization's digital transformation goals.

What is a senior mainframe developer?

Senior Mainframe Developers are experienced professionals who design, develop, and maintain mainframe systems—large-scale computers used by organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing, and enterprise resource planning. They are proficient in languages like COBOL, JCL, and Assembler, and often work with databases and transaction processing systems. Their responsibilities include troubleshooting system issues, optimizing performance, mentoring junior developers, and ensuring the reliability and security of mainframe operations.
What are the most commonly searched types of Mainframe Developer jobs in Cleveland, OH? The most popular types of Mainframe Developer jobs in Cleveland, OH are:
What are popular job titles related to Senior Mainframe Developer jobs in Cleveland, OH? For Senior Mainframe Developer jobs in Cleveland, OH, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Senior Mainframe Developer jobs in Cleveland, OH look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Mainframe Developer jobs in Cleveland, OH are:
What cities near Cleveland, OH are hiring for Senior Mainframe Developer jobs? Cities near Cleveland, OH with the most Senior Mainframe Developer job openings:
Infographic showing various Senior Mainframe Developer job openings in Cleveland, OH as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $116,121 per year, or $55.8 per hour.

$51 - $64.75/hr

Full-time

Re-posted 16 days ago


American Greetings rating

5.2

Company rating: 5.2 out of 10

Based on 68 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

533rd of 538 rated manufacturers


Job description

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.
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.


**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 individual will be responsible for providing technical expertise and guidance to the applications support team, the scheduling team, and to data center operations. This individual will work closely with IT leadership to develop long-term strategies to optimize the effective use of the mainframe platform.


As the primary technical mainframe specialist, the individual will also be responsible for mainframe storage, tape library management and disaster recovery to ensure that all business-critical applications can be recovered in the event of data loss or system outages.
The individual will also be responsible for providing senior technical expertise and direction to third-party consultants including application developers and technical resources. The individual in this role will help to plan and oversee mainframe technical project execution, server engineering skills, and technical resource deployment to ensure quality outcomes.


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 all third-party mainframe software packages such as TopSecret, CA-1, CA-Disk, BMC AMI Storage, Endevor, MIM, VPS, and various associated products.
Perform CICS administration.
JobTrac application administration.
Drive capacity planning and resource optimization for the mainframe, storage and tape management systems.
Ability to 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 the overall 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 the tuning of the z/OS operating system and associated 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 the corporate IT leadership to develop and implement new technology and solutions.
Assist with the planning and delivery of all major software upgrades, system maintenance activities, 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 that mainframe security requirements are addressed and are in line with corporate standards.
Provide engineering and support of the enterprise scheduling packages including the training and development of process documentation for the scheduling and data center operations teams.
Assist the client security team with the provision of system and application access to mainframe hosted applications.
Work closely with manufacturing and distribution locations to install, configure and support printer hardware and software administration.


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About American Greetings

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As a leader in meaningful connections, American Greeting Corporation is a creator and manufacturer of creative social expression products. Please check out our website at www.workatag.com. We look forward to welcoming you to our team! American Greetings -- we make the world a more thoughtful and caring place

Industry

Manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cleveland, OH, US

Year founded

1906