Role: Mainframe Infra Engineer (Mainframe z/OS Technical Lead / L3 Engineer)
Location:ย McLean, VA (Hybrid)
Job Type: W2 Contract
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Skill Matrix:
Name
Required
IMS
Yes
DB2
Yes
JCL
Yes
Cobol
Yes
Mainframe CICS
Yes
CICS
Yes
z/OS
Yes
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Experience:ย Overallย 15 years
Job Description:
We are seeking a senior Mainframe Z/OS Technical Lead to act as the client-side SME overseeing outsourced mainframe services and guiding a small internal team.
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Responsibilities:
โข Provide technical oversight of vendor-managed mainframe operations
โข Review daily operations, incidents, RCA, changes, and releases
โข Validate vendor recommendations and ensure adherence to SLAs and ITIL processes
โข Act as escalation point for complex mainframe issues
โข Provide expert guidance on z/OS, Sysplex, WLM, JES, and RACF
โข Oversee IMS (DB/DC), DB2 for z/OS, and CICS environments
โข Review system performance, capacity, availability, and stability
โข Recommend improvements for performance, automation, and cost optimization
โข Identify risks, technical debt, and modernization opportunities
โข Review DR, BCP, backup, and recovery strategies
โข Provide architectural input for upgrades and future-state planning
โข Communicate technical insights clearly to leadership and stakeholders
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Required Skills:
โข 10+ years of strong hands-on mainframe experience.
โข Expert knowledge of z/OS, IMS, DB2, CICS
โข Strong understanding of JCL, COBOL, and batch processing
โข Experience with vendor-managed or outsourced environments
โข Ability to influence, challenge, and guide vendors constructively
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Preferred:
โข Mainframe modernization or optimization experience
โข ITIL process exposure