Mainframe Production Support

United IT

Columbus, OH • On-site

$45.75 - $58.75/hr

Other

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Job description

Mainframe Production Support

The Mainframe SRE Lead is responsible for ensuring the reliability, availability, performance, and scalability of enterprise mainframe platforms. This role blends traditional mainframe engineering with modern SRE principles, focusing on automation, observability, incident management, and continuous improvement. The lead will guide a team of engineers while partnering closely with application, infrastructure, and operations teams.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead the Mainframe SRE team, providing technical direction, mentoring, and performance guidance
  • Own the reliability, availability, and resilience of mainframe environments (z/OS and related subsystems)
  • Define and implement SRE practices such as SLIs, SLOs, SLAs, error budgets, and reliability metrics
  • Drive automation to reduce manual operations, improve recovery time, and enhance system stability
  • Oversee monitoring, alerting, and observability for mainframe systems using modern and legacy tools
  • Lead incident management, root cause analysis (RCA), and post-incident reviews
  • Partner with application development teams to improve reliability, performance, and deployment practices
  • Plan and execute capacity management, performance tuning, and workload optimization
  • Ensure compliance with security, regulatory, and audit requirements
  • Lead disaster recovery (DR) planning, testing, and high-availability strategies
  • Champion continuous improvement, DevOps, and SRE culture within mainframe operations

Required Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in mainframe systems engineering or operations
  • Strong hands-on expertise with IBM z/OS
  • Experience with core mainframe components such as:
    • CICS, IMS, DB2
    • JES2/JES3
    • MQ, SMF, SDSF
  • Solid understanding of mainframe performance tuning and capacity planning
  • Experience leading production support and managing major incidents
  • Strong scripting and automation skills (REXX, JCL, CLIST, Python, or equivalent)
  • Familiarity with monitoring and scheduling tools (e.g.


Frequently asked questions

Q: What skills or qualities help someone succeed as a Mainframe Software Developer?

A: To succeed as a Mainframe Software Developer, key technical skills include proficiency in programming languages such as COBOL, PL/1, and Assembler, as well as experience with mainframe operating systems like z/OS and z/VM. Additionally, strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment are essential soft skills, along with adaptability and a willingness to learn new technologies. By combining these technical and soft skills, Mainframe Software Developers can effectively design, develop, and maintain complex mainframe applications, supporting career growth and long-term success in this specialized field.

Q: What is the career path for a Mainframe Software Developer?

A: A Mainframe Software Developer's career path typically begins as a Junior Developer or Mainframe Programmer, where they learn and implement software applications on mainframe systems. As they gain experience, they progress to mid-level roles such as Mainframe Analyst or Software Engineer, where they design, develop, and maintain complex applications, and may also lead small teams or projects. Senior roles, including Mainframe Technical Lead or Enterprise Architect, involve strategic planning, technical leadership, and mentoring, with opportunities to transition into related fields like IT management or consulting.