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TechStar Group · 1 day ago

Mainframe System Programmer

Boston, MA

Contract

Onsite

Senior Level

7+ years exp

TechStar Group is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Mainframe z/OS Systems Programmer to join their dynamic IT team. The successful candidate will be responsible for the installation, maintenance, and upgrade of the z/OS operating system, ensuring the stability, security, and efficiency of critical mainframe infrastructure.

Cloud ManagementCyber SecurityInformation TechnologyInternet of Things

Hiring Manager

Vel P

Responsibilities

Plan, prepare, and execute z/OS operating system upgrades (e.g., from z/OS 2.x to z/OS 3.x), including pre-installation checks, customization, testing, and post-upgrade verification

Apply IBM PTFs (Program Temporary Fixes) and APARs (Authorized Program Analysis Reports) to maintain system integrity and resolve reported issues

Perform regular IPLs (Initial Program Loads) and system restarts as required for maintenance and upgrades

Monitor z/OS system health, performance, and resource utilization using tools like RMF, SMF, Omegamon, etc

Install, configure, upgrade, and maintain a wide range of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) products (e.g., Broadcom/CA, BMC, IBM, Rocket Software, etc.). This includes products for security (ACF2, Top Secret, RACF), performance monitoring, job scheduling (CA-7, TWS), storage management (SMS, CA-Disk, FDR/ABR), database (DB2, IMS, VSAM), and other utilities

Collaborate with vendors for problem resolution, licensing, and technical support

Ensure compatibility and integration of ISV products with the z/OS environment

Perform system IPLs, reconfigurations, and PARMLIB updates

Manage and maintain critical system datasets (e.g., SYSRES, Page datasets, SMF datasets)

Provide expert-level support for mainframe incidents, including problem determination, diagnosis, and resolution in a timely manner

Participate in on-call rotation for 24/7 support of critical systems

Analyze system performance data to identify bottlenecks and recommend improvements

Tune various z/OS components, WLM (Workload Manager), and ISV products to optimize resource utilization and application performance

Develop and maintain REXX, JCL, and other scripts for system automation, monitoring, and administrative tasks

Participate in the planning, testing, and execution of disaster recovery procedures for the mainframe environment

Ensure high availability and recoverability of critical systems

Create and maintain comprehensive system documentation, including installation guides, configuration details, operational procedures, and troubleshooting guides

Adhere to ITIL best practices for change management, incident management, and problem management

Work closely with application development teams, database administrators, operations staff, and other infrastructure teams

Mentor junior systems programmers and share knowledge effectively

Implement and enforce security best practices within the z/OS environment and for ISV products

Ensure compliance with internal security policies and external regulations

Qualification

Z/OS installationJCLISV product supportPerformance tuningREXX scriptingMainframe networkingDisaster recoveryProblem-solvingCommunication skillsTeamworkAttention to detail