COBOL Mainframe Developer

Role Overview
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior COBOL Developer to join our technology team at a large retail bank. This role is primarily focused on hands-on development and enhancement of mission-critical mainframe applications supporting core banking operations.  The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in COBOL, CICS, and DB2, along with a strong understanding of high-volume transactional systems. This individual will play a key role in modernizing and maintaining legacy systems while ensuring stability, performance, and regulatory compliance.  This is a one-year contract-to-hire opportunity, with the intent to convert qualified candidates into full-time employees. Because this is a contract-to-hire role with permanent hiring goals, candidates requiring visa sponsorship or who are not eligible for permanent employment cannot be considered.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain mainframe applications using COBOL, CICS, and DB2
• Support high-volume, mission-critical banking systems with a focus on performance and reliability
• Analyze business and technical requirements to deliver scalable and efficient solutions
• Perform code reviews, debugging, and performance tuning of existing applications
• Collaborate with business analysts, architects, and cross-functional teams to translate requirements into technical solutions
• Participate in release management, deployment activities, and production support as needed
• Ensure adherence to enterprise standards, security protocols, and regulatory requirements
• Document technical designs, processes, and system changes

Required Qualifications / Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Systems, Finance, Healthcare Administration, or related field. 

• 10+ years of experience in mainframe application development
• Strong proficiency in:
  • COBOL
  • CICS
  • DB2 (SQL, stored procedures, performance tuning)
  • Operating systems: IBM z/OS, AIX,
    Mainframe: COBOL, CICS, DB2, JCL, VSAM, TSO/ISPF, Easytrieve,  Endevor , CA7, Control M, BMC AMI DevX Code Pipeline
    Relational databases: DB2, Oracle
• Experience working in large-scale enterprise or banking environments
• Solid understanding of batch and online processing frameworks
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex production issues
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work across technical and business teams
• Strong experience in COBOL development in a mainframe environment.
• Hands-on experience with mainframe technologies and legacy enterprise systems.
  Proven ability to support and enhance mission-critical applications in a regulated or large-scale enterprise environment.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative team setting while also operating independently when needed.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for internal technical collaboration.

Preferred Qualifications

• Banking domain expertise especially ACH/Payments domains.
• Experience with Fiserv integrations
• Familiarity with ZEOS Connect API development
• Exposure to modernization efforts (e.g., API enablement, mainframe integration strategies)
• Experience working in regulated financial environments
• Support ACH solution engineering and mainframe application development efforts in a banking environment.
• Design, enhance, maintain, and troubleshoot COBOL-based mainframe applications.
• Work closely with technical teams and business stakeholders to support enterprise payment processing solutions.
• Analyze existing legacy system functionality and implement enhancements or fixes as needed.
  Participate in code reviews, testing, debugging, and production support activities.
• Assist in modernization and retirement-transition efforts as institutional knowledge is transitioned from legacy team members.
• Collaborate with internal engineering and delivery teams to ensure stable, scalable, and compliant system solutions.
• Contribute to future-state planning as additional retirement-driven openings become available.

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

About Techstra Solutions
Techstra Solutions is a certified woman-owned (WBENC) management consulting firm specializing in strategy, technology, and implementation services for large organizations undergoing digital and talent transformation. Our experienced team partners with clients to co-create innovative solutions in applications, data, AI, and automation that accelerate measurable, sustainable change. From advisory consulting through technical execution, we are dedicated to driving world-class business solutions that fit your strategic requirements and deliver results. For more information:

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Techstra Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. The Company makes its decisions on merit, and its policy of equal opportunity prohibits discrimination in all phases of the employment process, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, promotion, selection, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. The policy of equal opportunity applies without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, disability that can reasonably be accommodated without undue hardship, military status, veteran status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage or citizenship, domestic partnership status, arrest or conviction record, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other protected categories under federal, state, or local law. The Company also prohibits discrimination or harassment based upon the perception that a person has, or is associated with a person who has, any of these characteristics.