COBOL Developer - Mainframe Modernization

Salary: $122,000 - 190,000 per year Requirements:

• U.S. citizenship
• At least 8 years of professional COBOL development experience; 14 or more years preferred for GS-14/15 consideration
• Hands-on experience with CICS, JCL, DB2, VSAM, IMS, SQL, and OLTP/batch processing
• Experience with large-scale enterprise or federal/government mainframe systems; HHS, CMS, SSA, or similar experience preferred
• Demonstrated experience in legacy modernization, system integration, or data migration projects
• Strong understanding of federal IT security, compliance, and change-control processes
• Bachelors degree in Computer Science, IT, or a related field; equivalent specialized experience may be considered
• Ability to complete a federal background investigation, fingerprinting, drug test, and suitability screening before starting
• Ability to obtain and maintain Public Trust clearance
• For GS-14/15 candidates, prior leadership of development teams or technical leads on mainframe modernization programs is preferred
• Experience with SAFe delivery frameworks in a federal environment preferred
• PMP, ITIL, or related certifications are a plus
• Must work onsite and be located within 20 miles of Woodlawn, Maryland

• Design, develop, test, and maintain COBOL applications supporting SSA benefits, eligibility, and payment processing systems
• Work in CICS online transaction environments and use JCL for batch processing in high-volume production systems
• Access, update, and optimize DB2, VSAM, and IMS data structures
• Support legacy system modernization and integration with cross-functional federal IT teams
• Troubleshoot and resolve production issues in mainframe applications
• Participate in Agile delivery ceremonies, technical design reviews, and stakeholder briefings
• Document system logic, data flows, and modernization decisions for federal compliance and audit purposes

• CICS
• CMS
• COBOL
• IMS
• Support
• ITIL
• JCL
• SQL
• Security
• VSAM

More:

We are Warrior Tribe Consulting (WTC), a federal staffing and recruiting firm supporting the Social Security Administrations Cobalt Program in Woodlawn, Maryland. We are recruiting for allocated COBOL Developer positions with SSA as part of its mainframe modernization initiative. These federal GS-13/14/15 roles are based onsite near SSA headquarters in Woodlawn. The stated salary range is $121,785–$197,200 per year, depending on demonstrated grade level; the posting also lists pay of $122,000–$190,000 per year. We manage candidate submissions at no cost, coordinate with SSA hiring managers, help tailor resumes and complete the USAJOBS application, and provide interview preparation. The role offers federal benefits including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance options; FERS pension and TSP matching; annual and sick leave; paid federal holidays; potential flexible or telework scheduling depending on the role; and Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility. Additional listed benefits include 401(k) and matching, flexible spending and health savings accounts, paid time off, and professional development assistance.

last updated 41 week of 2026