Senior COBOL / Mainframe Application Developer

IMPORTANT: Candidates will be reviewed within 48 hours of submission.

Senior COBOL / Mainframe Application Developer

Annual Salary: $120,579–$195,200
Employment Type: Full-time
Work Location: In person (Woodlawn, MD)

Position Overview

A government customer is seeking experienced COBOL and mainframe application development professionals to support mission-critical enterprise systems. This opportunity is available through a federal Direct Hire Authority and is open to all U.S. citizens.

Selected professionals will contribute to the development, maintenance, performance optimization, and modernization of large-scale business applications. The role combines established mainframe technologies with modern software development practices, including opportunities to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to improve development efficiency and application capabilities.

Applications may be retained in a candidate pool for consideration as positions become available.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, enhance, and maintain enterprise applications using COBOL and related mainframe technologies.
• Develop and support online transaction-processing applications using CICS and Temporary Storage Queues (TSQ).
• Manage batch-processing operations, including JCL development, job scheduling, execution monitoring, and troubleshooting.
• Optimize DB2 database performance through SQL tuning, efficient data access, and improved processing strategies.
• Support enterprise data storage, retrieval, integration, and migration using VSAM, IDMS, and related technologies.
• Develop and maintain file-processing solutions involving sequential, indexed, and relative file structures.
• Evaluate application architecture and implement improvements that enhance scalability, reliability, maintainability, and security.
• Investigate application defects, resolve production incidents, and improve overall system availability.
• Collaborate with business analysts, quality assurance specialists, developers, and other stakeholders to deliver effective technical solutions.
• Prepare and maintain technical documentation, including program specifications, system designs, flowcharts, and user guides.
• Participate in code reviews, application testing, deployment, and post-implementation support.
• Provide technical guidance, share knowledge, and support development teams according to the assigned grade and level of responsibility.
• Evaluate approved AI-assisted development tools and automation techniques to increase productivity and improve software delivery.
• Identify opportunities to incorporate emerging technologies into application enhancement and modernization initiatives while adhering to applicable security standards.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must meet the specialized experience requirements for the grade at which they are considered. All relevant experience must be clearly documented in the submitted resume.

GS-14 Level

Candidates must demonstrate experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the following areas:

• Developing and maintaining mainframe applications using COBOL, CICS, VSAM, and JCL.
• Supporting database management, data integration, or migration activities involving DB2, SQL, and IDMS.
• Contributing to legacy application architecture, modernization, or system enhancement projects.
• Preparing technical documentation and providing guidance to technical personnel.
• Working with stakeholders to support application development and modernization objectives.

GS-15 Level

Candidates must demonstrate experience equivalent to the GS-14 level, including:

• Designing, developing, and maintaining complex mainframe applications using COBOL, CICS, VSAM, and JCL.
• Managing data integration and migration initiatives involving DB2, SQL, and IDMS.
• Leading legacy-system architecture, modernization, and application improvement efforts.
• Providing technical leadership and coordinating development activities across teams and stakeholders.
• Developing technical documentation and supporting enterprise-level modernization initiatives.

Important: Applicants must explicitly demonstrate the required specialized experience in their resumes. Failure to document the applicable experience may result in disqualification.

For additional qualification details, consult the OPM Information Technology Management Series (2210) qualification standards.

Core Competencies

Candidates should demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:

• Attention to Detail: Maintains accuracy, completeness, and consistency when performing technical work.
• Customer Service: Understands stakeholder needs and provides responsive, effective technical assistance.
• Oral Communication: Presents technical information clearly and adapts communication to different audiences.
• Problem Solving: Evaluates complex issues, analyzes relevant information, and develops practical solutions using sound judgment.

Applicants must satisfy the applicable federal qualification standards. Qualifying IT experience may include paid or unpaid work and appropriate intensive training, as permitted by those standards.

Technical Environment

The government customer's enterprise computing environment supports large-scale, business-critical applications that require high availability, dependable processing, and strong data integrity.

The development environment incorporates modern COBOL capabilities, AI-assisted coding tools, and contemporary software delivery practices. Developers are encouraged to identify responsible opportunities to use AI and automation to streamline coding, strengthen testing, improve application maintenance, and support modernization.

This opportunity is well suited to mainframe professionals interested in applying their technical expertise to complex enterprise systems while contributing to ongoing application improvements.

Pay: $120,579.00 - $195,200.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Work Location: In person