CICS Mainframe Systems Programmer

he CICS Mainframe Systems Programmer is responsible for ensuring the stability, availability, performance, and continuous improvement of CICS services within the IBM Mainframe environment. The role requires strong technical expertise, domain knowledge, and specialist skills to operate, maintain, and enhance critical engineering services as technology evolves.

This position involves system programming, infrastructure support, technical analysis, solution design, deployment planning, configuration, testing, and ongoing operational support. The successful candidate will oversee the management and support of all CICS services, ensure high availability of business-critical applications, provide technical leadership during incident resolution, and collaborate with development and application support teams to deliver robust solutions.

The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem solver with strong technical, analytical, and communication skills, capable of supporting both strategic initiatives and day-to-day operational requirements.

In this role, You will

As a CICS Mainframe Systems Programmer, you will:

• Install, configure, administer, maintain, and support CICS systems software.
• Create and manage CICS resource definitions and system configurations.
• Support and maintain production CICS environments, including out-of-hours troubleshooting and incident resolution.
• Install, test, and implement new releases, maintenance updates, and enhancements for CICS Transaction Server.
• Provide Level 2 and Level 3 support for applications utilizing CICS services.
• Work closely with application development and support teams to resolve complex technical issues.
• Lead problem determination, root cause analysis, and recovery activities during critical incidents.
• Design and implement new technology solutions to improve service availability, performance, and operational efficiency.
• Monitor CICS performance and system resources to ensure optimal response times and service levels.
• Develop, test, and maintain backup, recovery, and business continuity procedures.
• Administer user access controls and support security implementations using RACF and ACF2.
• Perform capacity planning and performance tuning activities for CICS environments.
• Ensure data security, recovery, and compliance requirements are met.
• Support change management, release management, and implementation activities.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, procedures, and operational standards.

Required Qualifications

• Several years of experience in Mainframe Systems Programming with specialization in CICS (administration and support)
• Proven experience supporting large-scale, mission-critical CICS environments.
• Experience in installation, customization, upgrade, maintenance, and troubleshooting of CICS Transaction Server.
• Exposure to Mainframe Sysplex environments and high availability configurations.
• Strong hands-on experience with:
  • CICS Transaction Server
  • SMP/E
  • z/OS
  • JCL
  • TSO/ISPF
  • SDSF
  • RACF
• Experience installing, upgrading, configuring, and troubleshooting CICS environments.
• Ability to analyze and resolve complex system and application issues.
• Experience supporting production-critical systems with stringent availability requirements.
• Strong understanding of system performance management and capacity planning.
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within global teams.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with:
  • CICS Transaction Server 4.2 and/or 5.3 (or higher versions)
  • OMEGAMON for CICS
  • ACF2 Security Administration
  • RACF Administration
  • Mainframe Sysplex Environments
• Knowledge of High Availability and Disaster Recovery architectures.
• Experience with automation and operational tooling within CICS environments.
• Strong understanding of application connectivity and middleware technologies.
• Experience supporting large banking or financial services organizations.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound technical decisions in complex and ambiguous situations.
• Understanding of ITIL-based service management processes preferred.
• Experience working in Banking, Financial Services, Insurance or other large enterprise environments preferred

Job expectations

• Maintain highly available, secure, and performant CICS environments.
• Participate in planned maintenance, software upgrades, and production releases.
• Provide on-call and after-hours support for critical incidents and implementations as required.
• Ensure compliance with organizational security, audit, and operational policies.
• Collaborate with infrastructure, development, security, and application support teams.
• Lead incident resolution and recovery efforts for critical service disruptions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives through automation, standardization, and process optimization.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and operational procedures.
• Demonstrate leadership, accountability, and ownership in managing critical platform services.
• Contribute to technology modernization and infrastructure enhancement initiatives.

Primary Skillset

• CICS System Programmer or Technical Specialist experience
• Knowledge of a combination of the following products:
• CICS Transaction Server 4.2 and/or 5.3
• SMP/E
• Omegamon/CICS
• ACF2 & RACF
• Mainframe SYSPlex environment experience is preferred
• A flexible and adaptable management style with experience of developing yourself and others
• A track record of making complex business decisions with authority, even in times of ambiguity, considering the potential long-term risks and implications