Senior Developer IBM z/OS Connect

Role name: Senior Developer IBM z/OS Connect
Work site: Columbus, OH or Nashville, TN (both locations would be for onsite work), US (ONSITE)

Role Summary
The Senior Developer IBM z/OS Connect is responsible for exposing mainframe-based services (CICS, IMS, DB2, COBOL) as RESTful APIs using IBM z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition (EE). This role plays a key part in mainframe modernization, enabling digital, cloud, and API-based consumption of trusted system-of-record data while ensuring performance, security, and reliability.
The role combines deep z/OS technical expertise with modern API and integration practices, and often acts as a technical lead for mainframe API initiatives.
Job location: Columbus, OH or Nashville, TN (both locations would be for on site work)
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Key Responsibilities
z/OS Connect & API Development
Design, develop, and deploy REST APIs using IBM z/OS Connect EE.
Expose CICS, IMS, COBOL, and DB2 assets as reusable services.
Create and maintain service and API specifications (Swagger/OpenAPI).
Implement request/response mappings using JSON, data binding, and API descriptors.
Support synchronous and asynchronous service interactions.
Mainframe Integration
Develop and maintain COBOL programs and interface logic to support APIs.
Integrate APIs with CICS Transactions, IMS Transactions, and DB2 stored procedures.
Collaborate with application teams to refactor or enable programs for API exposure.
Ensure minimal impact to legacy workloads and SLAs.
Security & Governance
Implement API security controls including:
o RACF-based authentication and authorization
o TLS/SSL configuration
o Integration with enterprise IAM and API gateways
Apply enterprise API governance standards including naming, versioning, and error handling.
Support auditing, logging, and compliance requirements.
Performance & Reliability
Tune z/OS Connect middleware for throughput, latency, and scalability.
Troubleshoot issues across z/OS Connect, CICS/IMS, and network layers.
Ensure APIs meet availability and resiliency standards.
Monitor and analyze SMF, logs, and performance metrics.
DevOps & Modernization Support
Support CI/CD pipelines for mainframe-based APIs.
Participate in automation initiatives using tools such as urbanCode, Jenkins, Git, or Ansible.
Assist in modernization programs integrating z/OS with cloud and distributed platforms.
Promote API-first thinking within traditional mainframe development teams.
Technical Leadership
Serve as a subject matter expert for z/OS Connect and mainframe APIs.
Provide guidance and mentoring to junior developers.
Participate in design reviews and modernization planning.
Collaborate with architects, API platform teams, and distributed application teams.
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Required Qualifications
Mainframe & z/OS Expertise
7+ years of experience in z/OS mainframe development.
Strong experience with COBOL, JCL, and z/OS utilities.
Hands-on experience with CICS and/or IMS.
DB2 SQL and stored procedure experience.
z/OS Connect & APIs
3+ years of experience with IBM z/OS Connect EE.
Strong understanding of RESTful API design and JSON data formats.
Experience creating and consuming OpenAPI/Swagger definitions.
Familiarity with API lifecycle management concepts.
Middleware & Security
Experience with WebSphere Liberty on z/OS.
Knowledge of RACF, TLS, certificates, and mainframe security principles.
Understanding of network concepts relevant to API communication.
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Preferred Qualifications
Experience integrating z/OS APIs with API gateways (Apigee, Azure APIM, DataPower, etc.).
Exposure to cloud or hybrid integration architectures.
Experience with DevOps for mainframe and automation tooling.
IBM certifications related to z/OS, CICS, or z/OS Connect.
Background in regulated industries (banking, insurance, government).