Senior Mainframe

About the role

As a Mainframe Engineering , you will make an impact by leading the delivery, modernization, and optimization of enterprise-scale mainframe applications that support critical card and payment processing platforms. You will be a valued member of the Engineering leadership team and work collaboratively with product owners, architects, business stakeholders, infrastructure teams, and engineering partners to deliver resilient, scalable, and high-performing solutions.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of complex mainframe solutions using COBOL, JCL, and DB2, ensuring quality, reliability, and timely execution of business priorities.
• Guide solution architecture and technical design for high-volume transactional and batch workloads, driving performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Partner with product owners, business analysts, architects, and stakeholders to translate business requirements into effective technical solutions while minimizing delivery risk.
• Drive engineering excellence through code reviews, development standards, testing practices, performance optimization, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage, mentor, and develop engineering teams in a hybrid work environment, fostering collaboration, accountability, and technical growth.
  

Work model

We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring attendance in a client or Cognizant office as determined by project and business needs. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.

What you need to have to be considered

• Extensive experience designing, developing, and supporting enterprise mainframe applications using COBOL, JCL, and DB2 in large-scale production environments.
• Strong expertise in DB2 database design, SQL optimization, performance tuning, and troubleshooting across transactional and batch processing systems.
• Proven experience leading engineering teams, managing delivery plans, coordinating dependencies, and driving stakeholder alignment across complex initiatives.
• Hands-on experience supporting cards and payments platforms, including transaction processing, authorization, clearing, settlement, or related payment flows.
• Strong understanding of application performance optimization, production support, incident management, and root-cause analysis in mission-critical environments.
• Experience establishing development standards, code review practices, testing strategies, and quality controls for mainframe engineering teams.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience working within regulated environments with knowledge of security, compliance, risk, and audit requirements.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
  

These will help you stand out

• Experience modernizing or refactoring legacy COBOL and JCL applications.
• Knowledge of mainframe integration patterns supporting enterprise payment ecosystems and distributed platforms.
• Experience improving deployment automation, job scheduling, release management, and operational efficiency across mainframe environments.
• Familiarity with engineering metrics, including cycle time, defect leakage, environment stability, and operational performance indicators.
• Experience implementing reusable frameworks, automation, and continuous improvement programs within mainframe delivery organizations.
• IBM certifications, including IBM Certified Application Developer (CICS), IBM DB2 certifications, or equivalent mainframe engineering credentials.

Benefits:

Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance.
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off.
• 401(k) plan and contributions.
• Long-term/Short-term Disability.
• Paid Parental Leave.

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role