COBOL Expert (Mainframe Engineer)

About the Job Invu Technology Inc is a respected boutique technology services firm based in Silicon Valley, boasting two decades of excellence in delivering top-tier services to leading startups and corporate clients. Our team members have garnered invaluable experience working on high-profile, mission-critical projects for esteemed companies such as American Express, Cisco, Autodesk, Boku, Convoke Systems, Rapid Recon, and Billd. We are currently seeking a highly skilled COBOL Expert (Mainframe Engineer) to join an extensive engagement with one of our key clients. This is a hands-on role focused on modernization initiatives to migrating from COBOL to Java/Python. This role will also focus on mainframe application support, maintenance and production stability within a mission-critical environment. Key Responsibilities This individual will play a critical role in maintaining, supporting, and modernizing legacy mainframe applications while ensuring production stability as well transformation and modernization efforts to drive to the client’s desired future state. COBOL Maintenance & Backlog Support Perform development and maintenance for COBOL-based production systems. Troubleshoot and resolve production issues. Address backlog stories and enhancement requests in a timely manner. Ensure code stability, performance, and reliability within the mainframe environment. Mainframe Emulation & Production Support Quickly learn and understand the existing system architecture and workflows. Support production environments, including issue diagnosis and resolution. Work within emulation environments to support modernization and migration efforts. CICS Application Discovery & Migration Conduct discovery and analysis of existing CICS applications. Support migration efforts for CICS-based systems as part of broader modernization initiatives. Identify dependencies, technical constraints, and opportunities for optimization. Testing & Validation Perform comprehensive COBOL testing and validations within UAT environments. Collaborate with QA and business stakeholders to ensure accurate functional validation. Support reconciliation and defect resolution processes prior to production deployment. CI/CD & Deployment Learn and support GitLab CI/CD pipelines for code migration to UAT and PROD environments. Participate in structured release management and version control processes. Ensure deployment processes align with enterprise standards and governance. Modernization Initiatives Contribute to Proof of Concepts (PoCs) involving COBOL rewrites into Python and/or Java. Support legacy system transformation strategies and modernization roadmaps. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to bridge legacy and modern application ecosystems. Required Experience 8+ years of hands-on experience in COBOL development within mainframe environments. Strong proficiency in: COBOL CICS JCL Mainframe utilities and related tools 3+ years of Java/Python production experience and migrating production systems Proven experience supporting production systems in mission-critical environments. Experience with mainframe emulation environments and system discovery processes. Experience performing UAT testing and validation for legacy systems. Familiarity with CI/CD concepts and version control systems (GitLab experience preferred). Experience supporting or contributing to modernization efforts (COBOL to Python/Java migrations strongly preferred). Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills. Ability to work closely with cross-functional teams and legacy system stakeholders. Preferred Skills Working knowledge of Linux commands and environments. Exposure to hybrid environments integrating mainframe and modern platforms. Experience in financial services or other highly regulated industries is a plus. Additional Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience). Must be based in the US and authorized to work in the United States. Strong preference for candidates who can work on-site in Scottsdale, AZ to collaborate closely with the team. Job Type: Contract Pay: $130.00 - $150.00 per hour Application Question(s): How many years of hands-on experience in COBOL development within mainframe environments do you have? How many years of Java/Python production experience do you have migrating production systems? Do you have proven experience supporting production systems in mission-critical environments? Location: Scottsdale, AZ 85250 (Required) Work Location: In person