Mainframe CICS Systems Programmer Senior

USAA•San Antonio, NC

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

USAA’s Mainframe Infrastructure team is seeking a senior-level Mainframe CICS Systems Programmer to install, configure, maintain, and tune IBM Customer Information Control System (CICS) on mainframe z/OS systems. CICS is a middleware platform used for high-volume online transaction processing. The role creates, modifies, maintains, and supports infrastructure and system components that enable IT services, balancing availability, security, efficiency, and functional requirements to provide an optimized production service. It also identifies and manages risks arising from business activities and ensures risks are escalated, measured, monitored, and controlled. The position independently designs scalable IT infrastructure, prioritizes system changes, handles complex implementations, and automates service delivery and maintenance. It resolves highly complex production issues, leads troubleshooting and end-to-end failure analysis across systems, recommends solutions to business leaders, experiments with technologies, and helps establish engineering practices. The role supports application developers and integrates CICS with other z/OS subsystems, implements security and disaster recovery practices, and develops software-defined infrastructure in CI/CD pipelines. It also mentors engineers on system design, development, and maintenance. The work environment is flexible, with an office requirement of four days per week. The role may require after-hours or on-call support to maintain mission-critical applications. It may be based in San Antonio, Plano, Charlotte, Phoenix, or Tampa. Relocation assistance is available. USAA does not provide visa sponsorship for this role.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, or four additional years of experience beyond the minimum requirement in lieu of a degree.
Six years of infrastructure experience demonstrating technical depth in relevant disciplines or technologies, including two years in a Systems Operations environment supporting complex environment deployment and infrastructure management, or applicable IT experience.
Four years of experience creating, modifying, and maintaining infrastructure and individual system components.
Advanced business acumen in business operations, risk management, industry practices, and emerging trends.
Proficient understanding of designing scalable IT system infrastructures, implementing system changes, or automating service delivery and maintenance tasks.
Demonstrated experience working with cloud technologies and tools.
Strong understanding of CICS architecture, z/OS operating systems, and related mainframe technologies.
Proficiency in programming and scripting languages such as COBOL, JCL, and REXX, and experience with mainframe tools and utilities.
Availability for after-hours or on-call support may be required.

Nice To Haves

Typically 7–10 or more years of hands-on experience as a CICS Systems Programmer in a z/OS mainframe environment, with deep knowledge of CICS Transaction Server, CTG, CPSM architecture, internals, and system exits.
Strong expertise in CICS installation, configuration, and maintenance, including complex ISV installations and upgrades.
Proficiency with SMP/E for installing and maintaining software.
In-depth knowledge of z/OS configuration, maintenance, and tuning.
Experience with CICS performance tuning and monitoring tools such as RMF, Intellimagic, and BMC Mainview.
Understanding of z/OS subsystems such as DB2, MQ, JES2, z/OS Connect, IMS, and TCP/IP.
Experience with CICS security using RACF or equivalent tools.
Familiarity with automation, job scheduling, and monitoring tools.
Experience with disaster recovery planning and testing.
Understanding of mainframe hardware and architecture to optimize system performance.
IBM Certified Specialist – CICS Transaction Server for z/OS certification is desired.

Responsibilities

Install, configure, upgrade, maintain, and tune CICS Transaction Server and related software, including applying vendor patches, fixes, and releases.
Monitor CICS performance, identify bottlenecks, tune regions to meet service-level agreements, and manage capacity.
Troubleshoot and debug complex system and application issues, analyze system dumps, and collaborate with application developers and software vendors to resolve problems.
Provide technical support to application development teams, including setting up and managing CICS regions and defining application resources.
Integrate CICS with other z/OS subsystems, including DB2 and MQ.
Implement and maintain CICS security protocols and assist with disaster recovery planning, testing, and execution.
Develop and implement automation scripts to streamline system management and improve efficiency.
Create, modify, maintain, and support infrastructure and individual and integrated system components and solutions.
Balance availability, security, efficiency, and functional requirements to provide optimized production services.
Independently design scalable IT system infrastructure; provide oversight and priorities for system changes, monitoring, and tooling; and automate service delivery and maintenance tasks.
Resolve highly complex production issues and lead troubleshooting and analysis of end-to-end failures spanning multiple systems.
Make recommendations to business leaders on solutions and proactively identify innovative product and business ideas.
Experiment with new patterns and technologies and help establish engineering best practices, concepts, and patterns.
Mentor and coach engineers on system design, development, and maintenance.
Develop software-defined infrastructure in code within CI/CD pipelines.
Ensure business risks are identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.