Senior VTAM Systems Programmer Analyst

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina•Columbia, SC

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Companion Data Services, a subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, provides IT solutions and managed services through geographically dispersed data centers that support government, commercial, and education clients. Its data centers process billions of transactions and include two healthcare data centers rated among the top five percent worldwide by MIPS. The Senior VTAM Systems Programmer Analyst ensures systems programming decisions maintain the integrity of the overall systems infrastructure. The role writes or debugs programs used to maintain and control computer systems software, including operating systems, networked systems, and database systems, and provides technical and disaster recovery expertise for systems software. This is a full-time, fully onsite position, with Columbia, South Carolina strongly preferred; State College, Pennsylvania, and Dallas, Texas are also listed locations. The position operates in a fast-paced, multiplatform environment that may require action and response 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to support customer technical needs. The position is not eligible for sponsorship now or in the future.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a job-related field; alternatively, an associate degree plus two additional years of job-related work experience for a total of 10 years of required work experience, or 12 total years of required work experience.
Eight years of IT experience, including extensive systems programming experience.
Strong analytical and logical thinking skills.
Thorough understanding of operating systems and foundational architecture.
Extensive knowledge of systems programming, graphical user interfaces, control languages, development, quality assurance, and integration methodologies.
Advanced knowledge of currently used programming productivity tools and their use.
Advanced knowledge and skills in analyzing system software and recommending performance enhancements.
Standard office equipment.
Position is not eligible for sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

VTAM experience.
General mainframe z/OS systems programming skills.
Hands-on experience with SMPE, SMTP, FTP, and SNMP.
Experience with TCP/IP and SNA network protocols.
Policy Agent experience, such as TTLS, IPSEC, or IDC.
Experience running packet traces.
Assembler experience for customizing exits.
Experience supporting products such as Connect:Direct, CL/SS, Supersession, and/or Netview.
Mainframe communications experience.

Responsibilities

Diagnose, isolate, and debug software problems; perform problem resolution and refer vendor-responsible issues appropriately.
Review and design system software and hardware builds, analyze system options and their impact on the overall systems infrastructure, and develop and document frameworks for integrating and implementing changes to technical standards.
Coordinate the installation, testing, and maintenance of systems software, and schedule system downtime to minimize user impact.
Review customer requests, security patches, and audit requirements for system additions or changes; evaluate feasibility and determine how requests can be handled while maintaining the overall systems infrastructure.
Assess system capabilities, workflow, and scheduling limitations to determine whether requested changes are possible.
Provide technical guidance to project teams as appropriate.
Evaluate vendor-supplied software packages and make recommendations to IT management as appropriate.
Coordinate with project leads and senior-level staff to provide input on proposals that could affect systems.
Assist in establishing and implementing standards and guidelines for designing technology solutions across the enterprise.
Provide technical and disaster recovery support for systems software.