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Senior Application Programmer - Mainframe Systems

DirectedLINK LLC

Downey, CA • $50.00 to $65.00 / hr • 9/22/2026

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Senior Application Programmer - Mainframe Systems

Employment Type: Contract (12–24+ months)

Compensation: $50–$65 per hour

Location: Downey, CA

Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM; onsite

Industry: Government / Public Sector

Company Overview

A large public-sector organization is seeking a Senior Application Programmer to support complex mainframe applications used in enterprise government operations.

Position Summary

The Senior Application Programmer leads and performs complex application design, documentation, development, modification, testing, implementation, and production support. The role requires deep hands-on ADABAS/NATURAL mainframe programming experience and the ability to translate requirements into reliable, maintainable application solutions.

Key Responsibilities

  • Analyze and refine systems requirements and translate them into application designs and prototypes.
  • Plan and design application architecture, output formats, interfaces, and reusable system components.
  • Write, debug, modify, and maintain mainframe application code.
  • Design and work with data structures, data models, databases, and transaction-processing components.
  • Test application functionality with users and resolve defects.
  • Integrate application software with supporting infrastructure and system components.
  • Support production applications and improve reliability, scalability, supportability, and maintainability.
  • Prepare and maintain program, technical, testing, and support documentation.
  • Apply information security and information-assurance principles throughout application delivery.
  • Evaluate relevant application technologies and recommend appropriate improvements.

Skills Required

  • Strong hands-on ADABAS/NATURAL mainframe development background.
  • Natural programming language.
  • ADABAS database.
  • Job Control Language (JCL).
  • Time Sharing Option / Interactive System Productivity Facility (TSO/ISPF).
  • Predict.
  • N2O.
  • CA Spool.
  • z/OS mainframe operating environment.
  • Application design, development, testing, implementation, and production support.
  • Systems analysis, database concepts, transaction processing, optimization, and technical documentation.
  • Effective written and verbal communication and ability to work collaboratively with technical and business stakeholders.

Skills Preferred

  • Experience with one or more additional mainframe technologies such as COBOL, IMS/DB/DC, DB2/SQL, Assembler, SAS, CICS, MF FOCUS, IBM OPTIM, File Manager, SPUFI, ICEMAN/ICETOOLS, SORT, VSAM, CLIST, FTP, CA Gen, CA Endevor, CA OM Web Viewer, IBM WebSphere, Debugger, EntireX, ASP, HTML, or Cloverleaf.

Experience Required

  • Minimum seven years of electronic data processing systems design and programming experience.
  • Minimum seven years of demonstrated ADABAS/NATURAL programming experience in a mainframe environment.
  • Demonstrated hands-on experience with Natural, ADABAS, JCL, TSO/ISPF, Predict, N2O, CA Spool, and z/OS.

Experience Preferred

  • Experience supporting large-scale enterprise or public-sector mainframe applications.
  • Recent production support and application enhancement work in a mission-critical environment.

Additional Experience Required

  • Seven years of ADABAS/NATURAL programming within a mainframe environment, with proficiency across the required supporting toolset.

Additional Experience Preferred

  • Exposure to additional databases such as DB2, IMS, or FOCUS and integration technologies such as EntireX.

Education Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in an information technology-related field or Computer Science.
  • Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Education Preferred

  • No additional preferred education specified.