Senior IBM CICS Systems Architect
First seen by Alion on Aug 21, 2026.
About the Role :
We are seeking a highly skilled and seasoned IBM CICS (Customer Information Control System) Expert to join our core infrastructure team. In this critical role, you will be responsible for the engineering, configuration, performance tuning, and 24/7 reliability of our enterprise CICS environments.
You will work closely with application development teams, database administrators, and security officers to ensure seamless, high-performance transaction processing for mission-critical banking systems.
Key Responsibilities :
- Architecture and Engineering : Design, implement, and maintain IBM CICSPlex environments, regions (TS, RS, AOR, TOR, FOR), and supporting z/OS infrastructure to meet rigorous enterprise availability (99.999%) and performance standards.
- Performance Tuning and Diagnostics : Monitor CICS system performance using tools such as Omegamon, Sysview, and Fault Analyzer. Analyze system dumps, trace logs, and abends, and perform deep-dive troubleshooting to resolve complex bottlenecks, resource contention, and storage violations.
- Security and Compliance : Ensure all CICS configurations comply with strict financial regulatory standards and corporate security policies, collaborating with RACF/ACF2 administrators for secure resource definition and user access control.
- Integration and Connectivity : Manage and optimize connectivity between CICS and other enterprise tiers, including DB2, MQ Series, IMS, TCP/IP, and web services/APIs and CICS Transaction Gateway.
- Upgrades and Maintenance : Plan and execute z/OS and CICS software maintenance, PTF implementations, migrations, and regular health checks.
- L3 Support and Mentorship : Act as the ultimate escalation point (Level 3) for major incident management, providing root-cause analysis (RCA) and mentoring junior systems programmers.
Technical Competencies :
- Core Skills : Expert-level knowledge of CICS definitions (RDO, CSD, BUNDLEs), CICSPlex management, and CICSPlex SM (CPSM).
- System Proficiency : Strong proficiency in z/OS operating system commands, JCL, SMP/E, RACF, and USS (Unix System Services).
- Troubleshooting : Proven track record in analyzing dump data (IPCS, CICS dumps), logs, and resolving complex storage/performance issues.
- Integration : Experience integrating CICS with DB2, IBM MQ, and modern API/REST interfaces.
- Tools : Hands-on experience with Omegamon, Sysview, CAFC, File Manager, and Fault Analyzer.
- Languages : Working knowledge of COBOL, REXX, and Assembler.
- DevOps : Familiarity with DevOps toolchains (GitHub, Jenkins) and Agile practices is preferred.
- Disaster Recovery : Experience with DR planning, testing, and execution for CICS/z/OS environments.
Skills
System Programming, CICS, Performance Tuning, Technical Support, JCL, DB2, MQ, COBOL, IT Disaster Recovery, System Architect