Cobol Developer

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact. 
As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What We Offer:
•    Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
•    Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
•    Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
•    Benefits - We care about your well-being.
 

The Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT) is the central IT agency for the City of Philadelphia headed by the Chief Information Officer (CIO). OIT oversees all major information and communications technology initiatives for the City of Philadelphia - increasing the effectiveness of the information technology infrastructure, where the services provided are advanced, optimized, and responsive to the needs of the City of Philadelphia’s businesses, residents, and visitors. OIT responsibilities include: identifying the most effective approach for implementing new information technology directions throughout city government; improving the value of the city’s technology assets and the return on the city’s technology investments; ensuring data security continuity; planning for continuing operations in the event of disruption of information technology or communications services; and supporting accountable, efficient and effective government across every city department, board, commission and agency.

Job Description

This Cobol Developer position will be responsible for day-to-day operations, maintenance, and future development of COBOL/CICS mainframe applications that support the Finance and Procurement departments. Tasks will include but not be limited to new programming, modification, and maintenance of old code, Database modifications, development, and maintenance of documentation, business analysis, running of batch jobs, ad-hoc reports and queries and JCL scripting.

Essential Functions

• Apply enhancements, maintenance, and support for COBOL/CICS mainframe applications, existing code base, associated JCLs, procedures, parameters, and VSAM database structures.
• Future analysis, development, and documentation.
• Apply acceptable testing and analysis procedures while implementing enhancements.
• Follow recommended procedures for changes, documentation, and security.
• Develop code from specifications for applications that retrieve and process data from external data providers.
• Interface with internal and external customers and develop programming to support customer needs.
• Work with software support vendors.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Must possess the following skills (preferably in an IBM z/OS environment): TSO, ISPF, IOF/SDSF, JCL, VSAM, COBOL, and IBM Utilities.
• Batch Processing in a Time-Sharing Environment.
• The applications and techniques of programming in the Cobol computer language.
• The theory and practice of systems analysis and design.
• The principles, methods and techniques used in systems and program flow chart preparation and documentation.
• Strong understanding of the full software development process.
• Third party mainframe applications (specifically FAMIS and ADPICS) are a plus.
• Third party mainframe products (specifically Easytrieve, FAVER, IOF) are a plus.
• Oracle, SQL, PL/SQL, Microsoft Excel/Access, FTP/SFTP, COGNOS, Informatica are a plus.

ABILITY TO:

• Understand technical specifications and translate them into application code.
• Work with deadlines and changing priorities in a complex environment.
• Work independently or within a team.
• Communicate data processing concepts to non-technical personnel.
• Establish effective working relationships with associates, departmental and administrative officials, supervisors, and other data processing personnel.

Qualifications

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university, which has included major course work in Computer Science, information science, systems analysis, software engineering, or a closely related field.  
• 5+ years of related experience.
• Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office of Innovation & Technology and Human Resources.

Additional Information

Salary Not to Exceed: $79,000

Starting salary to be determined based on experience and qualifications.

Important: To apply, candidates must provide a cover letter and a resume.

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:
•    We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
•    Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
•    Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
•    Generous retirement savings options are available
•    Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
•    Enjoy a Free Commute on SEPTA - Starting September 1, 2023, eligible City employees will no longer have to worry about paying for SEPTA public transportation. Whether you're a full-time, part-time, or provisional employee, you can seize the opportunity to sign up for the SEPTA Key Advantage Program and receive free Key cards for free rides on SEPTA buses, trains, trolleys, and regional rails.
•    Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!
Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.