Software Developer Lead - COBOL, z/OS Mainframe

Job Profile

Position Overview

At PNC, our people are our greatest differentiator and competitive advantage in the markets we serve. We are all united in delivering the best experience for our customers. We work together each day to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all of our employees feel respected, valued and have an opportunity to contribute to the company’s success. As a Software Developer Lead within PNC's Retail Technology organization, you can be based in Pittsburgh, PA; Strongsville, OH; Cleveland, OH; Birmingham, AL; Phoenix, AZ; Lakewood, CO; Dallas, TX.
The Software Developer Lead will be responsible for designing, developing, and supporting critical enterprise mainframe applications that power large-scale business operations within a highly regulated environment. This role will serve as a senior technical contributor and trusted advisor, leading the design, development, modernization, and support of complex IBM z/OS applications.

PNC is an in-office company that fosters a supportive culture where employees can thrive and achieve balance. We encourage candidates to connect with their recruiter and hiring manager to understand workplace expectations and ensure the role aligns with their goals.
PNC will not provide sponsorship for employment visas or participate in STEM OPT for this position.Job DescriptionCore Responsibilities

• Lead the technical design, development, and enhancement of complex enterprise applications running on IBM z/OS platforms.
• Design and implement scalable software solutions that address complex business requirements while maintaining reliability, security, and operational excellence.
• Develop and support both online and batch application processing using COBOL, CICS, and JCL technologies.
• Drive technical design and development of cross-functional, multi-platform application systems, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture standards.
• Coordinate and support all phases of the software development lifecycle, including coding, testing, debugging, implementation, documentation, maintenance, and production support.
• Analyze, refactor, and modernize large legacy codebases while preserving application performance, availability, and business functionality.
• Facilitate the resolution of complex production and application issues through root cause analysis and technical problem solving.
• Create and maintain technical and procedural documentation to support application development, deployment, and operational processes.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to development team members through code reviews, design reviews, and best practice recommendations.
• Manage enterprise application deployments utilizing Endevor or comparable mainframe source control and promotion tools while adhering to audit and governance requirements.
• Support and monitor enterprise batch processing using scheduling tools such as CA-7 and Control-M, ensuring successful execution of critical business workflows.
• Apply modern software engineering principles, methodologies, and development practices to improve system capabilities and operational efficiency.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Hands-on experience designing, developing, enhancing, and supporting enterprise applications on IBM z/OS, leveraging the platform's operating system capabilities to support mission-critical business functions.
• Advanced experience developing and maintaining applications using COBOL for business logic implementation and transaction processing.
• Strong expertise with CICS for developing and supporting high-volume online transaction processing applications.
• Extensive experience utilizing JCL (Job Control Language) to create, manage, and troubleshoot complex batch processing workflows.
• Proven success working with large, complex legacy applications, including code analysis, refactoring, modernization, and performance optimization initiatives.
• Hands-on experience with Endevor or similar enterprise source control and deployment solutions used to manage code promotion, releases, and compliance requirements.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise batch scheduling platforms such as CA-7 and Control-M, including job scheduling, dependency management, and production support.
• Experience working within mainframe security environments utilizing ACF2 principles, access controls, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Strong understanding of z/OS operating system concepts, including workload management, system architecture, and application execution environments.
• Experience developing and supporting both Batch COBOL and CICS COBOL applications in enterprise environments.
• Working knowledge of VSAM for defining, accessing, and maintaining high-performance mainframe data structures.
• Experience using TSO/ISPF for application development, troubleshooting, and system navigation within the mainframe environment.
• Proficiency with File-AID for testing, data analysis, file manipulation, and production support activities.
• Experience utilizing EZTrieve for report generation, data extraction, and ad hoc information retrieval.
• Experience supporting or developing applications within a Hogan mainframe banking environment.
• Deep expertise in core mainframe application development supporting large-scale financial services or other highly regulated industries.
• Experience contributing to application modernization initiatives that integrate traditional z/OS platforms with contemporary enterprise technologies and development practices.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a technical lead, providing mentorship, architectural guidance, and development oversight across complex application portfolios.
• Experience driving continuous improvement initiatives that enhance application stability, development efficiency, and operational effectiveness within enterprise mainframe ecosystems.

PNC Employees take pride in our reputation and to continue building upon that we expect our employees to be:

• Customer Focused - Knowledgeable of the values and practices that align customer needs and satisfaction as primary considerations in all business decisions and able to leverage that information in creating customized customer solutions.
• Managing Risk - Assessing and effectively managing all of the risks associated with their business objectives and activities to ensure they adhere to and support PNC's Enterprise Risk Management Framework.

Qualifications

Successful candidates must demonstrate appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities for a role. Listed below are skills, competencies, work experience, education, and required certifications/licensures needed to be successful in this position.

Preferred SkillsApplication Development, Business Management, COBOL, Customer Solutions, Design, Group Problem Solving, IBM z/OS, Mainframe Programming, Process Improvements, Release Management, Software Solutions, User Experience (UX) Design

CompetenciesApplication Delivery Process, Application Design, Architecture, Application Development Tools, Application Testing, Packaged Application Integration, System Development Life Cycle, Technical Troubleshooting

Work ExperienceRoles at this level typically require a university / college degree, with 3+ years of relevant / direct industry experience. Certifications are often desired. In lieu of a degree, a comparable combination of education, job specific certification(s), and experience (including military service) may be considered.

EducationBachelors

CertificationsNo Required Certification(s)

LicensesNo Required License(s)

Language Assessments
No Required or Preferred Language Assessments

Pay Transparency

Base Salary: $86,250.00 – $158,125.00

Salaries may vary based on geographic location, market data and on individual skills, experience, and education. This role is incentive eligible with the payment based upon company, business and/or individual performance.

Application Window

Generally, this opening is expected to be posted for two business days from 09/04/2026, although it may be longer with business discretion.

Benefits

PNC offers a comprehensive range of benefits to help meet your needs now and in the future. Depending on your eligibility, options for full-time employees include: medical/prescription drug coverage (with a Health Savings Account feature), dental and vision options; employee and spouse/child life insurance; short and long-term disability protection; 401(k) with PNC match, pension and stock purchase plans; dependent care reimbursement account; back-up child/elder care; adoption, surrogacy, and doula reimbursement; educational assistance, including select programs fully paid; a robust wellness program with financial incentives.

In addition, PNC generally provides the following paid time off, depending on your eligibility: maternity and/or parental leave; up to 11 paid holidays each year; 9 occasional absence days each year, unless otherwise required by law; between 15 to 25 vacation days each year, depending on career level; and years of service.

To learn more about these and other programs, including benefits for full time and part-time employees, visit pncthrive.com.

Disability Accommodations Statement

If an accommodation is required to participate in the application process, please contact us via email at [email protected]. Please include “accommodation request” in the subject line title and be sure to include your name, the job ID, and your preferred method of contact in the body of the email. Emails not related to accommodation requests will not receive responses.  Applicants may also call 877-968-7762 and say "Workday" for accommodation assistance. All information provided will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

At PNC we foster an inclusive and accessible workplace.  We provide reasonable accommodations to employment applicants and qualified individuals with a disability who need an accommodation to perform the essential functions of their positions.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

PNC provides equal employment opportunity to qualified persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or other categories protected by law.

This position is subject to the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) and, for any registered role, the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (SAFE Act) and/or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which prohibit the hiring of individuals with certain criminal history.

California Residents

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