Lead Cobol Programmer

About the Company:

Our client is a well-established capital equipment provider with operations across the western United States. With a large multi-state footprint and a long history of growth through acquisitions, the company supports customers through equipment sales, rentals, parts, and service. Their IT systems are mission-critical and continue to evolve through modernization and data integration initiatives.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Senior Lead Programmer Analyst (COBOL) to serve as a hands-on technical leader supporting core business systems. This role is ideal for an experienced COBOL developer who enjoys deep technical work while also guiding design decisions, mentoring peers, and supporting system modernization efforts.

This is a player-coach role, not a formal management position. You will remain actively involved in development while providing technical leadership across the COBOL team, particularly as legacy systems transition to SQL-based architectures.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as a senior, hands-on developer supporting and enhancing COBOL applications (online and batch)
• Design and develop new COBOL programs, processes, and system enhancements
• Embed SQL within COBOL programs as legacy files are migrated to relational databases
• Develop new functionality leveraging SQL-based data structures
• Provide technical leadership for core systems including parts inventory, customer data, invoicing, and tax modules
• Partner with business stakeholders to translate requirements into effective technical solutions
• Participate in application design, planning, and technical reviews
• Lead or contribute to data conversions related to acquisitions and system integrations
• Create and maintain technical documentation, design artifacts, and test plans
• Identify and recommend improvements to development practices and system efficiency
• Mentor peer developers through code reviews and technical guidance

Required Qualifications:

• Strong hands-on experience with COBOL on HP NonStop (Tandem) platforms
• Experience developing and supporting online and batch COBOL applications
• Proficiency with SQL, including embedding SQL within COBOL programs
• Experience with SQLXpress and HTML
• Solid understanding of the software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Strong skills in system analysis, debugging, testing, and troubleshooting
• Excellent technical documentation and communication skills
• Proven ability to work independently while collaborating within a team
• Strong analytical, organizational, and time-management skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading or mentoring developers in a technical (non-managerial) capacity
• Experience with legacy-to-SQL modernization efforts
• Background in acquisition-driven or integration-heavy environments
• Exposure to inventory, parts, invoicing, or financial systems
• Experience in heavy equipment, manufacturing, distribution, or similar industries

Why This Role?

• Fully remote, full-time position
• High-impact role supporting mission-critical systems
• Opportunity to shape technical direction and modernization efforts
• Hands-on leadership without people-management responsibilities
• Stable organization with long-term investment in core technology