Thomas Minski - Mainframe Application Developer, COBOL

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Berlin, Germany

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Experience

Mar 2015 - Mar 2019

4 years 1 month

Application Development

Freelance

Development of a new payment method
Adaptation of the self-service (SB) programs for FRAUD provisioning
Creation of programs for FRAUD processing
Defect fixes and further development of self-service programs
Analysis and development for FRAUD-related self-service applications
Requirements analysis
Program development
Quality assurance of the programs created
Testing of the programs created
Development of new batch applications
Banking
Assembler, Cobol2, DB2, File-AID, IBM mainframe, IBM ISPF, JCL, JES2, REXX, SQL, TSO, Xpediter, z/OS, IMS-DB, IMS-DC

Jul 2014 - Dec 2014

6 months

Migration Project

Freelance

Migration of application data to a new target environment
Creation of validation programs based on specifications
Creation of loading programs based on specifications
Quality assurance of the programs created
Testing of the programs created
Development of new batch applications
Banking
Assembler, Cobol2, DB2, File-AID, IBM mainframe, IBM ISPF, JCL, JES2, REXX, SQL, TSO, Xpediter, z/OS

Jan 2013 - Jun 2014

1 year 6 months

Setup + Maintenance of Test Environments + Maintenance

Freelance

Setup and maintenance of test environments for DB2 + IMS data storage for programs in the LEASING application
Requirements analysis
Creation of IT specifications
Creation of tools in the form of REXX scripts and programs (Assembler / COBOL)
Maintenance and further development of the LEASIS application
Analysis + extension of DB2 applications to support the new DB2 timestamp
Analysis and development of archiving programs based on the contract number
Automotive
Assembler, Cobol2, DB2, File-AID, IBM mainframe, IBM ISPF, IMS-DB, IMS-DC, JCL, JES3, REXX, SQL, z/OS

Jul 2011 - Dec 2012

1 year 6 months

Application Development in the BB3/BANK21 Environment

Freelance

Programs in the home banking / internet banking area for the respective customer banks
Requirements analysis
Creation of IT specifications
Development and testing of COBOL / Assembler host programs with DB2 / IMS data storage
Adaptation of self-service programs to meet SEPA requirements
Adaptation of self-service programs to the in-house BTS programming model
Defect fixes and maintenance
Banking, software company
Assembler, COBOL, Data Manager, DB2, File-AID, IMS-DB, IMS-DC, JCL, JES2, REXX, SQL, TSO, z/OS

Feb 2011 - May 2011

4 months

Setup and Maintenance of Test Environments

Freelance

Setup and maintenance of test environments for DB2 + IMS data storage for programs in the LEASING application
Requirements analysis
Creation of IT specifications
Creation of tools in the form of REXX scripts and programs (Assembler / COBOL)
Assembler, COBOL, DB2, File-AID, IMS, IMS-DB, IMS-DC, ISPF, JCL, JES3, REXX, SQL, TSO, Xpediter, z/OS

Jan 2010 - Jan 2011

1 year 1 month

Application Development in the Bank 21 environment

Freelance

New development of BANK21 backend applications for employee administration and organizational structure
Requirements analysis
Preparation of IT concepts
Development and testing of COBOL host programs with DB2 / IMS data storage
Defect fixes and maintenance
Banking, software house
Assembler, COBOL, DB2, File-AID, IBM ISPF, IMS, IMS-DB, JCL, JES2, MVS, SQL, z/OS

Jan 2009 - Dec 2009

1 year

Braunschweig, Germany

Application Development: Maintenance, further development, and defect fixes

CKC Group

Independently migrated leasing host applications to 31-bit addressing, including analysis and implementation
Migrated and expanded data storage from IMS to DB2, including analysis and implementation
Maintenance and further development of host applications in the leasing area
Investigation of programs for migration of data storage from IMS to DB2
Migration of programs to 31-bit addressing (Assembler + COBOL)
Requirements analysis
Preparation of IT concepts
Maintenance, further development, and testing of COBOL / Assembler host programs with IMS DB/DC and DB2
Defect handling and bug fixes
Automotive industry, financial services
Assembler, COBOL, DB2, File-AID, IMS, IMS-DB, IMS-DC, ISPF, JCL, REXX, Xpediter, z/OS, SQL, REXX-Fileaid

Jun 2007 - Dec 2008

1 year 7 months

Münster, Germany

Application Development in the BB3 and B21 environments

VIADEE Unternehmensberatung GmbH

Maintenance and further development of BB3 programs for the self-service terminals of the respective client banks
Requirements analysis
Preparation of IT concepts
Maintenance, further development, and testing of COBOL host programs with IMS DB/DC and DB2
Development of host programs as part of a new architecture concept for customer administration and withholding tax in the B21 environment
Development of COBOL host programs (especially access modules for IMS and / or DB2)
Defect handling and bug fixes
Further development of host procedures for self-service terminals, BANK21 customer services, and BANK21 withholding tax
Banking, software house
COBOL, DB2, File-AID, IBM mainframe, IMS-DB, IMS-DC, JCL, JES2, Xpediter, z/OS, TSO, ISPF/PDF, REXX, SQL

Jun 2005 - Mar 2007

1 year 10 months

Hanover, Germany

Migration of legacy applications to SAP ( FS-CD + FS-FS )

CS Consulting AG

Programs for motor vehicle insurance in the insurance sector (policy administration, accounting, contract processing)
Preparation of migration concepts
Development of migration programs in Cobol / Assembler with DB2
Enhancement of legacy applications to access SAP systems
Development of central subprograms
Maintenance and development of programming standards
Adaptation / maintenance of legacy applications for the host / SAP environment
Technical support / advice for team members
Defect fixes after go-live for contract processing / policy administration / accounting
Further development of host applications for contract processing and policy administration
Coordination with the business department on implementation and testing
Financial services, insurance
Assembler, CICS, COBOL, DB2, File-AID, IBM mainframe, IBM ISPF, ICL, JES3, SQL, VSAM, Xpediter, z/OS

May 2004 - Jun 2005

1 year 2 months

Hanover, Germany

Migration from DOS/VSE to z/OS

CS Consulting AG

Programs for motor vehicle insurance in the insurance sector
Dump analysis, technical consulting, and program adaptation
Fault analysis and dump analysis, including bug fixes
Support for internal employees on z/OS specifics
Review and coordination of test procedures
Revision of programs regarding program structure and adaptation of error handling to the z/OS environment
Design and implementation of restart processes within batch programs
Design and development of technical programming standards for Assembler/COBOL programs
Coaching and training of internal employees in COBOL, JCL, DB2, CICS
Redesign of complex structures
Financial services, insurance
Assembler, CICS, COBOL, DB2, File-AID, IBM mainframe, ISPF, JCL, JES3, TSO, VSAM, Xpediter, z/OS

Apr 1997 - Jan 2004

6 years 10 months

Germany

Methods and Procedures Department

IBM Business Services GmbH

Evaluation, introduction and operation of host-based Software Configuration Management applications
Analysis of requirements for the KVS-IKV application
Maintenance, tuning, design and further development of the KVS-IKV application
Maintenance, tuning, design and further development of the application for creating both standard and customized copy streams
Design and execution of load and performance tests for the KVS-IKV application
Preparation of documentation and the installation manual
Migration of the KVS-IKV application from COBOL I to COBOL II, and from CLIST to REXX
Migration of the KVS-IKV application's data repositories from VSAM to DB2, including logical and physical database design
Design, development and testing of migration programs for converting data from VSAM to DB2
Design, development and testing of DB2 interface programs for the KVS-IKV application's DB2 access
Assessment and conversion of the KVS-IKV application to be Y2K-compliant and support multiple clients
Design, development, maintenance and documentation of the interfaces between KVS-IKV and the SCLM + IKV tools
Planning and execution of migrations for new KVS-IKV releases
Technical advice and knowledge transfer for department staff
First-level support for KVS-IKV users nationally and internationally
Advice and support for users in the areas of COMPILE, DB2, CICS, COBOL, Assembler, PL/I
Banking
Assembler, CA-Intertest, CA-Librarian, CICS, CLIST, COBOL, DB2, File-AID, ISPF, JCL, JES2, OS/390, PL/1, RACF, REXX, Rochade, SQL, TSO, VSAM, z/OS

Mar 1995 - Mar 1997

2 years 1 month

Berlin, Germany

Conversion of customized banking applications to the standard MBS package

Schwarz, Prof. Spruth & Associates

Migration of customized banking applications to the standard MBS package from Alldata
Analysis, design and development of central subprograms, utility programs and validation programs (integrity tests) in Assembler and/or COBOL
First-level support for the conversion team
Support for the conversion team with programming
Runtime optimization of conversion programs
Design and creation of migration programs for data migration
Preparation of program documentation
Banking
Assembler, COBOL, DOS, JCL, VSAM

Jan 1990 - Jul 1994

4 years 7 months

Frankfurt, Germany

Methods and Procedures Department

ISE-Data GmbH

Evaluation, introduction and operation of host-based Software Configuration Management applications
Support for the development department during the migration from Bull to IBM
Analysis, design and development of the Software Administration Procedure (SAD)
Selection, implementation and support of tools for the SAD procedure
Customization and administration of the CCC tool (KM tool from Softool)
Setup, design and delivery of training courses for the KM tool
Creation of automation workflows for the CCC KM tool using Assembler, ISPF applications and macro language
Preparation of application documentation for the KM tool and the SAD procedure
First-level support for users and the data center
Advice and support for users in the areas of COMPILE, CICS, DB2, COBOL, PL/I, Assembler
Analysis, design, development and maintenance of production deployments and automated bind processes
Generation of bind instructions using Assembler and Cobol programs
Banking
Assembler, CA-Intertest, CICS, CLIST, COBOL, DB2, File-AID, ISPF, JCL, JES2, OS/390, RACF, REXX, SQL, TSO

Jun 1989 - Dec 1989

7 months

Germany

Data Center Employee for the Introduction of RMDS

Introduction of RMDS in Germany and Switzerland
Creation and implementation of the required procedures
Development and delivery of user training courses
First-level support for RMDS users
Chemicals
ISPF, JCL, JES3, OS/370, RACF, TSO

Apr 1988 - Oct 1988

7 months

Delivery of Seminars for Console Operators

Delivery of seminars for console operators (theory)
Preparation of seminar materials for MVS and JES2/JES3
Planning and delivery of in-house training for data center staff
IT services
ISPF, JCL, JES2, JES3, OS/370, TSO

Aug 1984 - Dec 1987

3 years 5 months

Work in the data center area

Console operations and work preparation for various projects and clients
Banks
ISPF, JCL, JES2, JES3, OS/370, TSO, VTAM

Jan 1969 - Dec 1983

15 years

Console Operations / Assembler Programming / COBOL Programming

Console operations for IBM systems
Assembler programming for ICL System Ten
COBOL programming for UDS/UTM with BS2000
Assembler, BS2000, JCL, JES2, JES3, OS/370, UDS, UTM

Industry experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Insurance, Automotive, and Chemical.

Information Technology

Banking and Finance

Insurance

Automotive

Chemical

Business area experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Information Technology, Quality Assurance, Customer Service, Operations, Product Development, and Accounting.

Information Technology

Quality Assurance

Customer Service

Operations

Product Development

Accounting

Skills

Industries:

Automotive
Banking
Chemicals
It Services
Financial Services
Software Companies
Insurance

It Skills – Operating Systems:

Ibm Ispf >10 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2019
Z/Os >10 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2019
Os/370 > 3 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 1994
Os/390 > 3 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2004
Dos > 2 Years, Beginner, Last Used In 1997
Bs2000 > 1 Years, Beginner, Last Used In 1980
Mvs

It Skills – Languages:

Assembler >10 Years, Expert, Last Used In 2019
Cobol2 >10 Years, Expert, Last Used In 2019
Jcl >10 Years, Expert, Last Used In 2019
Rexx >10 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2017
Sql >10 Years, Expert, Last Used In 2019
Cobol >3 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2000
Pl/1 >1 Years, Beginner, Last Used In 2003

It Skills – Databases:

Db2 >10 Years, Expert, Last Used In 2019
Ims > 7 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2019
Ims-Db > 7 Years, Expert, Last Used In 2019
Rochade > 5 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2003
Vsam > 5 Years, Expert, Last Used In 2008
Uds > 1 Years, Beginner, Last Used In 1980

It Skills – Dc/Networks:

Cics > 4 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2007
Ims-Dc > 6 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2019
Vtam > 3 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 1990
Utm > 1 Years, Beginner, Last Used In 1980

It Skills – Tools:

Jes2 >10 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2018
Tso >10 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2019
Ispf > 10 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2019
File-Aid > 8 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2019
Intertest > 5 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2007
Jes3 > 5 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2013
Racf > 5 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2004
Xpediter > 7 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2019
Ca-Librarian > 2 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2015
Ca-Intertest > 1 Years, Advanced, Last Used In 2003
Data Manager

Soft Skills:

Independent Working
Commitment
Flexibility
Conscientiousness
Ability To Handle Conflict
Resilience
Teamwork
Reliable

Other:

Hsm
Sclm
Rmds

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Education

Oct 1965 - Jun 1968

Berufsfachschule Erlangen

Industrial clerk, commercial clerk · Erlangen, Germany

Oct 1956 - Jun 1965

Schule Wuppertal

Lower secondary school certificate · Wuppertal, Germany

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 17

Experience in Information Technology 30.5 y

Avg length 2 y 9 m

Longest experience 14 y 11 m

Global experience

Countries worked in 1 (Germany)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Application Development, Migration Project, Setup + Maintenance of Test Environments + Maintenance

Main industries Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Insurance

Main business areas Information Technology, Quality Assurance, Customer Service

Qualifications

Member since

November 2025

Last update

November 2026

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Frequently asked questions

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Thomas is based in Berlin, Germany.

Thomas speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).

Thomas has at least 47 years of experience. During this time, Thomas has worked in at least 16 different roles and for 7 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 9 months. Note that Thomas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Based on recent experience, Thomas would be well-suited for roles such as: Application Development, Migration Project, Setup + Maintenance of Test Environments + Maintenance.

Thomas's most recent position is Application Development at Freelance.

Thomas is most experienced in industries like Information Technology, Banking and Finance, and Insurance. Thomas also has some experience in Automotive and Chemical.

Thomas is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology, Quality Assurance, and Customer Service. Thomas also has some experience in Operations, Product Development, and Accounting.

Thomas attended Berufsfachschule Erlangen for Industrial clerk, commercial clerk.

The availability of Thomas needs to be confirmed.

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Daily rate avg. 840 €

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Median rate 880 €

The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.

Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 7 Nov 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.