COBOL Experts in Germany
in minutes with vetted freelancers and precise AI matchingHire experts who keep COBOL batch jobs, mainframe integrations, and payment or policy systems stable. They modernize code safely, document legacy flows, and support z/OS, CICS, and DB2 work with fast, precise matching from vetted, available freelancers.
Meet FRATCH Experts in Germany, who have recently used COBOL
Collin Kempkes
Last position:
Lead Fullstack Developer at Freelance
- Development of cloud native applications to provide a multi-vendor marketplace for different digital assets (e.g. NFTs)
- Design and operation of a microservice architecture using Nest.js, MySQL, Redis, Hasura, Algolia, Docker and Serverless
- Design and operation of a streaming data architecture using Kafka (with JSON Schemas)
- Creation of CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions for automated deployment of applications
- Testing and evaluating new technologies for more stable, faster, safer and more sustainable application development
- Building the full infrastructure with Terraform in AWS
- Integration of Stripe to handle international payments
- Use of Algolia for real-time search of digital assets on the platform
- Presenting results to stakeholders and running internal meetups
- Federation of services with GraphQL and Hasura
- Discussions about architecture decisions in the IT landscape and their impact
- Use of message queues for app-internal communication and component encapsulation
- Advising internal staff on the implementation of business and technical requirements
- Test Driven Development: unit, integration and E2E testing using JUnit
- Use of Next.js/React with SASS/SCSS for frontend applications
- Use of Vue.js with SASS/SCSS for frontend applications
- Integration of security-related mechanisms (JWT tokens with Auth0, OAuth, OIDC, IP guards, BOLA, secret vaults)
- Creation of microfrontends using Retool for fast prototyping and testing of functionality
- Use of nx monorepo with nrwl
Christian R
Last position:
Project Manager Outlook and Teams Rollout at BWI
- Gathering information
- Creating wave concepts for the rollout
- Coordinating employees
- Monitoring and steering measures
- Project management including analyses & reporting to the board
- Creating instructions and requirement specifications
- Training floorwalkers
- On-site rollout support
- VIP support
- Introducing SharePoint
Wolfgang Orgler
Last position:
Business Analyst at Österreichische Post AG
IT systems: Azure DevOps, SharePoint, Opal/Repost, JustinMind, Monday, SAP
Analysis of requirements for branch software
Coordination of intercultural teams
Partly agile project organization
Master data management / DMS
UI/UX design and mockup creation
Requirements documentation
Digitalization of signatures
Stakeholder management and workshop facilitation
Billing/bank transfer
Business analysis / requirements engineering
Robert Karash
Last position:
Interim Manager | Group Leader in the IT Operations & Digitalization Division "Databases, Operations & Support" (DOS) at Landwirtschaftliche RentenBank
- Technical leadership and further development of a team of 28 IT staff (internal & external) in the areas HelpDesk/HelpLine, RHEL (Red Hat), MUREX (trading system & applications), SAP basis operations
- Managing external service providers (including FI-TS for SAP basis operations)
- Personnel, resource and budget planning for the IT department and projects
- Introducing and establishing regular communication formats (weekly status meetings, team and cross-department meetings)
- Ensuring application operations in a hybrid environment (Windows/Linux with database and web/application servers)
- Supporting transformation projects to modernize the application landscape (e.g. DevOps approaches)
- Setting up and implementing a digital IT procurement for hardware & software (e.g. with DELL)
- Developing and managing the "IT Operations DOS" department based on corporate strategy
- Preparing management reports & decision papers on IT projects, optimization potential and automation opportunities
- Representing the department in the advisory boards of the Rentenbank and ensuring regulatory compliance (BaFin §44, GDPR, BSI, MaRisk)
Carsten Rösner
Last position:
Enterprise Product Owner at opta data IT GmbH
- Product responsibility for the central platform "one" as a group-wide web-based customer portal
- Coordination of the connection of 20 group companies to the product platform
- Derivation and steering of a group-wide product strategy and roadmap aligned with company goals
- Prioritization and bundling of strategic requirements from the various group companies
- Harmonization of different interests and moderation of complex decision-making processes at management level
- Ensuring the technical and business integration of the product into existing system landscapes, business processes, and business models
- Building transparent governance and decision-making structures for group-wide product development
- Representation of the product towards internal and external stakeholders at leadership level
Wadim Lupejcenko
Last position:
Fullstack Developer at dripwear.app
Development of an iOS app for virtual try-on and outfit suggestions
The goal of the project is to develop a mobile application for personalized, photorealistic outfit suggestions. Users should be able to upload their own photos, try on clothes virtually, and find products that can be bought directly in the generated suggestions.
- Planning and implementation of the onboarding and photo upload in the iOS app
- Development of the mobile application with Expo and React Native
- Implementation of a Hono/Node.js backend for user, product, and generation processes
- Building an asynchronous processing pipeline with BullMQ and Redis
- Connection of PostgreSQL/pgvector and S3 for product, image, and generation data
- Integration of Gemini and OpenAI for outfit generation and image processing
- Implementation of a credit system and integration of RevenueCat
- Integration of Stripe Connect and affiliate product feeds for products that can be bought directly
Label: TypeScript, React Native, Expo, Hono, Node.js, PostgreSQL/pgvector, BullMQ, Redis, S3, Gemini, OpenAI, RevenueCat, Stripe Connect, Docker
Tezcan Dilshener
Last position:
Solution Architect / Project Manager at German Football Association
- Overall responsibility for the project lifecycle from scope definition to completion
- Close collaboration with platform teams, IT leaders, and external service providers
- Application of SAFe principles and structured sprint work
- Creation of a migration roadmap with clear milestones
- Monitoring of the lifecycle: onboarding, repository migration, replication of permissions, and system tests
- Visualization of the architecture with PlantUML and Gliffy as well as documentation in Confluence
- Regular status reports and running knowledge transfer sessions
Guido Bäcker
Last position:
Independent Management Consultant and Interim Manager at BCTC Unternehmensberatung Guido Bäcker
Consulting, training, and coaching in the financial sector on strategy, organization, and IT topics
MorgenFund: Advising the operator of a fund platform on software selection for a sub-ledger "Cash Accounts" based on Virtual IBANs (VIBAN)
Structuring requirements, market screening, creating RfIs, communicating with vendors, and conducting the selection process
UniCredit/HypoVereinsbank: Workstream lead "Booking and Customer Reporting" in the payment transformation project "PULS"
Business analysis, creating business requirements and aligning solution items as part of the functional specification with the bank's IT service providers
Business analysis of SEPA CT and SWIFT MX (.camt, .pain, and .pacs formats), change management, team lead for a virtual team of fifteen line experts, and stakeholder management
equensWorldline Germany: Program management for three projects of the SWIFT service bureau (CBPR+, ESMIG, and Euro1Step1 migration) as part of the SWIFT MX migration
Managing individual project managers regarding overarching goals and requirements; reporting to internal and external committees and stakeholders; coordinating with dependent projects and programs
Project management/PMO: interim project management, stand-in for project managers, resource planning, budget and cost management, general PMO tasks
Michael Kunz
Last position:
Enterprise Architect, Lead Architect of the transformation program and coach at Swiss Ministry
- Development of the overall architecture
- Support for the respective workstreams in developing architectures in the areas of infrastructure, data centers, security, and network topology
- Coordination of the architect pool
- Support for program management in building the transformation project based on agile methods
- Consideration of regulatory requirements for IT projects in the federal administration
Diego Espinoza
Last position:
RPG Software Developer from RPG III to Free Format
- Development of software and system support for RPG development.
- Development, optimization and maintenance of programs in RPG (RPG II to ILE Free Format).
- Performing integration tasks, data management as well as applying and managing system updates.
- User support and training to ensure smooth system operation.
Birgit Stünkel
Last position:
Business Analysis, Requirements Engineer at BMW
Refinement of epics and user stories to achieve a higher degree of automation in CRM usage. Testing of new Discountsystem
Michael Müller
Last position:
IT PROJECT MANAGER (MS Exchange) at Statutory Health Insurance on behalf of Randstad Digital Germany (formerly AUSY Technologies Germany)
Migration from Exchange 2016 to Exchange 2019 and Exchange Online, as well as the introduction of a backup solution and an archiving solution. The goal was a secure, compliant, and high-performance modernization of the email and archiving infrastructure.
Responsibilities as IT PROJECT MANAGER: Overall project management and operational control / Ensuring adherence to costs and resources / Ensuring achievement of project objectives / Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and compliance guidelines, including ISMS, ITIL, and data protection regulations / Preparing and delivering management reports for the project sponsors and project committee / Coordinating interdisciplinary teams from Exchange, network, data protection, and IT security / Planning and executing the system migration from Exchange 2016 to Exchange 2019 / Planning and executing the system migration from Exchange 2019 to Exchange Online / Planning and implementing a backup solution for Exchange Online / Coordinating an EU-wide tender for an archiving solution including market analysis with potential vendors / Planning and implementing an archiving solution for Exchange Online / Coordinating and preparing the necessary BAS notifications in the project context / Coordinating and aligning with stakeholders (e.g. business units, external service providers, and suppliers) for requirements definition and implementation
Technical environment: MS Exchange 2016, MS Exchange 2019, MS Exchange Online, MS Office, MS Planner, MS PowerPoint, MS Project, MS Teams
Ibrahim Bayramov
Last position:
Senior Mainframe Developer at Tata Consultancy Services Deutschland GmbH
- Development and maintenance of business-critical COBOL applications in the IBM z/OS mainframe environment
- Carrying out database changes and updates on DB2 for z/OS
- Handling incident, problem, and change management in a production-critical environment using ServiceNow
- Carrying out and supporting load tests, performance tests, and pre-production tests to stabilize business-critical mainframe systems
- Using mainframe tools such as ISPF, TSO, SDSF, XINFO, as well as job control via UC4 / Automic
- Development and integration of Java-based services and API-related components
- Working in agile project teams (Scrum/Kanban), including using Jira and Confluence for backlog, change, and documentation management
Oliver Ohly
Last position:
Embedded Software Architect at Automotive supplier
Stellar SR6 G7 line, 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-R52+ MCU.
- MISRA-C, C99, Greenhills ARM compiler
- Dassault AUTOSAR Builder
- EB Tresos
- Sparx Enterprise Architect 16.1
- VS Code
- Python xml, lxml, NumPy and Pandas
ISO 26262, ISO 21434, hypervisor, key management, HSM. Tooling & automation. LieberLieber LemonTree + Sparx EA. Jira, Confluence, SharePoint. Git/Github. DevOps through Jenkins & Conan.
Mykhaylo Khazanovych
Last position:
Lead Developer Backend, Frontend, BPMN / Administrator at Main Customs Office, Department for Digital Affairs
- Development of backend, frontend and BPMN processes in the Atlas Centralised Clearance for Import project
- Definition and implementation of REST, JMS and SOAP endpoints
- Implementation of database access with JPA
- Implementation of BPMN processes with Camunda
- Frontend implementation with React
- Configuration of JBoss via CLI
- Conducting code reviews
- Participation in communities of practice for developers and architects
- Implementation of frontend-backend communication with WebSockets
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Statistics of experts using COBOL
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
31 years
Position duration
3.2 years
Positions per freelancer
19
Top business areas
Information Technology, Product Development, Project Management
Top industries
Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Insurance
Certification focus areas
Information Technology, Project Management, Quality Assurance
Bachelor's degree or higher
78%
Master's degree or higher
49%
Doctorate
8%
Certifications per freelancer
3
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
95%
Based on our profile pool as of 30 Aug 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this technology in Germany are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range.
Average rates of experts in Germany using COBOL
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
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 30 Aug 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
About the technology
Legacy systems
COBOL powers business systems that still handle core transactions, records, and overnight processing. It is common in banking, insurance, public sector back ends, and other environments where stability matters more than rapid change. Companies bring in specialists when these systems must keep running while the code base is updated.
Common work
- Maintain batch programs and file-based processing
- Update CICS screens and transaction flows
- Work with DB2, VSAM, JCL, and mainframe jobs
- Refactor older logic without breaking output
- Document dependencies that no one has touched in years
Tooling and ecosystem
A strong COBOL specialist usually works across mainframe tools, job control, and data formats rather than only the language itself. Familiarity with IBM COBOL, z/OS, CICS, DB2, IMS, and source control around legacy estates is often essential. In Germany, this work is often tied to long-running enterprise systems that need careful coordination with internal teams.
When freelancers help
Freelance expertise is useful when a release is blocked by an old program, a team needs help reading inherited code, or a migration must be done without service downtime. Companies also bring in specialists for audits, interface changes, data conversion, and modernization planning. Short-term support works well when the task is narrow but the risk is high.
What good specialists do
Good COBOL professionals read existing logic quickly, trace data through many programs, and keep changes small and safe. They ask about business rules, file layouts, downstream reports, and operational jobs before writing code. They also explain trade-offs clearly so technical and non-technical teams can agree on a path forward.
Modernization paths
COBOL is often part of a wider legacy stack, so the real task is not just coding but reducing risk. Strong experts can isolate a module, improve test coverage, replace brittle steps, or support gradual migration to newer services. That makes them valuable when a company needs continuity first and modernization second.
Frequently asked questions
Everything clients usually want to know about COBOL, in one place.
COBOL is still used for core business processes that depend on stable, structured data handling. It often powers batch runs, account updates, policy processing, and other back-end work on mainframes or related enterprise systems. Companies hire specialists when those systems need change without interrupting daily operations.
COBOL is usually chosen for long-lived business logic, especially where existing mainframe code already holds critical rules and data flows. Java and newer stacks are often better for greenfield services, but replacing a working legacy system is rarely simple. A good specialist knows when to modernize, when to integrate, and when to leave stable code in place.
A strong COBOL specialist usually knows more than the language syntax. Look for experience with JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, IMS, file formats, and mainframe operations. For migration or integration work, comfort with testing, data mapping, and batch scheduling also matters.
With COBOL, even small changes can affect important jobs or downstream reports, so early support is useful. Bring in a specialist when the code is old, the original authors are gone, or the business rules are hard to trace. For modernization or migration, expert help should start before the first change is made.
Many COBOL tasks can be done remotely if access to systems, test data, and documentation is in place. On-site time can help when the environment is sensitive, the stakeholder group is large, or the team needs close coordination during a release. In Germany, hybrid setups are common when security and handover steps matter.
A good COBOL expert explains the business flow, not just the code. They can show safe change habits, clear testing, and a history of working with batch jobs, transaction paths, or migration work. If they ask the right questions about data, dependencies, and recovery steps, that is a strong sign.
Yes, COBOL is often the starting point for modernization because the business logic already exists there. The best specialists help untangle what can be kept, what should be wrapped, and what can be replaced over time. That makes it useful for careful migration, not just maintenance.
A COBOL engagement is rarely only about syntax. A freelancer should expect legacy naming, shared files, batch windows, strict testing, and close attention to downstream effects. In Germany, clear documentation and strong handover discipline are especially valuable when several teams depend on the same system.
The average hourly rate of freelancers in Germany who have used COBOL in their recent projects is 100 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 803 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers in Germany who have used COBOL in their recent projects, 78% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 49% hold at least a Master's degree, and 8% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers in Germany who have used COBOL in their recent projects have 31 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 3.2 years.
The most common languages among freelancers in Germany who have used COBOL in their recent projects are German (100%), English (94%), and French (30%).
The most common industries among freelancers in Germany who have used COBOL in their recent projects are Information Technology (90%), Banking and Finance (74%), and Insurance (53%).
The most common business areas among freelancers in Germany who have used COBOL in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Product Development (75%), and Project Management (74%).
Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used COBOL
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Berlin Hamburg Munich Cologne Frankfurt Stuttgart Dusseldorf Leipzig Dortmund Essen Bremen Dresden Hanover Nuremberg 
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Dusseldorf Request a free demo
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
