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IBM z/OS Experts in Germany

for critical systems, matched in minutes with vetted and available freelancers

Hire experts who modernize mainframe environments, develop COBOL and PL/I applications, and manage CICS, IMS, Db2 or JCL workflows. Get precise access to vetted, available freelancers who match your IBM z/OS project quickly.

Meet FRATCH Experts in Germany, who have recently used IBM z/OS

Verified expert

Vladimir E.

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Technical Executive, Principal Architect

Aurachtal
Vladimir E.

Last position:

Technical Project Manager / Freelancer at Deutsche Bank

  • Engaged within the Information and Security Management division for a Proof of Concept (PoC) project focused on developing a Client Security Portal.
  • Managed project resources across the UK, India, and Germany.
  • Architected and deployed the PoC solution leveraging a modern Java stack, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) with Kubernetes, and Active Directory (Entra ID) for authentication.
  • Implemented OAuth 2.0 for authorization.
  • Ensured DORA alignment according to Deutsche Bank security rules and regulatory preparation.
Verified expert

Robert K.

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Interim Manager | Group Manager in the IT Operations & Digitalization division „Databases, Operations & Support" (DOS)

Idstein
Robert K.

Last position:

Interim Manager | Group Manager in the IT Operations & Digitalization division „Databases, Operations & Support" (DOS) at Landwirtschaftliche RentenBank

  • Functional management and further development of a team of 28 IT employees (internal & external) in the areas of HelpDesk / HelpLine, RHEL (Red Hat), MUREX (trading system & applications), SAP basic operations
  • Management of external service providers (including FI-TS for SAP basic operations)
  • Personnel, resource and budget planning for the IT department and projects
  • Introduction and establishment of regular communication formats (regular meetings, team and cross-departmental meetings)
  • Ensuring application operations in a hybrid environment (Windows / Linux with database and web/application servers)
  • Support for transformation projects to modernize the application landscape (e.g. DevOps approaches)
  • Building and introducing digital IT procurement for hardware & software (e.g. with DELL)
  • Development and management of the „IT Operations DOS" department based on the company strategy
  • Preparation of management reports & decision papers on IT projects, optimization potential and automation opportunities
  • Representing the department in Rentenbank committees and ensuring regulatory compliance (BaFin §44, DSGVO, BSI, MaRisk)
Verified expert

Hans-Dieter G.

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AI Testing & Quality Manager | Test Management | Practical AI Development Experience

Wiehl
Hans-Dieter G.

Last position:

Training as an AI Expert

I continuously expand my expertise in AI and automation. I work with ChatGPT, OpenAI, Manus, Gemini, MS CoPilot, APIs, LangChain, Hugging Face, Manus, TensorFlow, and Auto-GPT, as well as Python-based ML frameworks and MLOps tools, to intelligently transform traditional software development, analysis, and testing processes.

Verified expert

Tobias R.

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M&A IT Project Manager / Cross-functional Technical and Integration Manager

Weikersheim
Tobias R.

Last position:

M&A IT Project Manager / Cross-functional Technical and Integration Manager at Sandoz AG

  • Worked for several M&A projects (Eire, Sunshine C, Coral) in the role of IT project manager and cross-functional technical manager / integration manager.
  • Preparation and maintenance of project charters, project change requests and project plans.
  • Weekly project status report.
  • Preparation of decision papers and steering committee slidedecks.
  • Risk & issue management.
  • Tracking and managing activities, dependencies and deliverables across all functional IT domains.
  • Data migration (planning and execution).
Verified expert

Birgit S.

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Business Analysis & Solution Design :: IT Architecture :: Project Management

München
Birgit S.

Last position:

Business Analyst / Requirements Engineer / Tester at BMW

Topics:

  • Further development of the CRM system NKAM and technical separation of “direct” and “indirect” sales
  • Redesign of the discount management area and outsourcing to another system.
  • Designing numerous improvements on the wholesale side to reduce manual effort down to the level of user stories.
Verified expert

Kai P.

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Senior Oracle Specialist & Consultant

Munich
Kai P.

Last position:

Oracle Project Management and DBA at Scope Solutions AG

PROFILE Senior Oracle specialist, consultant and DBA with many years of experience in planning, architecture, installation, migration, operations, performance tuning and troubleshooting of large Oracle database environments. Focus on Oracle Database 19c and enterprise architectures with RAC, Active Data Guard, Golden Gate, Exadata, RMAN and CDB/PDB. Experience in heterogeneous enterprise environments on Linux, AIX, Solaris, HP-UX and Windows, as well as in cloud and migration projects. Over many years, worked as a technical consultant, DBA, architect and project manager for banks, insurers, energy providers, public institutions, industry, automotive and aviation. Combining technical Oracle expertise with operations concepts, migration, project planning, documentation and customer consulting.

ORACLE FOCUS AREAS

  • Oracle Database 19c – installation, upgrade, patch/RU management, operations and troubleshooting
  • Oracle Database 21c / 23ai / 26ai – knowledge of current Oracle release lines
  • Oracle RAC, Active Data Guard, Data Guard, Oracle GoldenGate
  • CDB / PDB, multitenant architectures and enterprise database operations
  • Oracle Exadata and highly available database environments
  • RMAN – backup, restore, recovery, migration and disaster recovery scenarios
  • Data Pump (EXPDP / IMPDP), Transportable Tablespaces (TTS) and database-based migrations
  • Performance analysis, SQL / PL/SQL, tuning, troubleshooting and capacity planning
  • Oracle Enterprise Manager / monitoring and technical operational support
  • Oracle Security: Wallet, TDE, Database Vault, VPD / RLS
  • Oracle DWH / BI: OBIEE, ODI, OWB and Discoverer
  • Oracle Applications / E-Business Suite and Oracle-based application environments

CURRENT PROJECTS

Scope Solutions AG, Basel / CH | 08/2023 – ongoing Oracle Project Management and DBA

  • Installation, maintenance and regular upgrades of Oracle database systems with a focus on Oracle 19c.
  • Patch and release management including OPatch and Release Updates; operations on RHEL 8.x, SLES 15.x and Windows.
  • DBA support for customers in DACH and Europe and support of production, load test and other CDB/PDB environments.
  • Technical operating processes and documentation via Confluence; support and service requests via My Oracle Support / Metalink.

Federal Employment Agency, Nuremberg | 04/2022 – 10/2023 Oracle Operations Support / DBA

  • Operations and regular upgrades of Oracle-19c database systems on SLES 15.x.
  • DBA for around 2,100 PDBs on RAC and Exadata in production, integration, load test and other environments.
  • Configuration management via ARS Remedy; workflows and technical documentation via Jira and Confluence.
  • Operations support and processing of service requests via My Oracle Support / Metalink.

Federal Statistical Office, Wiesbaden | 09/2021 – 03/2022 Oracle Operations and Architecture – 2022 Survey

  • Merging data into a central Oracle-19c database system.
  • Design of import/export procedures for the central data structure.
  • KPI and performance architecture for analyses.
  • Training employees in Oracle performance and DBA topics.

E.ON Digital Technology, Landshut / KKI | 03/2019 – 12/2021 Oracle Operations, Architecture and DBA

  • Patch concepts, technical documentation, installation, database administration and operations of Oracle 12c/19c.
  • AIX 7.x, LPAR administration including VIO server and software distribution with NIM.
  • Performance monitoring and monitoring.
  • Backup and restore with TSM / IBM Spectrum Protect and Oracle RMAN.
  • Installation of Enterprise Manager 13c with WebLogic Server 12.1x; employee training.

KaPe Munich – various end customers in DACH / Europe | ongoing / various projects Oracle DBA, architecture, migration, DWH consulting and project management

  • Many years of consulting and operational DBA work in various Oracle architectures.
  • DWH/CRM platforms: planning, analysis, performance and tuning, as well as business analysis.
  • RAC, Data Guard, Transportable Tablespaces, RMAN and Oracle 11g/12c in enterprise environments.
  • Customer projects including Burda, Deka, E.ON, Otto Group and Augsburger Allgemeine.

AXA, Germany / Europe | 09/2018 – 02/2019 Oracle DB Operations and Migration – Cloud Architectures

  • Planning, methodology and execution of Oracle database migrations to IBM Private Cloud / Spectrum and AWS Public Cloud.
  • Creation of Oracle databases in the cloud with SLES and Terraform templates.
  • Technical architecture work and cloud KPIs.

RWE / SÜWAG / Syna, Germany | 07/2016 – 09/2018 Oracle DB Migrations 11g/12c and Project Management

  • Design, planning and execution of Oracle database migrations 11g → 12c with platform and architecture changes.
  • Windows Server 2012/2016 and setup and migration of Enterprise Manager/WebLogic-based monitoring environments.
  • Use of Data Guard, TTS, EXPDP/IMPDP and RMAN based on analysis of application requirements.
  • Performance and tuning for Oracle 11g/12c.

MTU Aero Engines, Munich | 01/2016 – 03/2017 Oracle DBA / Requirements Engineer

  • Operations and development of Oracle 11g/12c databases and application workflows.
  • Interfaces to SAP via BAPI.
  • Design and management of APPS modules with Visual Basic / Visual Studio and PL/SQL; version control with SVN.

UBIS (HVB), Munich | 04/2012 – 08/2015 Oracle Operations, Architecture, DBA and Project Management

  • Oracle-based operations and migration of MUREX and Sophis trading platforms.
  • Oracle Security, Wallet, Tablespaces, RAC, Data Guard, Database Vault, GoldenGate and DWH.
  • Project management for Oracle DWH migrations and release changes from 10g to 11gR2.
  • Migration OWB 11gR2 → ODI 12c and introduction of Oracle Database 12c.
  • Platforms: Red Hat, AIX and Solaris.

WWK Deutschland a.G., Munich | 09/2010 – 03/2012 Oracle DB and HP-UX → Linux Migration

  • Architecture, planning, operations concept and migration of 104 databases from an HP-UX cluster to Red Hat Linux.
  • Single Instance with Veritas Cluster and 2-node RAC 11.2.0.2; four Data Guard databases.
  • Project management for OWB/DWH migrations (>1 TB), including tuning, PL/SQL, mappings and metadata.

Allianz Deutschland, ACAS Stuttgart | 03/2010 – 09/2010 Technical DWH Project Manager

  • DWH project for processing European ETL data sources.
  • Business analysis and requirements management for automated loading processes.
  • OWB, PL/SQL, SQL*Loader, Oracle Advanced Security / TDE, Oracle BI and Database Vault.

NETMA, Munich-Taufkirchen | 08/2007 – 02/2010 Oracle Specialist and DBA for Oracle Applications 11i

  • Operations of Oracle 9i/10g and Oracle Applications 11.5.10.
  • Design and development of APPS modules with PL/SQL and SVN.
  • Oracle RAC, Enterprise Manager, Oracle Application Server and migration tests.
  • Platforms: AIX, SLES, Windows and HP-UX.

BT Germany, Munich | 11/2007 – 04/2008 Oracle DB Migration

  • Migration from Oracle 8i to 10gR2 in a Solaris cluster environment.
  • Preparing offers, project planning and process planning.

Itellium (KQ), Nuremberg | 02/2007 – 08/2007 Oracle DWH Specialist

  • Design and analysis of a DWH focusing on master data and logistics.
  • Oracle Designer, OWB, Oracle Database, ETL, PL/SQL and External Tables; data volumes up to approx. 5 TB.

Oracle Deutschland GmbH, Munich | 10/2006 – 02/2007 and further assignments Oracle Specialist / Consultant – Data Migration and DWH

  • Consulting for customers such as Volkswagen, GE Money Bank, WeKa, KSB, Swisscom and British Telecom.
  • Migration Discoverer EUL4 → EUL5i, database optimization, Data Guard and web/database analysis.
  • Performance and tuning on Solaris and Linux.

HaSpa, Hamburg | 07/2006 – 10/2006 Oracle Specialist / Consultant – Data Migration and DWH

  • Setup of an Oracle-10gR2 environment for banking applications.
  • Data transfer from DB2 / OS390, architecture, sizing, tuning and performance.
  • Data preparation and integration with OWB.

AUDI, Ingolstadt | 02/2005 – 06/2006 Oracle Consultant and DBA

  • Operations, installation and maintenance of Oracle 9i/10g and IAS 10g.
  • RMAN, Oracle RLS, Oracle HTMLDB, Veritas Cluster, Solaris and AIX / HACMP.
  • Database cloning and migration 9i → 10g; approx. 200 systems up to 4.5 TB.

Photocolor, Kreuzlingen / CH | 11/2003 – 01/2005 Project Manager / Oracle

  • Implementation, configuration, technical support and acceptance of an Oracle ERP/CRM solution.
  • Oracle Applications, Oracle 9i, Solaris, HP-UX, OWB and Mercury TestDirector.
  • Project scope approx. 2 TB; reporting to management.

ZPD NRW, Duisburg | 05/2003 – 10/2003 Oracle Consultant

  • Consulting, PL/SQL training and project planning for a nationwide Oracle Forms integration.
  • Oracle on HP Superdome / HP-UX; data volume 1.2 → 2.5 TB, sizing up to 5 TB.

Messe München GmbH | 11/2002 – 05/2003 Project Manager / Oracle

  • MIS/DWH solution with OWB, Discoverer, Oracle 11i / 9i and RAC.
  • Architecture, design, integration, troubleshooting and consulting for data volumes of 1.5–2 TB.

Aria SA Integration, Geneva / CH | 09/2002 – 11/2002 Oracle DBA and Consultant

  • Oracle 8.1.7.4 / 9i; merging the Stuttgart and Geneva databases via replication.
Verified expert

Christian K.

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Service Catalog Manager

Hanover
Christian K.

Last position:

Service Catalog Manager at Deloitte Team

  • Worked in the IT infrastructure of the Deloitte team.
  • Planned assignment as Service Catalog Manager at an insurance company in Hannover.
Verified expert

Andreas W.

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Freelancer

Monheim am Rhein
Andreas W.

Last position:

Freelancer at Infrafibre Networks GmbH

  • Determining the current status (planning status / expansion status) of the so-called interpolygon routes
  • Preparing an end-to-end project plan for the individual routes, taking active and passive components and activities into account
  • Monitoring and controlling plan implementation
  • Optimizing the selected network architecture
  • Creating network and splice plans
Verified expert

Jürgen S.

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IT – Consultant / Analyst / Developer / Tester / Support

Erkrath
Jürgen S.

Last position:

IT – Consultant / Analyst / Developer / Tester / Support at Automotive manufacturer

  • Analysis, software development/adaptation and testing of various transaction and batch objects
  • Execution of specialist integration and regression tests on TEST and QA platforms under z/OS for subsequent implementation in production
  • Hardware / software / tools: IBM-MVS, z/OS, JES2/3, TSO-ISPF, JCL, DB2, SQL, SQL/PL, QMF, QMF for Work-Stations, SPUFI, FileAid, IMS-DB/DC, MFS, XPEDITER, COBOL, REXX, Windows-10, MS-Office-365, MS-Teams, batch job management via OPC, BETA92, RVS, BVB, ABL, DIALOGplus, PROBA, PRODPR (VW internal systems), JIRA, CONFLUENCE
Verified expert

Dilara E.

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Epic Owner

Babenhausen
Dilara E.

Last position:

Epic Owner at Telefonica

  • As part of the program (RAITT Transformation/Inlife Tribe), efficient handling of all processes for existing customers during ongoing operations and in customer service, including payments and billing, with the goal of ensuring customer satisfaction through excellent service and efficient problem solving

  • Leading the Usage-to-Payments value stream and cross-functional teams as the responsible Epic Owner in the strategic RAITT transformation program

  • Managing, prioritizing, providing functional direction and driving decision-making processes between business, architecture, development and outsourcing partners

  • Backlog prioritization, strategic roadmap development and release readiness decisions

  • Establishing governance, quality assurance and delivery standards in the payment ecosystem

  • Communicating program-critical decisions to sponsors, Product Owners and technical control centers

  • Ensuring smooth payment processes, accurate billing and integration with financial systems

  • Optimizing payment methods, managing payment service providers and efficiently handling credit checks, dunning and debt collection

  • Focus on postpaid business models with bank transfers, direct debits, returned direct debits and payouts

  • Responsibility for alternative payment methods such as credit cards and PayPal, integration of payment service providers and risk management

Verified expert

Christoph N.

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Project Manager

Fürth
Christoph N.

Last position:

Project Manager at Zentraler Beitragsservice

  • The goal of the project is to build a Greenfield FailSafe data center (FSRZ) as an emergency measure in accordance with BSI 200/4 against a cyberattack.
  • Recovery of a project that had been running for several years. Re-initialization of the project: adjustment of the project organization, initiation of regular meetings, establishment of project controlling and project reporting, introduction of project risk management and consolidation of project documentation. Establishment of project governance and introduction of decision-making structures based on decision papers. Definition of deliverables and derivation of phase plans and the project plan. Personnel and resource planning. Coordination with “neighboring projects”, initiation of concept development and implementation. Management of the project with 8 subprojects and PMO. Budget planning and controlling (14,8 Mio). Support and coaching of the subprojects in their methodological approach. Coordination with suppliers and support of EU tenders. Coordination and processing of change requests. Coordination with line management regarding the economically viable operation of the FSRZ. Technical support for IT architecture in the areas of zOS, Windows and Linux, networking and IT security, for designing interim operations and extended regular operations for the FSRZ, planning emergency processes and emergency communication internally and externally.
Verified expert

Knud W.

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Lead Programmer, Architect and Deputy Product Owner

Leipzig
Knud W.

Last position:

Lead Programmer, Architect and Deputy Product Owner at Bundesagentur für Arbeit

  • Lead programmer, architect and deputy product owner
  • Completed transition from zPDV to STEP
  • Ensured quality of C++ and Perl sources through automated and manual checks
  • Supported resolution of incidents and errors in testing
  • Implemented batch for supplementary assignment of payment run numbers
  • Implemented batch for distribution of SGB 2 information to the central payment unit
  • Supported replacement of Solaris with Linux
  • Upgraded gcc from 7.4 to 9.3
  • Programmatically generated Makefiles from Borland projects for builds
  • Extended funding data with new attribute “Kennzeichen Fahrtkosten Praktikum”
  • Programmatically generated XSD and WSDL files from IDL definitions
  • Represented the product owner when needed
  • Implemented batch for one-time payment processing
  • Developed generator for Liquibase files
  • Implemented and maintained regular anonymization of production data
  • Supported migration from SLES 12 to SLES 15
  • Supported introduction of mutual TLS
  • Implemented batch for sending deletion impulses to EDA BE
  • Organized script directory structure
  • Investigated potential introduction of String-Latin and implemented minimal solution
  • Remediated security findings identified by CheckMarx
  • Supported PAP recalculations and general change notices
  • Converted ERP interfaces from SOAP to REST
  • Planned technical and business topics such as register modernization, cash register security, training costs, four-eyes principle
Verified expert

Alex V.

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CTO, Co-Founder, Cryptography(incl. Post-Quantum Cryptography) and AI Security Expertise

Alex V.

Last position:

CTO, Co-Founder, Cryptography(incl. Post-Quantum Cryptography) and AI Security Expertise at AISLEIPNIR

  • Integration of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms into high level protocols.
  • Security of implementations of Post-Quantum Cryptography algorithms.
  • Transition to Post-Quantum public key infrastructures.
  • Security evaluations of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) primitives.
  • Drone Cybersecurity
  • Satellite Cybersecurity
  • AI Security
Verified expert

Matthias O.

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Project Manager

Euskirchen
Matthias O.

Last position:

IT Project Manager at IT service provider

Implementation of anti-money laundering requirements under AMLA/KYC for an international major bank in Munich

Services provided:

  • Clarification of the assignment and definition of the work package structure for the AMLA/KYC implementation project
  • AI-supported project planning using a custom AI workflow for project management
  • Preparation of the project management plan
  • Resource and capacity planning
  • Development of collaboration structures between the IT service provider and the bank client
  • Agreement on responsibilities (RACI matrix)
  • Management of 5 project members (core team)
  • Project control, project monitoring, project reporting
  • Communications management
  • Escalation management
  • Stakeholder management (11 stakeholders)
  • Permanent member of the Steering Committee
  • Project representation internally and externally
  • Project reporting and management of decision-making bodies
  • Project volume: 506 person-days (development effort)
  • Risk management
  • Quality management
  • Organization and delivery of workshops

Methods: PMI PMBOK, EVM, GWG, DORA, BAIT, KANBAN, AML, AMLR, AMLA, GWG, KYC

IT environment: JIRA, Confluence, Sharepoint, Kantata Kimble, AI LLM Copilot, ChatGPT, anti-money laundering systems (custom-developed and SMARAGD)

Discover over 15,000 top freelancers

Statistics of experts using IBM z/OS

Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.

Experience

31 years

IBM z/OS experts in Germany have 31 years of professional experience on average.

Position duration

1.9 years

IBM z/OS experts in Germany stay in a single position for 1.9 years on average.

Positions per freelancer

19

IBM z/OS experts in Germany have completed 19 positions on average over the course of their careers.

Top business areas

Information Technology, Project Management, Quality Assurance

IBM z/OS experts in Germany have gathered most of their hands-on project experience in Information Technology, Project Management, and Quality Assurance.

Top industries

Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Insurance

IBM z/OS experts in Germany are most in demand in Information Technology, Banking and Finance, and Insurance.

Certification focus areas

Information Technology, Project Management, Quality Assurance

IBM z/OS experts in Germany earn their certifications most often in Information Technology, Project Management, and Quality Assurance.

Bachelor's degree or higher

65%

65% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany hold at least a Bachelor's degree.

Master's degree or higher

51%

51% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany hold at least a Master's degree.

Doctorate

16%

16% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany have a doctorate (PhD).

Certifications per freelancer

3

IBM z/OS experts in Germany hold 3 professional certifications on average.

Most common languages

German, English, French

IBM z/OS experts in Germany most often speak German, English, and French.

Speak two or more languages

95%

95% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany speak two or more languages.

Based on our profile pool as of 29 Oct 2026.

Daily rate distribution

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
15% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany charge less than €640 per day.
22% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany charge between €640 and €800 per day.
44% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany charge between €800 and €960 per day.
17% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany charge between €960 and €1120 per day.
2% of IBM z/OS experts in Germany charge €1280 or more per day.
<€640 €640-​800 €800-​960 €960-​1120 €1280+

The chart shows how the daily rates of experts in this technology in Germany are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows the share of experts charging within that range.

Average rates of experts in Germany using IBM z/OS

Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.

1000
750
500
250
Rate comparison chart
Daily rate avg. 803 €

The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.

1000
750
500
250
Rate comparison chart
Median rate 800 €

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 29 Oct 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.

IBM z/OS experts industry focus

See which industries our matched freelancers work in most often — every figure is calculated live from the freelancers on FRATCH.

  • Information Technology (92%)
  • Banking and Finance (88%)
  • Insurance (64%)
  • Government and Administration (49%)
  • Automotive (44%)
  • Manufacturing (44%)
  • Telecommunication (37%)
  • Professional Services (32%)

Please note that freelancers can work across multiple industries, so percentages overlap.

About the technology

Mainframe foundation

IBM z/OS is the operating system for IBM Z mainframes. It runs transaction-heavy, data-intensive workloads where resilience, security and controlled processing are essential. Companies use it for banking, insurance, logistics, public services and large-scale enterprise operations.

Core workloads

z/OS supports high-volume transaction processing, batch operations and centralized data management. Typical systems combine COBOL, PL/I, Assembler or Java with CICS, IMS, Db2 and MQ. JCL coordinates jobs, datasets, utilities and dependencies across production environments.

  • Maintain COBOL and PL/I applications
  • Design CICS and IMS transaction flows
  • Build JCL for batch scheduling and recovery
  • Integrate Db2, MQ and enterprise services

Ecosystem and tooling

Strong professionals work across the z/OS ecosystem rather than in one isolated layer. Their toolkit may include ISPF, TSO, SDSF, RACF, SMF, z/OS Connect, Unix System Services and source-control workflows. They also understand workload automation, storage, networking and operational monitoring.

When companies need help

Freelance expertise is valuable during modernization, migration, release pressure or the replacement of scarce internal knowledge. Companies may need support for application changes, interface development, performance analysis, disaster recovery or production stabilization. In Germany, remote collaboration can work well when access, security processes and communication routines are clearly defined; some regulated environments still require on-site work.

  • Connect z/OS applications with APIs and cloud services
  • Analyze batch delays, abends and performance issues
  • Document undocumented application and operational knowledge
  • Prepare controlled migrations and release changes

What strong experts bring

A capable IBM z/OS professional links business processes to technical dependencies. They can read established code, trace data across programs and files, assess operational risk and explain trade-offs to teams working on distributed systems. Experience with German enterprise environments and clear English or German communication can simplify collaboration.

Choosing the right specialist

Assess relevant delivery history, not only familiarity with product names. Ask how the specialist approaches change control, testing, rollback, security and production handover. Good answers should cover both application behavior and the operational realities of jobs, datasets, regions, queues and privileged access. A practical review of a similar workload is often more useful than a generic skills list.

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Frequently asked questions

Questions about IBM z/OS? Start with the answers below.

IBM z/OS is used to run reliable, high-volume enterprise workloads on IBM Z mainframes. Common examples include payment processing, insurance systems, customer records, supply-chain transactions, batch settlement and other applications that require controlled access and consistent throughput.

IBM z/OS is designed for centralized transaction and batch workloads with strict operational controls. Distributed and cloud systems can offer different scaling, deployment and integration models, so the right choice depends on existing data, latency, compliance, resilience and modernization goals. Many companies use z/OS together with cloud services rather than treating them as mutually exclusive.

A strong IBM z/OS specialist may also work with COBOL, PL/I, JCL, CICS, IMS, Db2, MQ, RACF and workload automation. API integration through z/OS Connect, Unix System Services, Java on IBM Z, Git-based workflows and observability can be important for modernization projects.

The required depth depends on the workload and risk. A z/OS specialist handling a contained application change may need a narrower background, while production migrations, recovery design or core transaction systems require proven experience across code, operations, testing and change control.

Yes, IBM z/OS work can often be performed remotely when secure access, documentation and release procedures are available. Projects involving sensitive data, restricted environments or production operations may require on-site collaboration in Germany, alongside remote work for analysis and development.

Ask a z/OS freelancer to describe a comparable workload and their role in delivery. Check whether they can explain dependencies between programs, datasets, jobs, regions, queues and databases, and whether they follow testing, rollback, security and handover practices.

Companies often engage IBM z/OS specialists for modernization, legacy knowledge gaps, release backlogs, interface work or production incidents. An external specialist can add focused capacity while internal teams retain ownership of business rules and long-term operations.

Freelancers working with IBM z/OS can broaden their value by learning API enablement, cloud integration, automated testing, source control and modern observability. They should also retain strong knowledge of COBOL, JCL, CICS, Db2 and operational controls because these remain central to many mainframe environments.

The average hourly rate of freelancers in Germany who have used IBM z/OS 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 IBM z/OS in their recent projects, 65% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 51% hold at least a Master's degree, and 16% hold a doctorate.

On average, freelancers in Germany who have used IBM z/OS in their recent projects have 31 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 1.9 years.

The most common languages among freelancers in Germany who have used IBM z/OS in their recent projects are German (100%), English (95%), and French (29%).

The most common industries among freelancers in Germany who have used IBM z/OS in their recent projects are Information Technology (92%), Banking and Finance (88%), and Insurance (64%).

The most common business areas among freelancers in Germany who have used IBM z/OS in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Project Management (78%), and Quality Assurance (76%).

Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used IBM z/OS

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

Countries:

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