JCL Experts in Germany
to keep mainframe workloads moving, matched with vetted specialists in minutesHire experts who manage z/OS batch processing, JES2 or JES3 workflows, and utilities such as DFSORT, IDCAMS and IEBGENER. Work with professionals who understand dependable scheduling, dataset handling and legacy application integration, matched quickly with vetted, available freelancers.
Meet FRATCH Experts in Germany, who have recently used JCL
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.
Robert K.
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)
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
Alex O.
Last position:
Contractor at Telefonica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG
- Data-analysis, Preparation, gathering and coordination of business requirements for retrieval of monthly- and long term (CLV – relevant) cost- and revenue-components per contract for a customer–base–grouping project (HUB–Project) for B2C-Postpaid-Controlling
- Concept and Implementation of cost- and revenue-KPIs calculation and corresponding CLV–reports (Oracle, Perl, SVN, MS SQL Server, MS Power BI, Serviceware Performance Analytics)
- Operational support of the HUB-Project – various ad-hoc reports, deployments, job-scheduling etc. (Oracle, SVN, BICSuite–Scheduler, DWSODA etc.)
- Analysis, implementation, retrieval and reporting of various physical and financial KPIs for B2P-Prepaid Business on an existing data-mart (Oracle, Perl)
Ulm P.
Last position:
DataStage ETL Expert at ING Bank
- Datastage 11.7, dbt, Oracle 19, Python 3.12 / PySpark 3.5, Azure GitHub, Azure DevOps, Automic
- Development of migration jobs to transfer data from the collection DWH to the new Risk Mart, as well as development of ETL pipelines to migrate historical data from the old Mart to the new Risk Mart.
- Storage of the silver layer on Hadoop and the gold layer in Oracle.
- Translation of DataStage jobs into dbt to publish reporting data in Google Cloud to a PostgreSQL database.
- Creation and optimization of complex SQL queries for data extraction from a data vault, taking into account historical data in the point-in-time tables.
- Creation of Oracle table definitions (DDL) and adjustment of existing stored procedures.
- Versioning changes in GitHub and deployment via the CI/CD portal.
- Refactoring long-running DataStage jobs into Python using PySpark to reduce server load.
- Migration of SAS scripts to PL/SQL, including new development of distribution functions that have no direct equivalent in Oracle.
- Development of Automic jobs to run DataStage pipelines and Python scripts (PySpark jobs) that control the population of the SME and institutional risk tables in the Risk Mart and perform business calculations.
- Participation in the agile process, including creating user stories, estimations, and planning in Azure DevOps.
- Handling Azure DevOps tickets and close collaboration with testers and business teams for error analysis and resolution.
Hartmut U.
Last position:
Freelancer at Freelancer
Projects at Raiffeisen Software Group (RSG), Linz from 2022-01-01 to 2025-03-31: application development on mainframe with PL/1, DB2, JCL, Tabex; development environment with idz, Jira, Dimensions, Confluence; execution of projects in banking reporting (own funds, capital requirements, large exposures, leverage ratio)
Project at Airbus, Hamburg from 2020-01-01 to 2022-12-31: mainframe system enhancements (TAKSY) in agile environment (Scrum, SAFe); business analysis; technical design; implementation (PL/1, DB2, IMS, JCL); test management; deployment
Thorsten O.
Last position:
Workstream Lead (WS) at Bank-Verlag GmbH
- Introduction of giro card with Visa Debit card payment function (Combocard) for Commerzbank
- Support for the Card Processing Team (card processing; Clearing & Settlement incl. Dispute Management teams) in project work
- Creation of requirements for the Clearing & Settlement team, Authorization team (AZ) and Card Production team (KP) as part of a requirements catalog
- Requirements engineering (requirements management) with business contact person
- Participation in workstream meetings between VISA Inc., SRC Security Research & Consulting GmbH, Commerzbank AG and consulting firms (PwC and Senacor Technologies AG)
- Sprint planning with Jira tickets of type Task and use of Confluence
- Creation and presentation of weekly status reports for the Clearing & Settlement, Dispute Management and Reporting & GUI workstreams
- Coordination with network and file transfer teams for connection tests of new interfaces, e.g. setup of host keys, use of VPN or sipnet connections
- Coordination of the delivery of test files, e.g. exchange rates (FX rates; TC 56 of VISA rates), VISA Debit and Credit transactions (format Base II) and EANSS/ISS Base II clearing files to the Debit Clearing System (DCS)
- Conducting coordination meetings on the use of Visanet Settlement Service (VSS) and PSD2 reports and payment traffic statistics (ZVS)
- Organizing workshops with FiServ (First Data) on Dispute Management and complaint handling
- Setup and maintenance of Open Point List (OPL) in Confluence
- Technologies/methods: Jira, Confluence, giro card, VISA Debit card, payments, Kanban board, BIN, routing, CIQ, VPAY, ScalaTest, Dispute Management
Sebastian H.
Last position:
Overall Project Manager; Turnaround Manager & Coach at Statutory Health Insurance Fund
- Taking over the troubled project from the internal project management and successful turnaround of project phase 1 (cutover of approx. 1000 servers (VMs)/standard desktops, specialized desktops)
- Responsible project management for the successful phase 1 transition (planning in the shortest possible time followed by implementation (very successful with low ticket volume))
- Stakeholder management – taking over direct (daily before cutover) communication with the client from the Chief Operation Manager in the format of regular meetings in taskforce mode. Rapid rebuilding of the previously lost trust base and restoration of the client relationship for optimal satisfaction
- Taskforce mode to eliminate all existing issues/showstoppers before cutover
- Scope clarification, setup, and scheduling of phase 2 activities (e.g. silo/admin servers)
- Kick-off of phase 2 / handing the project back to the success line for the internal project management/line to handle the remaining defined topics
- Establishing, preparing, and conducting steering committees with V-1 management to align the guardrails
- Moderation of various regular meetings and operational workshops
- Participation in the lessons learned with the client to address dissatisfaction related to the internal project management (before my start! They are extremely satisfied with my work)
- Tools: Atlassian Suite (Confluence/JIRA), MIRO, Sharepoint; MS Office (PowerPoint, Excel, MS Project)
Martin S.
Last position:
MS Fabric Certification
MS Fabric certification with creation of pipelines and notebooks in Fabric using data from Azure, Azure Repos, Azure Boards, and GitHub. Data ingestion via OneLake Explorer, direct IP connection, and API (REST) are the main topics
Christian W.
Last position:
Functional Senior Tester and Test Manager at Christian Wegener Beratung
Creation and review of test conditions
Execution of functional tests
Defect management
Supplier management
Team coordination
Estimation of test effort and reporting
Test planning
Ongoing and new development of integrated scheduling systems
Java web client / Linux server, Oracle Instant Client / Oracle Database Appliance server, Unix, ESB – Enterprise Service Bus, SQL, TIBCO EMS – Enterprise Message Service / JMS, REST, Impero Guest
HP ALM / Micro Focus Quality Center, Citrix, JIRA, XRAY, Impero Guest, MobaXTerm, Confluence, SharePoint, MS Teams, MS Office
Georg D.
Last position:
Senior Project Manager at Apleona GmbH
- Project review, restructuring, and PM for the migration of a total of 12,000 Windows workplace systems (650 applications) from SCCM and Empirum/Matrix42 to MS-Intune after a merger.
- Took over a heavily delayed / not ideally managed project in the role of the "firefighter".
- Completely revised and adjusted/updated the planning of the customer and the involved service provider.
- Introduced planning baselining as well as tracking/mitigation of current risks.
- Introduced an efficient, partially automated planning/reporting interface between MS Project Planning (service provider) and Jira (customer).
- Restructured meetings to increase efficiency and remove redundant appointments.
- Completed the analysis and design phase and created base data for migrations from heterogeneous systems of the two merged companies.
- Started the User Acceptance Test (UAT).
- Technologies: MS Autopilot, Zero Touch.
Ensar Y.
Last position:
Service Manager Microsoft Cloud Services (ITIL) at Industry (technology group)
- Took on the role of Service Manager for Microsoft 365 and Azure services
- Coordinated service providers in the areas of collaboration and security (Exchange Online, Teams, Azure AD)
- Monitored and optimized SLA-compliant operating processes (Incident, Change, Problem)
- Worked closely with internal IT management and integrated ITIL processes into Azure DevOps
- Microsoft Azure, Exchange Online, Teams, Azure AD, ITIL v4, Azure DevOps, Power BI, ServiceNow
Jürgen S.
Last position:
IT Consultant / Analyst / Developer / Tester / Support at Automotive Manufacturer
- Analysis, software development/customization, and testing of various transaction and batch objects
- Conducting functional integration and regression tests on TEST and QA platforms under z/OS for later production implementation
- Hardware / Software / Tools: IBM MVS, z/OS, JES2/3, TSO-ISPF, JCL, DB2, SQL, SQL/PL, QMF, QMF for Workstations, 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
Thomas J.
Last position:
Test Manager at Hamburger Energienetze GmbH
- Method: none
- Environment: ERP, S4/Hana, Confluence, Jira, Xray, SAP Solution Manager, Tosca
- Created the test concept for the migration from ERP to S/4HANA
- Created manual test cases and test plans for the acceptance test
- Coordinated tests between the business testers
- Test automation with Tosca
- manual testing
Tibor S.
Last position:
PentaSoft Unternehmensberatung AG
- Development of new batch programs
- Program changes
- Creation of jobs and job chains
- Participation in the “Allianz goes Linux” project
- Technologies, tools and products: PL/1, CICS, TSO, JCL, DB2
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Statistics of experts using JCL
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
36 years
Position duration
2.5 years
Positions per freelancer
19
Top business areas
Information Technology, Quality Assurance, Business Intelligence
Top industries
Banking and Finance, Information Technology, Insurance
Certification focus areas
Information Technology, Quality Assurance, Project Management
Bachelor's degree or higher
61%
Master's degree or higher
35%
Doctorate
13%
Certifications per freelancer
3
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
88%
Based on our profile pool as of 19 Sep 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 JCL
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 19 Sep 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
JCL experts industry focus
See which industries our matched freelancers work in most often — every figure is calculated live from the freelancers on FRATCH.
- Banking and Finance (85%)
- Information Technology (85%)
- Insurance (70%)
- Manufacturing (52%)
- Automotive (39%)
- Government and Administration (39%)
- Professional Services (36%)
- Healthcare (30%)
Please note that freelancers can work across multiple industries, so percentages overlap.
About the technology
What JCL controls
JCL, or Job Control Language, tells IBM mainframe systems how to run batch work. It defines jobs, steps, programs, datasets, parameters and processing conditions for z/OS environments. Companies use it to coordinate reliable workloads that may feed core business applications.
Mainframe workloads
JCL supports scheduled processing across banking, insurance, logistics, manufacturing and public-sector systems. Typical workloads include data preparation, report generation, file transfers, backups and overnight application runs. It also connects batch steps with COBOL, PL/I, DB2, CICS and other mainframe components.
- Define job and step execution
- Allocate, copy and transform datasets
- Set return-code and restart logic
- Coordinate dependent batch processes
Ecosystem and tooling
Strong JCL specialists work comfortably with z/OS and JES2 or JES3, plus utilities such as DFSORT, IDCAMS, IEBGENER and IEBCOPY. They understand catalogues, generation data groups, VSAM, tape and disk storage, RACF controls and common scheduler practices. ISPF, SDSF and enterprise scheduling tools are part of the daily workflow.
When companies need help
Freelance expertise is useful when a company must modernize batch operations without disrupting established mainframe services. It can also help with migrations, production incidents, scheduler changes, dataset redesign and documentation of complex job chains.
- Stabilize failed or slow batch streams
- Convert procedures and standardize JCL
- Prepare z/OS application releases
- Review restart and recovery handling
What strong specialists deliver
Experienced professionals write clear, reusable procedures and trace dependencies across jobs, datasets and applications. They check symbolic parameters, disposition settings, condition codes, security rules and restart behavior before changes reach production. Good specialists also explain operational risks to teams that depend on the batch schedule.
Germany-based collaboration
Companies in Germany often need JCL expertise alongside established mainframe operations and regulated business processes. Remote work is practical when access, change control and production support are well organized; on-site collaboration can help during cutovers, audits or complex incident reviews. German or English communication may be relevant depending on the delivery team.
Frequently asked questions
Not sure where to start with JCL? These answers cover the essentials.
JCL defines how IBM z/OS jobs run in batch mode. It specifies programs, datasets, parameters, execution order and responses to return codes, making it central to repeatable mainframe processing.
JCL is tightly integrated with z/OS, JES and mainframe datasets, while modern workflow tools often coordinate cloud or distributed services. A company should assess its existing applications, operational controls and migration plans before replacing established batch procedures.
A strong JCL specialist often works with z/OS, JES2 or JES3, ISPF, SDSF, DFSORT, IDCAMS and enterprise schedulers. Knowledge of COBOL, DB2, CICS, VSAM, RACF and production recovery is also valuable.
The right level depends on the scope and risk of the work. JCL changes for a small batch adjustment differ from a production migration, scheduler redesign or recovery project, which calls for proven understanding of dependencies, restart behavior and change control.
Yes, JCL work can often be delivered remotely through controlled z/OS access, ticketing and release procedures. On-site presence may still help for major cutovers, sensitive environments or incident response, and teams should agree on German or English communication needs.
Companies often engage JCL specialists for legacy modernization, batch failures, scheduler changes, dataset migrations or documentation gaps. External support is especially useful when internal knowledge is concentrated in a small operations group.
Review how the specialist handles symbolic parameters, dataset dispositions, condition codes, security and restart logic. Quality JCL is readable, safely testable and consistent with the site's operational standards, not merely able to run once.
Working with JCL requires careful coordination with application, operations and scheduling teams. Specialists should be comfortable investigating job output, tracing dataset flows, documenting procedures and following strict release controls in production environments.
The average hourly rate of freelancers in Germany who have used JCL in their recent projects is 97 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 777 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers in Germany who have used JCL in their recent projects, 61% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 35% hold at least a Master's degree, and 13% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers in Germany who have used JCL in their recent projects have 36 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 2.5 years.
The most common languages among freelancers in Germany who have used JCL in their recent projects are German (100%), English (88%), and French (21%).
The most common industries among freelancers in Germany who have used JCL in their recent projects are Banking and Finance (85%), Information Technology (85%), and Insurance (70%).
The most common business areas among freelancers in Germany who have used JCL in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Quality Assurance (85%), and Business Intelligence (64%).
Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used JCL
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 Request a free demo
Get in touch with the FRATCH team and we will get back to you within 4 hours.
Would you rather directly get in touch?
We always have the time for a call or email!
Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
