Mainframe Experts
in minutes with vetted availability and AI matching from over 15,000 CVs.Hire experts who keep mainframe applications stable, modernize COBOL and JCL workloads, and integrate z/OS systems with new services. Get fast, precise matching with vetted, available freelancers.
Meet FRATCH Experts who have recently used Mainframe
Kenan Šabić
Last position:
Enterprise Architecture at Swiss Krono
- Building up the Enterprise Architecture department. Preparing the convergence of IT / OT.
- Mapping the global business application landscape (6 countries).
- Concept for a graph model of the application landscape. Storing the results in the open-source graph database Neo4J. Various reports in the database query language CYPHER and the visualization component BLOOM. Automatic generation of IT architecture diagrams.
- Development of an application taxonomy to identify redundant applications.
- Applying Gartner's Software Portfolio Management TIME model (Tolerate, Invest, Migrate, and Eliminate) for portfolio management.
- Enterprise Architecture Governance: establishing architecture guidelines for documenting measures and decisions.
- Process modeling according to Porter (Value Chain).
- Various architecture approvals for change requests and documentation in Architecture Decision Records (ADR).
- Working on the RACI matrix for various processes.
- Working on business capabilities as preparation for a LeanIX rollout.
- Contributing to the concept for IT/OT convergence.
- Establishing architecture guidelines in a very pragmatic corporate culture. Knowledge about applications and responsibilities is spread across the world.
Burhan Dinler
Last position:
Enterprise Architect & Solution Architect at DB Netz AG
With project PRIZMA, DB will modernize its infrastructure on the one hand, and develop a fail-safe IT landscape on the other hand, which can be restored quickly and securely in case of a disaster.
- Capture current architectures of existing systems as well as methodical consulting and development of target architectures
- Deepen and maintain the building plan / target IT landscape
- Implement technical architecture concepts & architecture descriptions
- Implement migration concepts for updating and further developing the platform and information systems
- Assess submitted improvement suggestions as part of the project
- Capability management: identify capability gaps, develop target visions, and support transformation planning within the enterprise architecture.
- Create a compatibility matrix of the components in use and compare dependencies of specific versions
- Create an IT concept for extending the platform with the following topics: hardware and software requirements, security, licensing, high availability, load balancing, backup & recovery, update strategy, monitoring integration, etc.
- Coordinate with business architects as well as technical architects from the cross-functional architecture area of the PRISMA program for the topics (backup, Active Directory, monitoring, Citrix, and business applications ...)
- Status meetings and alignment of project planning with the Release Train Engineer / Project Manager
- Advise the Release Train Engineer / Project Manager in identifying project risks
- Advise the System Architect Engineers in steering the implementation of the concept
- Implement the IT concept
- Document the infrastructure
Label: MS Project, LINUX, Windows, ORACLE, Java, REST, SharePoint, Microsoft Exchange, UML, Enterprise Architect, BPMN, AZURE, AWS, V-MODEL, Micro Service, VisualStudio, SAP S/4HANA, SCRUM(SAFE), ESB (TIBCO), Python, Innovator, LeanIX (TOGAF), Ansible, Ansible Tower, Ansible Automation, ROBOT, SpringBoot
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)
Olaf Kiese
Last position:
CIO Advisor・IT Strategy・Tech/IT Due Diligence・Enterprise Architecture・IT Governance・AI Transformation・ex-BCG Platinion at Kiese IT
- -- ENGLISH Version (Deutsche Version unten) ---
Experience
- Ex-BCG Platinion: 14 years as Manager & Chief IT Architect, leading large-scale IT transformations in complex group structures
- 20+ years of C-level consulting across AI/IT strategy, enterprise architecture, IT organization, transformation, M&A due diligence, project recovery, and interim management
- IT leadership experience with cross-functional, intercultural teams of up to 100+ people
- Hands-on background in software engineering, IT architecture, and project management
- Fortune Europe 500 focus; numerous international projects; SME and start-up experience
Core services:
- IT strategy, enterprise architecture (EAM), target architectures and roadmaps
- PE/M&A/carve-out IT/tech due diligence, asset valuation, cost estimation
- GenAI transformation, process automation, and AI governance
- IT reorganization, target operating model (TOM), agile transformation
- IT governance, development and ITSM process optimization (BizDevOps, SAFe)
- Review and recovery of critical large-scale IT programs
- Planning and steering of transformation programs and IT project portfolios
- IT vendor and platform selection (RfI / RfP)
- Coaching & Interim management
Industries (selection): Insurance, financial services & banking, energy & utilities, telecommunications, retail & consumer goods, logistics, media, industry & engineering, healthcare, professional services
Projects (selection):
M&A Buy-side IT/Tech Due Diligence of an Acquisition in the Energy Sector (Utility, Smart Home) — AI-augmented with Anthropic Claude
AI Initiative for LLM-Based Optimisation and Automation of Sales and Billing Processes
Interim management Enterprise Architecture & group target architecture/roadmap development (METRO)
Reorganization: Design and introduction of agile IT target operating model at international wholesale group (METRO)
Design and implementation of agile BizDevOps target operating model (E.ON Grid Solutions)
Platform/vendor selection for renewal of core insurance solution of start-up (ELEMENT Insurance)
Establishment of project assurance capability and review/recovery of critical transformation projects (ERGO)
Enterprise architecture management and development of divisional/solution architectures (Deutsche Post DHL)
Strategic pricing architecture decisions in digital sales application landscape (E.ON Energie)
IT due diligence: Architecture evaluation and monetary valuation of IT assets (ProSiebenSAT.1 Media)
Interim management of group-wide security/compliance programme (ERGO)
Enabling an application landscape for different sales organizations and product structures (E.ON Energie)
Realignment of business/IT strategy and InsurTech platform selection (RfI, RfP) (nexible, ERGO Digital Ventures)
Stabilization/optimization of an agile/SAFe business/IT DevOps landscape transformation (Lufthansa AirPlus)
Process optimization and design/management of digitization and robotics introduction in power plants (RWE Nuclear)
BSS target architecture development for fixed/mobile networks convergence (Deutsche Telekom)
Optimization of IT organization model and methodology in application development and testing (Deutsche Telekom)
Evaluation of fulfillment of a general contractor agreement for run-off/migration of contract portfolios (ERGO)
-- DEUTSCHE Version (English version above) ---
Experience
- Ex-BCG Platinion: 14 years of strategy and implementation of large-scale IT transformations in complex corporate structures (Manager & Chief IT Architect)
- 20+ years of C-level-adjacent IT consulting: IT strategy, enterprise architecture, IT organization, transformation, due diligence, project recovery, and interim management
- IT leadership responsibility for cross-functional, intercultural teams of up to 100+ people
- Solid hands-on experience in software development, IT architecture, and project management
- Focus on Fortune Europe 500, numerous international projects; SME and start-up experience
Industries: insurance · financial services & banking · energy · telecommunications · retail & consumer goods · industry & engineering · logistics · media · healthcare
Services (focus areas):
- IT strategy, enterprise architecture (EAM), IT landscape target visions and roadmaps
- M&A/carve-out IT/tech due diligence, asset valuation, and cost estimation
- GenAI transformation, process automation, and AI governance
- IT reorganization, target operating model (TOM), agile transformation
- IT governance, development and ITSM processes (BizDevOps, SAFe)
- Review and recovery of critical large-scale IT projects
- Planning/steering of transformation programs and IT project portfolios
- IT service provider/platform selection (RfI, RfP)
- IT project management (agile, classic, hybrid)
- Coaching & interim management
Projects (selection):
- M&A buyer-side IT/tech due diligence of an acquisition in the energy sector (utility, smart home) — AI-augmented with Anthropic Claude
- AI initiative for LLM-supported optimization and automation of sales and billing processes
- Interim management of Enterprise Architecture and development of group target architecture in wholesale (METRO)
- Reorganization: design and introduction of an agile IT target operating model (TOM) at an international wholesale group (METRO)
- IT reorganization: introduction of an agile BizDevOps target operating model (TOM) at an energy group (E.ON Grid Solutions)
- Platform selection / vendor selection for renewal of the core insurance solution of a B2B2C start-up (ELEMENT Insurance)
- Process optimization, digitalization, and introduction of robotics in power plants (RWE Nuclear)
- Assessment of fulfillment of a general contractor agreement for run-off/migration of life insurance portfolios (ERGO)
- Business/IT strategy and InsurTech platform selection for a digital insurer/start-up (nexible, ERGO Digital Ventures)
- Enabling an energy application landscape for multiple sales units (E.ON Energie)
- Strategic architecture decisions in price management of a digital sales application landscape at an energy group (E.ON Energie)
- Stabilization/optimization of an agile DevOps IT transformation in business travel and payment management (Lufthansa AirPlus)
- Interim management in a group-wide security and compliance program of a global insurer (ERGO)
- Building project assurance capability as well as review and optimization/recovery of critical IT projects in an insurance group (ERGO)
- Building enterprise architecture management and development of domain and solution architectures for a logistics group (Deutsche Post DHL)
- M&A IT due diligence – evaluation and valuation of IT assets in the media sector (ProSiebenSAT.1 Media)
- Development of BSS target architecture and roadmap for fixed/mobile convergence (Deutsche Telekom)
- Optimization of IT governance/organization and methodology in application development and testing at a telecommunications group (Deutsche Telekom)
Martin Ejeagwu
Last position:
IREB Requirements Engineer at IREB Germany
- IREB Consultant Requirements Engineer
- IREB Ambassador for the Baltics
Christian Wonneberger
Last position:
Software Engineer, cross-platform Application Manager at International major bank
- Creating interfaces between the legacy platform and the new container solution
- Coordinating required contributions from line units
- Moderating regular status meetings with the software vendor
- Minimally invasive conversion of TWS scheduling from the old to the new platform
- Environment: IBM Mainframe, DB2, CICS, MQ, Red Hat Linux, Oracle, Kubernetes, Kafka, Helm, GitLab, Jenkins
Matthias Ottowski
Last position:
IT Project Manager at IT service provider
Implementation of anti-money laundering requirements in accordance with AMLA/KYC for an international large bank in Munich
Services provided:
- Clarification of the assignment, definition of the work package structure for the AMLA/KYC implementation project
- AI-supported project planning using my own AI workflow for project management
- Creation of the project management plan
- Resource and capacity planning
- Development of collaboration structures between IT service provider and bank client
- Alignment of responsibilities (RACI matrix)
- Management of 5 project members (core team)
- Project control, project monitoring, project reporting
- Communication management
- Escalation management
- Stakeholder management (11 stakeholders)
- Permanent member of the steering committee
- Project representation internally and externally
- Project reporting, management of decision-making bodies
- Project volume: 506 person-days (development effort)
- Risk management
- Quality management
- Organization and running 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 (in-house developments and SMARAGD)
Bernhard Schmitz
Last position:
Agile Business Analyst and Requirements Engineer at Deutsche Post DHL
- Agile project "PEPSi annual vacation planning MVP Lite" (digitalization project).
- Definition of state transitions for the JUP Lite functionality.
- Creation of user stories for login/logout and registration.
- Quality assurance of the business-side concept.
- Preliminary analysis for the transformation from the old PersPlan to DigiPEP.
- Tools used: Signavio, MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Jira, Confluence, Mural, Miro, Conceptboard, MS Teams, Mattermost.
Jochen Gögel
Last position:
Senior Specialist Software Compliance at Inter Versicherung
- Designing processes for implementing regulatory IT requirements (VAIT, BAIT, DORA, MaGo) and establishing them within the IT organization
- Monitoring the execution of these processes, quality assurance and adaptation to new requirements
- Support and coordination of the annual audit regarding regulatory IT requirements (PwC)
- ITK governance
- Software lifecycle management
- Documentation and control of the IDV development process
- Process support and policy creation when setting up test management with regard to DORA and VAIT
- Policy creation for IAM processes
- Tools/Applications: ServiceNow, Confluence, Jira, M365, Loop, Connect, Omada
Alex Odesser
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)
Patrick Waldschmitt
Last position:
AI Software Engineer at IppenMedia
- Analysis
- Consulting
- Software design
- Development
- Automation
- Testing
- Deployment
- Architecture, development and deployment of various proof-of-concept applications around the integration of current AI interfaces including conversational, realtime voice, images and videos
- Developed best practices for working with agentic systems and AI in practice
- Created code templates
Günther Eufinger
Last position:
Senior Consultant at ISMS Rollout – Information Security Certification (ISO 27001)
- Built and successfully certified the Information Security Management System (ISMS) according to ISO 27001 in seven country organizations (Ghana, India, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania).
- Full implementation of the ISMS from kick-off phase to certification, including defining the governance structure and process landscape.
- Developed and delivered target-group-specific trainings, workshops, and coaching sessions for local responsible persons on the basics of information security and ISMS operations.
- Designed and continuously improved training concepts and content to increase understanding and acceptance.
- Identified and implemented improvements in processes and tools, including risk management for international projects.
- Optimized central ISMS core processes from the idea through pilot operation and fine-tuning to global rollout.
- Optimized knowledge management, as well as work aids and methods for the global ISMS team.
- Built and moderated cross-functional coordination with key interfaces to the ISMS.
- Microsoft Teams, Excel, SharePoint Lists, Power Apps.
Enver Bastanoglu
Last position:
Interim Manager IT Service Provider at DDE Dialog GmbH | PCS365
- Interim management of IT operations in the IT service provider business
- Implemented ISO 27001 certification including preparation of all documentation
- Implemented change processes and system migrations
- Optimized operational workflows and realigned technical systems and administrative processes
- Brought multiple large projects into production
- Launched a new business line in the gaming PC sector
Vladimir Ergovic
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.
Jan Petrasch
Last position:
Operational Readiness / Migration Lead at Worldline
Migration of SEPA direct debits, credit transfers & card clearing to Worldline's internal platform as part of the outsourcing contract
Definition of the MIGR strategy
Mobilization of the community (300+ experts at client & Worldline)
Creation of the MIGR runbook (100+ workshops)
Close collaboration with upstream project streams: BUILD & TEST, as well as with the operating units
Set up of the governance framework, capacity management & reporting
100% of SEPA DD, CT & CC transaction traffic migrated (7 months)
~80 migrations carried out with a success rate of 70% ("first-time right")
Set up technical & manual production monitoring
Established a "fast-track" incident management process in the MIGR & hypercare phases
Set up 20+ exception handling processes
Conducted trainings
Implemented SLAs & billing
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Statistics of experts using Mainframe
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
30 years
Position duration
2.3 years
Positions per freelancer
18
Top business areas
Information Technology, Project Management, Quality Assurance
Top industries
Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Insurance
Certification focus areas
Information Technology, Project Management, Quality Assurance
Bachelor's degree or higher
72%
Master's degree or higher
45%
Doctorate
12%
Certifications per freelancer
3
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
96%
Based on our profile pool as of 6 Sep 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this technology 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 using Mainframe
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 6 Sep 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
About the technology
Mainframe basics
Mainframe systems run the core workloads that many large organizations depend on every day. They are built for high throughput, strong reliability, and controlled operations. Work often centers on IBM mainframe environments, especially z/OS, where stability matters more than novelty.
Common work
- Maintain COBOL, JCL, and CICS applications
- Support batch jobs, files, and scheduler flows
- Tune DB2 access and transaction paths
- Handle releases, incident fixes, and change windows
A strong expert understands how business rules move through long-running processes and shared data. They also know how to reduce risk when changing code that sits close to payroll, banking, insurance, or logistics operations.
Ecosystem skills
Mainframe work rarely stops at the operating system. Professionals often need RACF, VSAM, IMS, Db2, JES, SDSF, and file transfer tools, plus solid debugging and performance analysis habits. Many teams also value knowledge of APIs, integration layers, and source control around legacy estates.
When to bring in help
Companies bring in freelance specialists when they face a release deadline, a production issue, or a modernization project that touches old core systems. That includes refactoring COBOL, documenting business logic, replacing brittle batch steps, or connecting mainframe services to cloud and web applications. Experts can step in for short, focused work without long ramp-up time.
What strong professionals do
Strong mainframe professionals read unfamiliar code quickly and ask the right questions about dependencies, data, and runtime behavior. They write careful changes, test in controlled environments, and respect operations procedures. The best specialists balance deep platform knowledge with clear communication for teams that do not live in the mainframe every day.
Hiring signs
If your team avoids touching certain programs, has fragile overnight jobs, or struggles to explain how a process really works, you likely need outside help. The same is true when knowledge sits with one person, or when a migration plan needs a reality check from someone who has worked across both old and modern stacks.
Frequently asked questions
Need clarity? These are the questions we hear most often about Mainframe.
Mainframe systems run core transactions, batch processing, and high-volume data handling for large organizations. They are common in banking, insurance, travel, government, and other environments where uptime and auditability matter. The work usually centers on long-lived business processes, not flashy user interfaces.
A Mainframe is often chosen for stable, centralized control and very strong transaction handling. Cloud and distributed systems are better known for flexible scaling and rapid product change, but they are not always a direct replacement for core legacy workloads. Many companies run both and connect them carefully.
A strong Mainframe specialist usually knows COBOL, JCL, CICS, Db2, VSAM, and job scheduling. Integration skills help too, especially APIs, file exchanges, and source control practices. The best experts also understand how business rules, operations, and testing fit together.
A Mainframe project with production risk usually needs someone who has seen similar systems before. Small fixes may only need focused support, while modernization, migration, or data-flow work benefits from deeper platform knowledge. The key is proven work on the same kind of stack, not just general programming ability.
Many Mainframe tasks can be done remotely if secure access, test environments, and change procedures are in place. Some companies still prefer on-site time for sensitive releases, incident handling, or workshops with operations teams. A good setup usually mixes remote delivery with clear communication windows.
A Mainframe team often needs outside help when only one person understands a critical flow, or when old code blocks a release. Frequent batch failures, unclear documentation, and modernization plans without code-level insight are also strong signals. In those cases, a specialist can reduce risk quickly.
Look for clear explanations of past work on Mainframe applications, not just broad claims. Strong answers include details about transactions, job control, data handling, testing, and production safety. Good specialists also describe what they changed, how they validated it, and how they handled dependencies.
Mainframe modernization often means documenting legacy logic, exposing functions through APIs, improving batch flows, or moving selected workloads to newer services. It does not always mean replacing the core system. Many successful projects keep the stable platform in place while improving access, maintainability, and integration.
The average hourly rate of freelancers who have used Mainframe in their recent projects is 104 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 832 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers who have used Mainframe in their recent projects, 72% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 45% hold at least a Master's degree, and 12% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers who have used Mainframe in their recent projects have 30 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 2.3 years.
The most common languages among freelancers who have used Mainframe in their recent projects are German (99%), English (95%), and French (24%).
The most common industries among freelancers who have used Mainframe in their recent projects are Information Technology (87%), Banking and Finance (83%), and Insurance (49%).
The most common business areas among freelancers who have used Mainframe in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Project Management (82%), and Quality Assurance (69%).
Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used Mainframe
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.
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