Programmer - Consultant

Job Title: Programmer - Consultant

Location: Blythewood, SC

Work Type: Onsite (Hybrid possible after initial period)

Visa: GC/USC

Key Skills:

Motor Vehicle | MicroFocus Visual COBOL | IIS | Visual Studio 2019/2022 | SQL | Oracle | SQL Server | COBOL Programming | TFS | C#.NET | Batch Processing | Troubleshooting | Windows Server 2022 | RDBMS Integration | Production Support

Position Overview:

Client is seeking an experienced Programmer - Consultant to support and enhance its multi-tiered enterprise systems. This role involves COBOL development using MicroFocus Visual COBOL within a Microsoft Windows Server 2022 environment under IIS. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in COBOL development, SQL programming, troubleshooting, and system integration with Oracle and SQL Server databases.

The consultant will play a key role in developing new business functions, enhancing existing systems, and providing production troubleshooting support for mission-critical department of motor vehicles applications. Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently while collaborating with business and technical teams are essential.

Onsite Requirement:

Initial phase: 100% onsite for client orientation and system familiarization.

Hybrid work option may be available later at client's discretion.

Candidate must be a South Carolina resident or willing to relocate/commute to SC prior to the start date (at their own expense).

Scope of the Project:

The Client utilizes a multi-tiered architecture for its core business applications:

Business Application Tier: MicroFocus Visual COBOL running under IIS on MS Windows 2022 servers.

UI Tier: Microsoft .NET applications (VB.NET, C#.NET).

Database Tier: Oracle and MS SQL Server.

The consultant will work on:

Development of new business logic for online and batch systems.

Troubleshooting and modifying existing functions.

Data extraction, reporting, and enhancements across client's operational systems.

Projects may also involve integration between tiers, requiring a broad understanding of distributed system environments.

Daily Duties / Responsibilities:

Analyze existing teams business applications, including Phoenix II, web services, and batch systems.

Lead the analysis and troubleshooting of assigned system issues.

Design and propose effective technical solutions.

Code, test, promote, and collaborate with end users to ensure functionality meets business requirements.

Provide daily and weekly project status updates to the Development Manager.

Required Skills (Ranked by Importance):

Strong COBOL development experience using MicroFocus Visual COBOL (Visual Studio 2019/2022 under Windows Server 2022 IIS).

Hands-on experience with MicroFocus Visual COBOL V7, V9, or higher (strongly preferred).

Experience accessing Oracle and MS SQL Server databases from COBOL programs.

Ability to write and optimize SQL statements for required system functionality.

Preferred Skills (Ranked by Importance):

Visual Studio 2019 or higher (debugging and configuration).

IIS setup and configuration.

Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS) for source control.

Microsoft C# .NET experience.

Application programming against relational databases (Oracle, SQL Server).

SQL development for Oracle DB environments.

Education & Certifications:

Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology or related discipline with 8 years of relevant experience.

Minimum: 10 years of equivalent hands-on programming experience in enterprise environments.

Certifications:

Microsoft Technical Certifications are a plus.

MicroFocus certifications are a significant advantage and will be given priority consideration.

Additional Information:

Production support experience is required, including troubleshooting and resolving real-time system issues.

Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills are essential.

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while collaborating effectively with technical teams and business stakeholders.