Mainframe Network Engineer

Contract Duration: 6–12 Months [NO BENEFITS]
Work Locations: Phoenix, AZ; Plano, TX; Charlotte, NC; Richmond, VA; Jacksonville, FL; Pennington, NJ; Chicago, IL
Work Arrangement: Hybrid – 3 Days Onsite and 2 Days Work From Home

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Mainframe Network Engineer to design, configure, implement, and support network connectivity within IBM mainframe environments. This role ensures reliable, secure, and high-performance communication between mainframe systems, distributed platforms, external partners, and enterprise applications.

The engineer will work with technologies such as TCP/IP, VTAM, SNA, Enterprise Extender, TN3270, FTP, and network security controls to support critical production workloads in large enterprise environments.

Key Responsibilities

Mainframe Network Administration

• Install, configure, and maintain IBM z/OS Communications Server components.
• Configure, administer, and troubleshoot TCP/IP networking on z/OS systems.
• Maintain and troubleshoot VTAM definitions and network resources.
• Configure and support Enterprise Extender (EE) and SNA connectivity, where applicable.
• Maintain TN3270 access and troubleshoot session connectivity for end users and applications.

Network Connectivity and Support

• Ensure reliable communication between mainframe systems and distributed servers, external vendors, internal enterprise applications, and middleware platforms.
• Diagnose and resolve network connectivity issues involving IP routing, port communication, session failures, DNS resolution, and firewall restrictions.
• Support FTP, SFTP, and other secure file-transfer and data-exchange solutions.
• Investigate network performance issues and implement corrective measures to maintain system availability and reliability.
• Collaborate with infrastructure, application, and network teams to resolve cross-platform connectivity issues.

Network Security and Compliance

• Collaborate with network security teams to implement and maintain secure communication protocols.
• Ensure compliance with enterprise security policies, technical standards, and audit requirements.
• Support SSL/TLS certificate implementation and secure data-transmission practices.
• Assist with firewall rule validation, port usage reviews, and vulnerability remediation.
• Help identify and address network security risks affecting mainframe environments.

Disaster Recovery and Resilience

• Support network design, configuration, and recovery procedures for Disaster Recovery (DR) environments.
• Validate network connectivity and communication paths for failover systems and backup data centers.
• Participate in disaster recovery testing and business continuity exercises.
• Assist with troubleshooting and resolving network-related issues during failover and recovery activities.
• Help maintain network availability and resilience for critical mainframe workloads.

Key Technical Skills

• IBM z/OS Communications Server
• TCP/IP configuration and troubleshooting on z/OS
• VTAM administration and network definitions
• SNA and Enterprise Extender (EE)
• TN3270 connectivity and session troubleshooting
• FTP, SFTP, and secure file-transfer protocols
• IP routing, DNS, ports, and firewall connectivity
• SSL/TLS certificates and secure communication
• Disaster recovery and network resiliency
• Mainframe-to-distributed-system connectivity