Jobs › Huntington Bank

Lead Mainframe Platform Engineer - CICS, MQ & zCEE

Huntington Bank · Chicago, IL · $93,000–$189,000 a year · Full time

Posted Apr 29, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you read a CICS dump or trace to find a problem.

What they are checking: Whether they have deep debugging skills for issues no tool explains automatically.

How do you mentor engineers who are newer to the mainframe?

What they are checking: Whether they can pass on hard-won knowledge as the mainframe workforce shrinks.

What would you do

CICS response times spike at 10 a.m. on a Monday. How do you troubleshoot it?

What they are checking: Whether they have a calm, ordered approach using SMF, monitors and dumps to find root cause.

How would you explain a capacity upgrade request to an executive who doesn't know the mainframe?

What they are checking: Whether they can tie technical needs to business risk and cost in plain language.

Three urgent priorities land at once, including a production issue and a project deadline. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can triage in a complex, shifting environment and keep stakeholders informed.

About the work

Walk me through how you've architected CICS, MQ and zCEE in a Parallel Sysplex for a mission-critical environment.

What they are checking: Whether they have truly led these platforms at scale rather than supporting a piece of them.

How do you set up WLM service classes and goals for CICS online work alongside batch?

What they are checking: Whether they understand workload priorities well enough to protect online customer transactions.

How do you use zIIP offload and capacity planning to manage software costs?

What they are checking: Whether they understand how capacity choices drive mainframe licensing cost, not just performance.

How would you expose CICS transactions as APIs through zCEE securely?

What they are checking: Whether they can connect the mainframe to modern apps while keeping security and performance in check.

What does a good platform roadmap for CICS and MQ look like over the next three years?

What they are checking: Whether they plan upgrades, currency and modernization rather than only reacting to issues.

Walk me through how you plan a CICS or MQ maintenance change and an IPL with minimal risk.

What they are checking: Whether they use careful change control and rollback plans on systems the bank cannot afford to lose.

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The full job description

As published by Huntington Bank.

Description This position is an onsite position and available to be filled at any Huntington Corporate office location (see location options on posting) The z/OS Platform CICS, MQ & zCEE Lead candidate must have extensive experience in performance management architecture, implementation, and management for a mission critical large mainframe systems environment. Required areas of experience include z/OS engineering, WLM (Workload Manager), CF, SMF Processing, DASD, Hardware configuration, Channels, IPL processes, CICS, zCEE, MQ, Parallel Sysplex, CICSPLEX, z/OS Networking, z/OS Performance Tuning, and Capacity Planning tools. Expertise in ICF/zIIP capacity and tuning, WLM configuration and troubleshooting, and z/OS engineering. In addition, candidate must have a proven history of platform road map development, project management skills, and executive level communication in these areas. Previous experience performing a z/OS CICS, MQ & zCEE lead role required. The candidate must be able to prioritize and complete work on time in an ever-changing and complex environment. Mentoring required with the wider team, mentoring skills and experience are necessary. The ability to read CICS dumps & traces considered a plus. Detailed Description: This candidate will be fulfilling an experienced systems mainframe engineer position. • Responsible for the overall health, security, resiliency, and performance of System z CICS for z/OS, MQ for z/OS, and z/OS zCEE across multiple Sysplexes and CECS • Responsible for the z/OS networking for CICS, MQ and zCEE connectivity requirements (TCPIP, LU6.2, Sockets, EXCI, ETC.) • Manage overall platform documentation, reports including all KPIs, charts, end-to-end workflow diagrams of all system z software zCEE, CICS and MQ. • Develop and present z/OS zCEE, CICS and MQ, HA (SYSPLEX/CICSPLEX roadmaps • Lead problem troubleshooting efforts and root cause analyses of all P1 & P2 System z zCEE, CICS and MQ related incidents. • Develop, document, and deliver pre- and post-implementation analysis of System z tech refreshes and application releases. • Eliminate reoccurring issues and drive down mean time to recovery. • Provide technical direction and education to programmers, analysts, and technical support associates. • Prototypes the new features, functions, and strategies of new application subsystems technology. • Candidate must be motivated and assertive while possessing the ability to oversee and prioritize multiple tasks in a team environment. • Coordinates with programming application users to determine symptoms and ensure accurate problem resolution. • Provides 24x7 on call support within a team rotation. Basic Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree or 4+ additional years of equivalent experience. • 7+ years of professional experience in z/OS / CICS, MQ or zCEE engineering. • 3+ years in a lead role, or Project Management (roadmapping), or developing KPIs for delivery. Preferred Qualifications: • Expert knowledge of systems z including DB2 for z/OS, CICS for z/OS, zCEE for z/OS, & MQ for z/OS along with mainframe related tools such as BMC Mainview, IBM –CICS Interdependency Analyzer, IBM –CICS Performance analyzer, SMPE, ISPF, SMS, SMF, GDPS. • Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills; ability to effectively interface and partner with all levels of the organization. • Maintain “State of the Art’ knowledge of best practices in systems capacity, Security, administration, performance, high availability, metrics, and business continuity specifically for all systems z including DB2 for z/OS, CICS for z/OS or MQ for z/OS. • Comprehensive knowledge of CICS Security (Keyring Certificates, TLS, Resource access & RACF) • Proficient in SRE concepts and automation • Proven experience in creating the roadmap, processes, best practices, standards, and strategies for continuous improvement of monitoring, performance, resiliency, availability, and scalability of zCEE, CICS and MQ on system z. • Experience as a technical lead, driving technical direction, owning the portfolio of technology, and growing the larger team. • REXX experience Exempt Status: (Yes = not eligible for overtime pay) ( No = eligible for overtime pay) Yes Workplace Type: Office Our Approach to Office Workplace Type Certain positions outside our branch network may be eligible for a flexible work arrangement. We’re combining the best of both worlds: in-office and work from home. Our approach enables our teams to deepen connections, maintain a strong community, and do their best work. Remote roles will also have the opportunity to come together in our offices for moments that matter. Specific work arrangements will be provided by the hiring team. Compensation Range: $93,000 - $189,000 Annual Salary The compensation range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base compensation range for this position. Actual compensation will vary based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, and education.  Colleagues in this position are also eligible to participate in an applicable incentive compensation plan.  In addition, Huntington provides a variety of benefits to colleagues, including health insurance coverage, wellness program, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plan, paid leave programs, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO). Huntington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Tobacco-Free Hiring Practice: Visit Huntington's Career Web Site for more details. Note to Agency Recruiters: Huntington will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. All unsolicited resumes sent to any Huntington colleagues, directly or indirectly, will be considered Huntington property. Recruiting agencies must have a valid, written and fully executed Master Service Agreement and Statement of Work for consideration.

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