Senior Application Developer

James Sukowaty

Gainesville, MO • 414-***-**** • ********@*****.***

linkedin.com/in/james-sukowaty-87078899/

REMOTE COBOL APPLICATION DEVELOPER — IBM MAINFRAME

Decades of IBM mainframe COBOL application development across banking, insurance, and public-sector work, with deep experience in business processes that turn legacy systems into reliable, custom solutions. Comfortable working autonomously in remote engagements and leading and coordinating teams—including offshore teams—to diagnose issues, resolve them efficiently, and deliver usable results for end users.

●Experienced Programmer: Proven record of resolving complex issues across multiple projects—identifying root causes, troubleshooting the most efficient fix, and optimizing processes to deliver viable, lasting solutions.

●Team Oriented: Builds and empowers teams through training and example, applying critical thinking and sound solution design, and collaborating across the project to add value beyond the immediate fix.

●Troubleshooting and Problem Solving: Extensive experience supporting all levels of an organization, using clear written and verbal communication to understand the issue and deliver positive, usable outcomes for end users.

Core Technologies:

Environments:

IBM Mainframe (z/OS), Windows 7/8/8.1/10

Applications:

MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), MS Project, SDLC

Tools:

COBOL, TSO/ISPF, SQL, CLIST, REXX, JCL, IMS, CICS, DB2, VSAM, Distributed APIs, Confluence, Assembler, Serena ENDEVOR, ChangeMan

EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

RADUS Software, LLC, Reston, VA

IRS Code and Process Consultant, 8/2024 – 5/2025

Technologies: IBM mainframe, COBOL, Assembler, and JCL

Reviewed IRS legacy job flows — job decks, PROCs, job flows, and associated programs — for performance improvements. Implemented and tested identified enhancements in a development region, documented all results, presented findings to product owners, and handed recommendations to IRS staff for further testing and eventual production installation.

Highlighted Accomplishments

Reviewed multiple IRS job flows, implemented and tested performance enhancements in a development region, and presented documented results and recommendations to product owners.

FIS / Efunds, Milwaukee, WI

COBOL Developer and TECHNICAL LEAD, 1/2006 – 2/2020; 5/2022 – 08/2024

Technologies: IBM mainframe, various Open System servers, COBOL, Distributed APIs, CICS, Assembler

Hands-on technical lead managing multiple engineers and projects simultaneously, while keeping skills sharp and taking a proactive approach to problem-solving. Recruited and developed talent to meet department and company goals, managed hardware and software lifecycles, and designed process improvements spanning code migration systems, databases, communications, documentation retention, and historical archives.

Highlighted Accomplishments

Led replacement of multiple legacy code migration systems with Serena ENDEVOR — a major DevOps initiative.

Developed PADSS, a certified, secure code delivery system for software client distribution.

Built a virtual lab supporting 20+ application build routines and test systems.

Created a paperless request and auditing system.

Maintained Systematics-based applications: LA, AF, Security, Parms, and Teller.

PFG, Des Moines, IA

COBOL Developer and Analyst, 7/2020 – 5/2022, 5/2025 – 9/2026

Technologies: IBM mainframe, COBOL, JIRA, CICS, Bitbucket

Led migration, customization, and standardization work to integrate an acquired application into the PFG z/OS mainframe cluster. Standardized all JCL to current PFG systems, delivered new job flows to scheduling staff, and split large jobs into smaller ones to meet PFG standards, with supporting documentation on purpose and restarts. Designed key migration routines: reverse-designed the date conversion routine and served as lead designer for the metadata insertion routines.

Highlighted Accomplishments

Designed and developed a metadata insertion routine to support report storage.

Reverse-designed and developed a date conversion routine.

Updated Bitbucket source definitions and repositories.

Updated multiple job decks and PROCs — splitting large jobs and modifying jobs and PROCs to be parameter-driven.

Split large jobs

Modified jobs and PROCs to be parameter-driven

Additional Experience

Project Manager, USBank, Brookfield, WI (banking) 2001-2006

Lead Consultant, Roundy’s, Pewaukee, WI (retail) 1998-2001

Code Migration Manager, M&I Data, Brown Deer, WI (banking)

Programmer/System Analyst, First Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (banking)

Education

Marquette University – BS Applied Mathematics – 1982

Silver Lake College – BA Studio Arts and Photography - 1980

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