JAMES GICAS
MAINFRAME COBOL / CICS / DB2 SPECIALIST
Cary, NC | 505-975-4001 | jasagicas@outlook.com
Senior mainframe software professional with 35+ years of experience developing, modernizing, troubleshooting, and supporting business-critical systems. Deep expertise in structured COBOL, CICS, DB2, and IMS DB/DC.
Extensive experience across healthcare, defense, automotive, financial services, manufacturing, insurance, and pharmaceutical environments. Known for quickly mastering complex legacy applications, writing dependable production code, leading conversion efforts, and communicating effectively with technical teams, users, DBAs, and management.
Languages & Methods: COBOL, COBOL II, Structured Programming, Yourdon techniques, SQL, XML
Mainframe & Databases: CICS, BMS, DB2, IMS DB/DC, MFS, VSAM, TOTAL
Tools & Utilities: IBM JCL, TSO/ISPF, Xpediter, Endevor, File-AID, File-AID IMS, SPUFI, QMF, DB2-XPERT, MQSeries, FTP, InfoMan
Leadership: Project leadership, application analysis, production support, developer training, user liaison, technical documentation
Blue Cross Blue Shield | Wilmington, DE
Senior Programmer / Analyst | July 2021 - June 2023
· Selected for a six-month contract that was extended to two years based on performance and continuing business need.
· Diagnosed and corrected defects in a front-end healthcare system using COBOL and IMS.
· Cloned and adapted a batch IMS application to deliver health-coverage data to a client.
Department of Defense / NTVI | New Cumberland, PA
Senior Programmer / Developer | January 2020 - May 2021
· Developed 16 new COBOL, CICS, and DB2 programs and maintained dozens of additional applications for the Defense transportation organization.
· Delivered more than 12,000 lines of new or modified production code. Used Endevor and InfoMan for program administration.
· Earned an outstanding first-year performance review from management.
Metatrieval Software LLC | Irvine, CA
Senior Programmer / Analyst | September 2018 - January 2020
· Developed and tested more than 100 DB2 mainframe queries against Mazda customer and dealer databases using COBOL, outer joins, subqueries, and compound conditions.
· Integrated validated queries into a Visual Basic search application adopted by Mazda programmers as an alternative to QMF and SPUFI.
Sordyl and Associates, Inc. | Remote
Senior Programmer / Analyst | October 2016 - September 2018
· Converted hundreds of MANTIS online programs to CICS/COBOL. Replaced legacy code and performed program and system retesting.
Mazda North American Operations | Irvine, CA
Project Lead / Senior Programmer / Analyst | December 2014 - September 2016
· Led and supported the automotive parts system using COBOL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, MQSeries, utilities, and FTP.
· Developed XML/MQSeries/FTP interfaces between the United States and Japan, Canada, and Great Britain.
· Built CICS online programs supporting parts sales, purchase orders, transfers, and inventory.
Toyota | Torrance, CA
Senior Programmer | May 2013 - November 2014
· Maintained vehicle-lease applications and developed COBOL reports using COBOL, CICS, DB2, and VSAM.
Nissan North America | Gardena, CA
Senior Programmer | November 2011 - May 2013
· Supported vehicle remarketing applications and developed a 6,500-line CICS/DB2/COBOL program for Consumer Buyback operations.
Wyle Electronics | Irvine, CA
Project Lead / Senior Programmer / Analyst | September 2009 - August 2011
· Helped convert a COBOL/IMS batch and CICS application environment to COBOL II/DB2. Analyzed the parts system and installed new company and scheduling tables.
· Converted approximately 200 programs from IMS to DB2 across parts, customer, company, and scheduling data.
Bergen-Brunswig, Inc. | Orange, CA
Senior Programmer | January 2008 - September 2009
· Contributed to an 11-person legacy MANTIS/VSAM-to-DB2 conversion, creating 11 reusable COBOL II/DB2 CICS and batch subroutines.
· Replaced legacy access in additional programs and reports. All delivered programs entered production successfully.
ITT Cannon | Santa Ana, CA
Senior Programmer | April 2005 - December 2007
· Developed and enhanced COBOL/CICS manufacturing applications supporting accounts payable, inventory, purchasing, shop orders, vendor performance, and returns.
AT&T | East Brunswick, NJ
Senior Programmer | April 2001 - March 2005
· Supported pricing and financial systems using COBOL II, DB2, and IMS DB/DC. Rewrote a major DB2 extract using nested cursor logic for international price books and reports.
· Automated quarterly parameter updates and trained 14 developers to use Xpediter.
The Franklin Mint | Media, PA
Senior Programmer | March 1999 - April 2001
· Developed DB2/COBOL II conversion and exception-processing programs for a new Customer Satisfaction System and maintained sales and marketing applications.
Alpo Petfoods Inc. | Lehigh Valley, PA
Senior Programmer | June 1997 - February 1999
· Partnered with DBAs to design a DB2 demand-forecasting database and developed conversion, extract, load, reporting, and daily-interface programs.
Prudential Insurance | Fort Washington, PA
Senior Programmer | April 1995 - June 1997
· Designed, coded, and tested a 3,000-line DB2/COBOL II electronic-funds-transfer update program for AARP operations.
· Enhanced complex rate-inquiry queries and updates using correlated subqueries, multi-table joins, and InterTest.
SmithKline Beecham | King of Prussia, PA
Senior Programmer / Analyst | March 1994 - April 1995
· Wrote specifications and developed online CICS/DB2 and batch COBOL II/DB2 programs for the purge-and-archive component of an order-entry system.
Rhone-Poulenc Rorer | Collegeville, PA
Senior Programmer | May 1993 - March 1994
· Converted 22 batch programs from IMS to DB2. Removed IMS calls, replaced them with joins of up to five DB2 tables, and recompiled and retested the applications.
· Developed five COBOL/DB2 programs for the Sales Reporting system.
AT&T | Allentown, PA
Senior Programmer | July 1991 - May 1993
· Performed IMS-to-DB2 conversion work and developed COBOL/DB2 programs for sales reporting.
AT&T MicroElectronics | East Brunswick, NJ
Senior Programmer | October 1989 - July 1991
· Developed an international ship, pack, and receive system using COBOL, DB2, and IMS DC.
· Wrote seven highly structured programs of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 lines each. Used joins of up to eight tables, UNION ALL, GROUP BY, and cursor processing.
AT&T | East Brunswick, NJ
JCL Installation Group | August 1988 - October 1989
· Developed DB2/IMS DC update, statistics, load, and database-integrity programs. Also wrote and maintained IMS batch and online applications.
· Introduced structured COBOL standards and walkthroughs to the development group and assisted with programmer training.
Penn State University - Bachelor of Arts | Chubb Institute - DB2 Applications | Temple University - CICS and IBM JCL
Additional study: Montgomery County College - CICS; University of Wisconsin - Speech and Drama