Lead Software Engineer - mainframe

Overview

Responsible at the expert level for writing code and the overall team's technical requirements gathering. Completes work following banking technology standards and contributes to the overall stability and resiliency of banking technology within the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) while also coaching others.

Supports and enhances core mainframe applications that underpin regulatory, compliance, and branch banking functions, with a focus on code quality, resiliency, and knowledge continuity as part of a small, highly specialized engineering team.

Primary Responsibilities

Develop and coach other team members while also working independently on applications within approved Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) processes, including identification and recommendation of metrics to solve business needs and minimize risk through clean, resilient code.

Review and approve designs and pull requests, and oversee execution and change management activities related to production deployments.

Design peer review processes and coach others on code reviews, code quality, and continuous improvement practices.

Author organized, clean, efficient, and secure source code at the expert level in at least one programming language, with moderate proficiency in at least one additional language, while coaching team members on appropriate data structures and algorithms.

Oversee source control management practices and perform code merges into the production deployment path.

Review testing methodologies and code coverage to ensure comprehensive validation; coach others on testing improvements and risk mitigation.

Drive adherence to patterns and practices for performance testing, resiliency, and optimization within the application domain.

Review and approve requirement plans in partnership with delivery teams, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and feasibility.

Serve as a key technical partner across technology and business teams; recommend process improvements where architectural or technical concerns exist.

Contribute technical requirements in support of application delivery, enhancement, and long-term maintenance within the domain.

Effectively communicate architecture, progress, risks, and challenges to both technical and business stakeholders.

Contribute to application architecture design, engineering standards, and pattern evolution; present at architecture peer groups and review boards.

Present team work at internal forums and contribute to internal documentation and knowledge sharing.

Understand and adhere to the Company’s risk and regulatory standards, policies, and controls in alignment with the Company’s Risk Appetite.

Promote an environment that supports a culture of belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand.

Maintain internal control standards, including timely resolution of audit findings and regulatory issues.

Complete other related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience Required

• Associate’s degree and a minimum of 7 years’ systems analysis and/or application development experience OR Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years’ systems analysis and/or application development experience. In lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 9 years’ education and/or relevant work experience, including at least 5 years of systems analysis and/or application development experience.

• Extensive mainframe application development experience
• Strong hands-on expertise with COBOL (primary development language)
• Proficiency with JCL and mainframe batch processing environments
• Experience supporting and enhancing legacy, compliance-driven applications
• Ability to work within highly specialized systems and rapidly learn proprietary or niche platforms
• Familiarity with source control, code review processes, and production deployment practices in a regulated environment

Education and Experience Preferred

• Experience supporting applications related to abandoned funds, account inactivity, compliance reporting, or branch banking operations
• Exposure to distributed systems or Java-based development in hybrid environments
• Familiarity with governance or application inventory tools (e.g., Archer / EGRC)
• Experience working in small, remote engineering teams with deep system ownership

• Expert analytical skills specific to application development
• Experience working in team-based environments
• Ability to work autonomously
• Ability to manage multiple complex initiatives concurrently
• Strong organizat