Role description
The Lead Adabas/Natural-COBOL Modernization Specialist is the technical expert for a modernization effort that moves a legacy Adabas-Natural-COBOL system handling high volume claims, daily file exchanges, and complex batch jobs to non mainframe and AWS platforms. This role requires deep skill in reverse engineering, breaking down old code, creating clear flowcharts, and understanding Adabas internals.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the deconstruction of highly complex, legacy Natural and COBOL programs, nested subroutines, global data areas, and batch modules that have remained untouched for years.
- Produce detailed flowcharts, decision trees, sequence diagrams, and process maps to represent undocumented logic and hidden dependencies.
- Analyse and document the claims lifecycle, daily inbound/outbound flows, and business rules embedded in Natural programs and Adabas files.
- Identify implicit logic, cross program dependencies, shared data areas, and undocumented workflows across the legacy ecosystem.
- Oversee daily inbound file loads, outbound file generation, job dependencies, and Control M scheduling, ensuring stability and SLA compliance.
- Collaborate with architects to define modernization strategy, target AWS architecture (S3, Lambda, Aurora, RDS, EC2), and re platforming approaches.
- Mentor mid level analysts, review reverse engineered logic, enforce documentation standards, and ensure consistency across migration deliverables.
- Produce high quality technical documentation including program specifications, data dictionaries, flowcharts, and migration ready design packages.
- Create comprehensive inventories. Analyse, document and review Predict repositories, Data Definition Modules (DDMs), Local Data Areas (LDAs), Global Data Areas (GDAs), and Parameter Data Areas (PDAs) to establish complete application and data dependencies.
Required Skills & Experience:
- 8+ hands on experience with Natural, COBOL, and Adabas in large enterprise environments.
- Proven expertise in reverse engineering and converting undocumented legacy logic into structured technical artifacts.
- Deep understanding of Adabas internals, file structures, indexing, compression, performance tuning, and data relationships.
- Mastery of Adabas utilities (ADACMP, ADALOD, ADAREP, ADABCK, ADAINV, ADAUTIL).
- Strong experience with batch processing, JCL, Control M scheduling, and high volume daily operations.
- Demonstrated ability to analyse claims processing systems or similar transaction heavy domains.
- Expert level capability in flowcharting, sequence diagrams, and technical specification writing.
- Extensive experience with data extraction, mapping, and transformation for migration pipelines.
- Strong leadership, mentoring, and cross team collaboration skills.
- Exceptional analytical and problem solving abilities with the capability to uncover hidden dependencies and undocumented logic.
Nice to have skills:
- Hands on exposure to cloud migration, preferably AWS (S3, Lambda, Aurora, RDS, EC2).
Familiarity with ETL tools used in migration pipelines.
Knowledge of AWS migration frameworks, re platforming strategies, or mainframe emulation technologies.
Prior experience leading modernization teams or multi phase migration programs.
Skills
mainframe,adabas development,adabas natural,flow chart,
About UST
UST is a global digital transformation solutions provider. For more than 20 years, UST has worked side by side with the world’s best companies to make a real impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people and led by purpose, UST partners with their clients from design to operation. With deep domain expertise and a future-proof philosophy, UST embeds innovation and agility into their clients’ organizations. With over 30,000 employees in 30 countries, UST builds for boundless impact—touching billions of lives in the process.
