Mainframe Performance Engineer at CVS Health

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Mainframe Performance Engineer
Company: CVS Health
Location: Hartford, Connecticut, United States (Remote)
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: DevOps & Infrastructure
Date Posted: June 11, 2025
Experience Level: 10+ years
Remote Status: Remote (U.S. only)

🚀 Role Summary

Key Responsibilities: Monitor mainframe system resources, analyze performance, troubleshoot issues, collaborate with multiple teams, and provide on-call support for application performance.
Key Technologies: Mainframe (z/OS, z Hardware architecture), Microsoft Suite, DB2, CICS, MQ, Omegamon, RMFIII, SAS, MXG.
Key Industries: Retail, Pharmacy, Healthcare.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong technical background in mainframe performance analysis and troubleshooting, with a focus on optimizing system resources and ensuring application performance.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Resource Monitoring & Analysis: Monitor shared mainframe system resources, run utilization reports, identify top consumers, and review trends/abnormalities.
Performance Diagnosis & Optimization: Run real-time diagnostics, troubleshoot performance issues, and contribute to ongoing MIPS reduction efforts.
Collaboration & Support: Work with multiple mainframe teams, assist with design and QA testing, and provide on-call support for application performance.
Seasonal Planning & Support: Plan and support Open Enrollment/Welcome Season events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary focus of this role is to ensure optimal mainframe performance, which requires a deep understanding of mainframe architecture, performance analysis tools, and application performance monitoring.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Informational Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent experience (HS diploma + 4 years relevant experience).

Experience:

7+ years of general mainframe experience (z/OS, z Hardware architecture).
5+ years of performance analysis and troubleshooting.
5+ years of experience with the Microsoft Suite.
3+ years of mainframe monitoring tools experience (Omegamon, RMFIII, SAS/MXG).
3+ years of experience with DB2, CICS, and/or MQ (preferred).
2+ years of experience in the Retail, Pharmacy, or Healthcare domain (preferred).

Required Skills:

Strong technical, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work in a dynamic, collaborative environment.
Experience working with diverse teams across multiple time zones and geographies.
Ability to influence and inspire teams to align with the technical direction.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with Informational Science, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering degree.
Familiarity with retail, pharmacy, or healthcare domain-specific applications.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrate mainframe performance analysis and optimization projects.
Showcase problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot performance issues.
Highlight collaboration and teamwork with other IT professionals.

Technical Documentation:

Provide documentation on mainframe performance analysis tools (Omegamon, RMFIII, SAS/MXG).
Include case studies on performance optimization and resource management.
Demonstrate understanding of mainframe architecture and application performance monitoring.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $118,450.00 - $260,590.00 per year (U.S. only)

Benefits:

Affordable medical plan options.
401(k) plan with matching company contributions.
Employee stock purchase plan.
No-cost wellness screenings, tobacco cessation, and weight management programs.
Confidential counseling and financial coaching.
Paid time off, flexible work schedules, family leave, dependent care resources, colleague assistance programs, tuition assistance, and retiree medical access.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is based on CVS Health's pay range for this role. The actual base salary offer will depend on various factors, including experience, education, geography, and other relevant factors. This position is also eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission, or short-term incentive program, as well as an award target in the company's equity award program.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: CVS Health operates in the retail pharmacy and healthcare services industry, with a focus on connecting consumers to the care they need.

Company Size: CVS Health is a large, Fortune 500 company with over 300,000 employees.

Founded: 1963 (as Melville Corporation)

Team Structure:

The Mainframe Capacity Planning and Performance team is responsible for monitoring and optimizing mainframe system resources.
The team collaborates with multiple mainframe teams, including application development, infrastructure, and operations teams.
The team works closely with business stakeholders to ensure application performance meets user expectations.

Development Methodology:

The team follows Agile methodologies, with a focus on continuous improvement and collaboration.
They use tools like JIRA, Confluence, and Bitbucket for project management, documentation, and version control.
The team emphasizes code reviews, testing, and quality assurance to ensure high-quality deliverables.

Company Website: CVS Health

📝 Enhancement Note: CVS Health is a large, established company with a strong focus on connecting consumers to care. The company's size and industry position provide opportunities for career growth and development within the organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Mainframe Performance Engineer Career Level: This role is typically at the senior or staff engineer level, with a focus on performance analysis, optimization, and troubleshooting. The engineer in this role is expected to have a deep understanding of mainframe architecture, performance analysis tools, and application performance monitoring.

Reporting Structure: The Mainframe Performance Engineer reports to the Manager of Mainframe Capacity Planning and Performance. They collaborate with multiple mainframe teams, including application development, infrastructure, and operations teams.

Technical Impact: The Mainframe Performance Engineer has a significant impact on application performance, user experience, and overall system stability. Their work ensures that mainframe resources are optimized and that applications perform as expected under varying workloads.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: Develop expertise in mainframe performance analysis, optimization, and troubleshooting. Stay up-to-date with the latest mainframe technologies and best practices.
Leadership Development: Gain experience managing teams and mentoring junior engineers. Develop leadership skills through cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.
Architecture & Design: Contribute to mainframe architecture and design decisions, ensuring that the mainframe environment supports business needs and aligns with industry best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Mainframe Performance Engineer role offers opportunities for technical growth, leadership development, and architecture and design contributions. The role's impact on application performance and user experience provides a strong foundation for career progression within the organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid (on-site and remote work arrangements)

Office Location(s): Hartford, Connecticut, United States (Remote)

Workspace Context:

The Mainframe Capacity Planning and Performance team works in a collaborative, dynamic environment.
Team members have access to the necessary tools and resources to perform their jobs effectively.
The team emphasizes knowledge sharing, technical mentoring, and continuous learning.

Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week) with on-call support for application performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment at CVS Health offers a balance between on-site collaboration and remote work flexibility. The team's focus on knowledge sharing, technical mentoring, and continuous learning fosters a culture of growth and development.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Phone Screen: A brief phone call to discuss the role, responsibilities, and qualifications.
Technical Assessment: A hands-on assessment of mainframe performance analysis and troubleshooting skills. This may include case studies, problem-solving exercises, and code reviews.
Behavioral Interview: A conversation focused on problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills. This may include scenarios related to mainframe performance optimization, stakeholder management, and teamwork.
Final Interview: A meeting with the hiring manager and other team members to discuss the role, team dynamics, and career growth opportunities.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight mainframe performance analysis and optimization projects.
Showcase problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot performance issues.
Demonstrate collaboration and teamwork with other IT professionals.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on mainframe performance analysis tools (Omegamon, RMFIII, SAS/MXG).
Review mainframe architecture and application performance monitoring concepts.
Practice problem-solving exercises and case studies related to mainframe performance optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for the Mainframe Performance Engineer role is designed to assess technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their mainframe performance analysis and optimization experience, as well as their approach to collaboration and stakeholder management.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Mainframe Technologies:

z/OS and z Hardware architecture.
DB2, CICS, and MQ (preferred).
Mainframe monitoring tools: Omegamon, RMFIII, SAS/MXG.

Microsoft Suite:

Excel, PowerPoint, and Word for reporting and documentation.
Access for data analysis and reporting (preferred).

Other Tools:

JIRA, Confluence, and Bitbucket for project management, documentation, and version control.
Git for version control and collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Mainframe Performance Engineer role requires a strong understanding of mainframe technologies, performance analysis tools, and application performance monitoring. Familiarity with Microsoft Suite and other collaboration tools is also beneficial for effective communication and documentation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Mainframe Performance Team Values:

Performance Focus: A relentless commitment to optimizing mainframe resources and application performance.
Collaboration: Working together to achieve shared goals and drive continuous improvement.
Continuous Learning: A commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest mainframe technologies and best practices.
Problem-Solving: A proactive approach to identifying and addressing performance issues and system inefficiencies.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Working closely with application development, infrastructure, and operations teams to ensure mainframe performance meets business needs.
Code Review Culture: Encouraging peer review and feedback to ensure high-quality deliverables.
Knowledge Sharing: Fostering a culture of learning and growth through mentoring and technical training.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Mainframe Performance Team at CVS Health values performance focus, collaboration, continuous learning, and problem-solving. The team's cross-functional integration, code review culture, and knowledge-sharing practices foster a culture of growth and development.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Performance Optimization: Identifying and addressing performance bottlenecks in mainframe applications and infrastructure.
System Inefficiencies: Diagnosing and resolving system inefficiencies that impact mainframe performance and application availability.
Scalability: Ensuring that mainframe resources can scale to meet changing business demands and workloads.
Emerging Technologies: Staying up-to-date with the latest mainframe technologies and best practices, and integrating them into the existing environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: Deepening expertise in mainframe performance analysis, optimization, and troubleshooting.
Leadership Development: Gaining experience managing teams and mentoring junior engineers.
Architecture & Design: Contributing to mainframe architecture and design decisions, ensuring that the mainframe environment supports business needs and aligns with industry best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Mainframe Performance Engineer role presents technical challenges related to performance optimization, system inefficiencies, scalability, and emerging technologies. These challenges provide opportunities for technical skill development, leadership growth, and architecture and design contributions.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Mainframe Architecture: Questions related to mainframe architecture, performance analysis tools, and application performance monitoring.
Performance Optimization: Scenarios involving performance bottlenecks, system inefficiencies, and scalability challenges.
Problem-Solving: Situational questions that assess the ability to diagnose and resolve performance issues in a mainframe environment.

Company & Culture Questions:

CVS Health Culture: Questions related to CVS Health's mission, values, and culture, as well as the company's approach to healthcare and pharmacy services.
Mainframe Team Dynamics: Questions related to the Mainframe Capacity Planning and Performance team's structure, collaboration, and communication styles.
Career Growth Opportunities: Questions related to career progression, technical skill development, and leadership opportunities within the organization.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Mainframe Performance Projects: Highlight mainframe performance analysis and optimization projects, showcasing problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot performance issues.
Collaboration & Teamwork: Demonstrate collaboration and teamwork with other IT professionals, emphasizing the ability to work effectively in a cross-functional environment.
User Experience Focus: Emphasize the importance of mainframe performance in delivering a positive user experience and driving business success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for the Mainframe Performance Engineer role focuses on assessing technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their mainframe performance analysis and optimization experience, as well as their approach to collaboration and stakeholder management.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Mainframe Performance Engineer position:

Submit your application through the CVS Health careers website.
Prepare your mainframe performance analysis and optimization portfolio, highlighting problem-solving skills and collaboration with other IT professionals.
Brush up on mainframe performance analysis tools (Omegamon, RMFIII, SAS/MXG) and review mainframe architecture and application performance monitoring concepts.
Practice problem-solving exercises and case studies related to mainframe performance optimization.
Research CVS Health's mission, values, and culture, as well as the Mainframe Capacity Planning and Performance team's structure and collaboration styles.
Prepare for behavioral interviews, focusing on problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and mainframe performance engineering industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with CVS Health before making application decisions.

Mainframe Performance Engineer