Staff Systems Engineer, z/OS & z/VM

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

We are seeking a talented Staff Systems Engineer to join our z/VM & z/OS Core Systems Engineering team with a focus on z/VM and specialization in z/OS. This is an individual contributor role responsible for identifying and resolving issues of high complexity and delivering system solutions to support Visa’s global infrastructure. The ideal candidate will have strong z/VM systems engineering skills; experience with z/OS is highly preferred.

This team is the backbone of Visa’s global infrastructure- responsible for all hardware and every operating system that powers our authorization and clearing and settlement systems for both credit and debit. We manage one of the most robust and mission-critical system environments in the industry, directly supporting 89% of Visa’s revenue. From mainframe to modern platforms, our engineers ensure the reliability, scalability, and performance of the systems that move money around the world.

Responsibilities

• Install, maintain, and upgrade z/VM operating system and subsystems.
• Configure, install, and support z/OS operating environments, including implementing and maintaining virtual machine resources and related subsystems.
• Provide 24x7 production support for Visa operations, including second-level z/VM and z/OS system support, with on-call rotational coverage for geographically dispersed data centers.
• Apply working knowledge of SMP/E for software installation and maintenance.
• Utilize and maintain z/VM tools and subsystems, with a basic understanding of major z/VM and z/OS subsystems (such as JES2, RACF, VTAM, TCP/IP, DIRMAINT, RACF/VM, VM:Secure, and VM:Operator).
• Perform system and application monitoring and proactively address operational issues.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex system problems for both z/VM and z/OS environments.
• Manage workload independently, escalating as necessary to senior engineers and management.
• Collaborate with other support, development, and user groups to manage infrastructure requirements from design through implementation.
• Work with vendors on software upgrades, maintenance, and support for both z/VM and z/OS platforms.
• Document processes and changes using tools such as Microsoft Project, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Assist application teams with problem determination and requests for new functionality on both z/VM and z/OS.
• Support user requirements for software functionality and features.
• Maintain knowledge of ISV software tools and related mainframe utilities.

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in office will be confirmed by your hiring manager.

Visa will accept applications for this role until at least October 31, 2025.

Basic Qualifications: 

• 5+ years of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or at least 2 years of work experience with an Advanced degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 0 years of work experience with a PhD, OR 8+ years of relevant work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with installation, configuration, and maintenance of z/VM operating system and subsystems.
• Strong problem determination and troubleshooting skills in z/VM environments.
• Working knowledge of z/OS operating systems and experience managing virtual machine resources (highly preferred).
• Experience with SMP/E and ISV software installation and support.
• Basic understanding of z/VM and z/OS security, including RACF, networking, and storage management.
• Ability to work with all levels of management and users with varying levels of technical knowledge.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Willingness to participate in on-call rotation and provide off-hours support as needed.
• Hands-on experience with z/OS installation, maintenance, and administration.
• Experience with z/OS systems programming, directory management, and user provisioning.
• Familiarity with IBM mainframe server hardware, I/O configuration, and HMC operations.
• Experience supporting mixed z/VM and z/OS environments.

Work Hours: Varies upon the needs of the department.

Travel Requirements: This position requires travel 5-10% of the time.

Mental/Physical Requirements: This position will be performed in an office setting.  The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

Visa is an EEO Employer.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.  Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.

Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable local law, including the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.

U.S. APPLICANTS ONLY: The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is 117,700.00 to 170,600.00 USD per year, which may include potential sales incentive payments (if applicable). Salary may vary depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position may be eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401 (k), FSA/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Wellness Program.