Sabenza IT & Recruitment
Full Stack Developer (COBAL/PL1)
Senior-level Java consultant joining a mainframe-to-cloud migration team in Pretoria, converting legacy COBOL/PL1 applications into modern Java and cloud-based solutions. The role blends hands-on core Java/Spring development with agile team leadership, project management, and DevOps responsibilities.
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Pretoria, South Africa
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Senior
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 10+ years
- Category
- Fullstack
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- 10+ years' experience in a relevant programming language
- Proficient in core Java concepts: OOP, multithreading, exception handling
- Strong understanding of Java fundamentals: collections, generics, IO
- Expertise in Java frameworks like Spring (Core, MVC, Boot)
- Experience transitioning legacy COBOL/PL1 applications to a Java-based cloud architecture
- Very strong understanding of project management principles; leading and measuring projects
- Ability to manage a technical team using agile methodologies
- Leadership skills: facilitation, situational awareness, conflict resolution, continual improvement, empowerment, transparency
- Knowledge of documented patterns and techniques complementing scrum (burndown techniques, retrospective formats, bug handling)
- Agile working model experience
- Project management
- DevOps and Biz DevOps
- Transition management
- PIC process management (Problem, Incident and Change Management)
- Excellent proficiency in the Agile tool chain (JIRA, Confluence, X-Ray, BitBucket)
- Resource planning and budget management
- Previous exposure to a finance function (in a finance function or as Agile Master servicing one)
- Assisting with the business case
- Coordination between development and support environments
- Planning and monitoring
- Translating and simplifying requirements
- Requirements analysis, organization, management, and communication
- On-premise virtualization technology expertise
- Experience in testing (manual or automated)
- At least one of: Professional Scrum Master II (scrum.org) or Certified SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (scaledagile.com)
Nice to have
- Web and digital project experience
- Agile working experience
- Scrum Master certification
- Project Management qualification
Full description
Pretoria, South Africa | Posted on 07/09/2026
Ready to turn decades-old mainframe technology into the future?
We’re looking for a Senior Expert Java Consultant to join a high-performing Mainframe-to-Cloud Migration team working on complex, large-scale technology transformation.
You’ll be at the heart of a major modernization journey, helping transform legacy COBOL and PL/1 applications into modern Java and cloud-based solutions.
This isn’t a "keep the lights on" role. You’ll be helping design how legacy systems evolve into modern, scalable, cloud-ready platforms.
Requirements
ESSENTIAL SKILLS:
- As a Senior Expert Level Java Consultant, you will be part of the Mainframe to Cloud Migration team responsible for transitioning legacy COBOL/PL1 applications to a modern Java-based cloud architecture.
- Resource Planning and budget management.
- Previous exposure to finance function (either in finance function or Agile Master for a team that services a finance function).
- Ability to manage a technical team using agile methodologies.
- Leadership skills and knowledge of facilitation, situational awareness, conflict resolution, continual improvement, empowerment, and increasing transparency.
- Knowledge of numerous well documented patterns and techniques for filling in the intentional gaps left in the scrum approach (e.g., Numerous burndown techniques, retrospective formats, handling bugs, etc).
- Agile Working Model.
- Project Management.
- DevOps and Biz DevOps.
- Transition Management.
- PIC Process Management (Problem, Incident and Change Management).
- Excellent proficiency in the Agile Tool Chain (JIRA, Confluence, X-Ray, BitBucket).
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Proficient in core Java concepts, including object-oriented programming (OOP), multi threading, and exception handling.
- Strong understanding of Java fundamentals, such as collections, generics, and IO.
- VERY Strong understanding of project management principles and delivering of projects. Leading and measuring projects.
- Expertise in Java frameworks like Spring (Core, MVC, Boot, etc.) for building enterprise-level applications.
- Assisting with the business case.
- Coordination between development and support environments.
- Planning and monitoring.
- Translating and simplifying requirements.