Expert Mainframe & Enterprise Engineer – COBOL / ABAP

A leading AI research organization is evaluating how advanced AI systems perform in specialized engineering domains and is seeking experienced engineers with deep production experience in COBOL and/or ABAP.

This role focuses on assessing real-world enterprise software scenarios and helping shape how advanced AI systems perform in mainframe and enterprise application environments.

Engineers specializing in either COBOL or ABAP are encouraged to apply.

What You'll Do

• Apply enterprise software expertise to evaluate technical tasks against real-world professional standards

• Review complex code-level scenarios and provide structured technical assessments

• Work within containerized development environments using:

  • Docker
  • Repository-based workflows
  • Automated validation tools
  • CI-style checks

• Interpret engineering environments and determine technical correctness

• Provide clear written explanations supporting technical judgments

• Complete structured tasks with defined evaluation criteria and timelines

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional development experience in one or more of the following:

COBOL

• IBM Mainframe (z/OS) development
• JCL
• CICS
• VSAM
• DB2
• Banking systems
• Insurance systems
• Government systems

ABAP

• SAP R/3

• SAP S/4HANA

• SE38

• SE80

• SE11

• BAPIs

• BADIs

• Enhancement Spots

• Enterprise ERP environments

• Ability to work within:

  • Linux environments
  • Docker-based repositories
  • Automated testing and CI workflows

• Strong written communication skills

• Ability to explain not only what code does, but why it is technically correct and follows established enterprise development practices

Preferred Backgrounds

Applicants may come from:

• Banking institutions
• Insurance organizations
• Enterprise ERP environments
• Government agencies
• Large enterprise software teams

A public GitHub profile is not required.

Why This Work Matters

COBOL and ABAP continue to power critical systems across banking, insurance, government, and enterprise ERP environments worldwide.

Despite their importance, these technologies remain underrepresented in AI research. Your expertise will directly influence how future AI systems learn to understand and operate within these environments.

Engagement Details

• Compensation: $130–210/hour depending on expertise and experience
• Expected commitment: 20–40 hours per week

Work Availability

Task volume may fluctuate and work often arrives in batches.

Ideal contributors are:

• Flexible with scheduling
• Comfortable supporting occasional weekend work
• Able to take ownership of task completion and project momentum

Additional Notes

• No proprietary tooling is required
• Tasks can be completed without SAP licenses or mainframe access

Contract & Payment Terms

• Independent contractor engagement
• Fully remote work
• Flexible schedule
• Projects may be extended, shortened, or concluded based on project needs and performance
• Weekly payments through Stripe or Wise

Important Note

Mercor currently cannot support:

• H1-B candidates
• STEM OPT candidates

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train and evaluate frontier AI systems using real-world human expertise.

Contributors work directly on projects helping shape the next generation of AI technologies.