Software/Platform Engineer II

The MetLife EMEA Technology organization is evolving to enable MetLife's New Frontier strategy. With a strong vision in place, we are a function focused on driving digital technology strategies for key technology functions within MetLife including. In partnership with our business leaders, we develop and deliver seamless technology experiences to our employees across the entire employee lifecycle. Our vision and mission is to create innovative, transformative and contemporary technology solutions to empower our leaders and employees so they can focus on what matters most, our customers. We are technologists with strong business acumen focused on developing our talent to continually transform and innovate.

We are seeking a skilled Software Platform Engineer (AS400 / COBOL) to support and modernize critical business applications within the Egypt market. This role is part of the AS400 team and will work closely with a Senior Software Engineer to ensure the stability, performance, and continuous evolution of core insurance platforms. The selected candidate will contribute to the design, development, maintenance, and support of AS400-based systems while supporting MetLife's broader digital transformation agenda.

The role requires a hands-on engineer with strong technical knowledge, a collaborative mindset, and the ability to operate in a high-dependency environment where reliability, ownership, knowledge sharing, and Agile ways of working are essential.

Key Relationships

Senior Software Engineer and AS400 Team, Technology Leadership in Egypt and EMEA, Business Product Owners and Stakeholders, Agile Release Train (ART) Teams, Scrum Master, Product Owner, Infrastructure and Platform Teams, and external vendors and partners where applicable.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain COBOL-based applications on AS400 / IBM i-Series platforms.
• Ensure high availability, performance, and stability of business-critical production systems.
• Take ownership of assigned tasks and system components, including incident analysis, root cause identification, and continuous improvement, working closely with the Senior Software Engineer where required.
• Collaborate with business, product, engineering, and Agile team members to translate requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Support end-to-end delivery, including development, testing, deployment, and post-production support.
• Participate in code reviews, system design discussions, and architectural decisions as part of the AS400 team.
• Support production deployments and critical releases, helping ensure minimal disruption to business operations.
• Drive knowledge documentation and transfer to reduce single points of failure within the organization.
• Contribute to modernization initiatives, integration efforts, and optimization of legacy systems.
• Work as part of Agile teams, actively participating in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, estimations, sprint reviews, retrospectives, and delivery of user stories.
  
  

Operating Model & Working Conditions

• This role supports the Egypt business and follows Sunday to Thursday working days, with standard working hours aligned to Egypt business hours.
• Production deployments and critical releases are typically scheduled during weekends, Friday and Saturday.
• Flexibility is required, as working hours may vary depending on project needs, releases, and production support activities.
  
  

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 4-6 years of hands-on software engineering and production experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent.
• Strong hands-on experience in COBOL programming and IBM AS400 / IBM i-Series platforms.
• Proven experience in production support and incident management for critical systems.
• Solid understanding of application design, architecture, system integration, and data flows.
• Experience working as part of Agile teams and following Agile ways of working.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and collaboration tools is a plus.
• Prior experience in the insurance or financial services domain is highly preferred.
  
  

Technical Capabilities

• AS400 / IBM i-Series ecosystem, including CL and RPG as required capabilities.
• COBOL development and maintenance.
• Batch processing and job scheduling.
• System performance tuning and optimization.
• Integration with external systems and platforms.
• Understanding of cloud and hybrid architectures is an advantage.
• Application design and architecture.
• DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, Agile delivery practices, backlog management, sprint ceremonies, and collaboration tools.
  
  

Soft Skills

• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking.
• Clear and effective communication skills.
• High level of accountability and ownership.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within the AS400 team and Agile delivery teams.
• Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills.
• Attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement.
  
  

What Success Looks Like

• Stable and reliable operation of AS400-based critical systems.
• Reduced dependency on single individuals through proper documentation and knowledge sharing.
• Efficient handling of incidents with minimal business disruption.
• Continuous enhancement and optimization of legacy platforms.
• Strong alignment with business needs, Agile team commitments, sprint goals, and delivery timelines.