At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop applications using RPG on the IBM i platform.
- Company: Join Microlise, a leading tech company transforming logistics solutions.
- Benefits: Flexible working, private medical insurance, and 25 days holiday.
- Other info: Great culture with opportunities for professional growth and team collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on critical applications while solving complex problems.
- Qualifications: Experience in RPG development and strong problem-solving skills required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
We’re looking for an experienced Senior RPG Software Engineer to join us on a 12 month fixed term contract, supporting the development, maintenance and modernisation of business-critical applications on the IBM i platform. This is a hands-on technical role, combining software development, production support, deployments, system operations and technical leadership. You’ll work closely with technical teams and business stakeholders to deliver robust, maintainable solutions that support key business operations.
If you’re an experienced RPG Software Engineer looking for your next fixed term opportunity, we’d love to hear from you.
What you’ll be doing
- Design, develop and maintain applications using RPG/400, RPG IV, ILE RPG and Free Format RPG.
- Support and enhance solutions running within IBM i / AS400 environments.
- Analyse business requirements and translate them into robust, maintainable technical solutions.
- Develop and optimise DB2 for i databases, SQL queries and data structures.
- Design and maintain integrations using REST APIs, JSON and XML.
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex application, database and system issues.
- Plan and support software deployments across development, test and production environments.
- Support IBM i operational processes, including batch processing, job scheduling and subsystem management.
- Contribute to testing, code reviews, documentation and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Share technical knowledge, mentor engineers and support high-quality delivery across the team.
- Participate in Agile delivery activities including planning, stand-ups, reviews and retrospectives.
What we’re looking for
- Degree in Computer Science or related discipline, or equivalent commercial experience.
- Significant experience as a Senior RPG Engineer, RPG Developer or IBM i Developer.
- Strong RPG development experience, including RPG/400, RPG IV, ILE RPG and Free Format RPG.
- Strong understanding of the IBM i platform and application lifecycle.
- Experience developing and maintaining 5250-based business applications.
- Experience with DB2 for i database development and performance optimisation.
- Ability to design and build integrations using REST APIs.
- Experience working with JSON and XML data formats.
- Knowledge of CL programming and IBM i operational processes.
- Experience managing software deployments and production releases.
- Experience supporting batch workloads, job queues and subsystem operations.
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
- Understanding of software engineering best practices including testing, code quality and maintainability.
- Experience working within Agile development environments.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Desirable experience
- Good SQL knowledge, including Embedded SQL within RPG applications.
- Experience with DDL and modern database design approaches.
- Experience with RDi and modern IBM i development practices.
- Familiarity with Git, Azure DevOps or similar source control and delivery tools.
- Exposure to web development concepts and HTML integration.
- Experience with IBM i modernisation initiatives and hybrid architectures.
- Familiarity with GUI enablement or terminal modernisation tools such as Newlook.
- Experience with document and spool file transformation tools such as InterForm.
- Experience with Freestyle or similar web enablement solutions for RPG applications.
- Knowledge of CI/CD practices and deployment automation.
Why join us?
You’ll play a key role in supporting and improving important IBM i applications, while working with colleagues across technology and the wider business. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, taking ownership of technical delivery and bringing strong RPG and IBM i expertise into a collaborative environment.
Why Microlise?
Proudly Midlands-based, Microlise has been operating for over thirty years, and recently became a Publicly Listed Company with shares trading on the London Stock Exchange. Our growing business is guided by our culture which drives the way we behave, the way we work, the way we connect with our customers, and the way we support and develop our people. We believe in developing our staff and support our employees with their professional development goals.
37.5 hour week with flexible working opportunities.
Access to our salary sacrifice EV Car Scheme - payments are made before tax and other contributions, so saving you money, whilst doing your bit for the environment!
Great Place to Work certified – We have been recognised by the global authority on workplace culture, so come be a part of our success!
Private medical insurance with Vitality Health including rewards for members such as: Free Amazon Prime, Apple Watch, discounted gym membership and many more!
25 days holiday, excluding bank holidays, increasing with service.
Invested in employee health and well-being with over 20 mental health first aiders in the business.
Employee Assistance Programmes.
Free Costco membership, 20% off EE mobile and line rental, and other local discounts.
Great staff extras: Easter eggs, yearly BBQ, Christmas gifts and annual staff awards.
Executive Box at Motorpoint Arena Nottingham.
Recruitment Process
For successful candidates, interviews will take place whilst the advert is still live, via telephone and video conferencing; so don’t delay getting your application in!
Recruitment Agencies
Whilst we make every effort to directly source candidates for our live roles, we do have a very small preferred supplier list on the occasion we may require additional support. We therefore do not accept speculative CVs and/or cold calls to our Recruitment Team or Hiring Managers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer RPG (Fxed Term Contract)
✨Get Involved in Open-Source Projects
Diving into open-source projects is a brilliant way to showcase your skills and connect with other developers in the community. Not only will you beef up your GitHub profile but you might also catch the eye of someone at Microlise who values hands-on experience over just theory.
✨Attend Local Tech Meetups
Tech meetups are gold mines for networking and discovering job opportunities, especially in the fast-paced world of software engineering. Check out local listings for events in your area and don’t shy away from introducing yourself. This could lead directly to a temporary position at Microlise!
✨Showcase Your Work Online
With temporary roles, it’s all about standing out in a short space of time. Create a portfolio website where you highlight your projects and skills. Talk about your code, and provide links to your GitHub repositories. This will not only demonstrate your abilities but will also make it easier for recruiters at Microlise to see what you bring to the table.
✨Leverage Temporary Job Boards
Don’t forget to check specialised job boards for temporary software development roles. Websites like We Work Remotely or Remote OK often list short-term gigs that can be a perfect fit. Apply directly through our website as well, making sure your application is sharp—temporary roles can move fast!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer RPG (Fxed Term Contract)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Tech Skills:Make sure your CV highlights your tech stack and any programming languages you’re proficient in. Include specifics about any frameworks or technologies you’ve worked with; they can make you stand out in the sea of applicants. It’s all about showing that you have the chops we need at Microlise!
Portfolio 2.0:Since you’re applying for a temporary gig, it’s super important to showcase a portfolio that highlights your best projects. Include links to GitHub or any personal projects that demonstrate what you can do in a real-world environment. This gives us a taste of your style and your problem-solving approach!
Keep It Brief and Relevant:With a temporary position, we want to see your ability to hit the ground running. Be concise in your CV and cover letter; stick to experiences that directly relate to the role. Highlight any previous temporary roles or freelance gigs that show your adaptability and quick learning!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Don’t just send a generic cover letter. Personalise it for Senior Software Engineer RPG (Fxed Term Contract) at Microlise! Mention why this temporary role excites you and how you see yourself contributing in the short run. Show us what you've got and why you're the one for this quick turn-around!
How to prepare for a job interview at Microlise
✨Nail the Technical Skills
For a software engineering role, you'll likely face technical questions or coding tasks during your interview. Brush up on the relevant programming languages and frameworks that Microlise uses, and don’t forget to practice some coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank. Showing your coding prowess can really make you stand out!
✨Prepare for System Design Questions
Even for a temporary role, having a grasp of system design principles can be crucial. Be ready to discuss how you would architect a software solution, including discussing trade-offs, scalability, and performance considerations. Having examples from previous projects can really show off your analytical thinking.
✨Demonstrate Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary role, you'll want to emphasise your ability to hit the ground running. Highlight experiences where you quickly adapted to new technologies or teams. Let’s make it clear to the interviewers at Microlise that you can learn on the job and deliver results in a short timeframe!
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
Make sure to have a portfolio or GitHub ready showcasing your projects. Having tangible evidence of what you've done—be it personal projects, contributions to open-source, or previous work—can convey how capable you are. Tailor this for what might interest Microlise, so it's relevant and sparks conversation during your interview.
