About Symetra Financial

Symetra Financial is a leading insurance and financial services company dedicated to helping individuals and businesses secure their financial futures. Specializing in life insurance, retirement solutions, and employee benefits, Symetra delivers innovative products and exceptional service to millions of customers across the United States. Headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, Symetra combines a customer-centric approach with robust technology infrastructure to drive growth and reliability in the competitive financial sector. As a stable, employee-focused organization, Symetra invests in its people, fostering a culture of learning, collaboration, and innovation.

Role Overview

Symetra Financial is seeking a skilled Sr. Infrastructure Engineer I to join the Mainframe Pod within the Infrastructure & Operations team. This critical role focuses on mainframe operations, serving as the vital link between application teams and the managed service provider. The position demands hands-on expertise in maintaining system reliability, coordinating incidents and requests, and contributing to modernization initiatives. With a salary range of $103,300 - $172,200 plus annual bonuses, this opportunity offers competitive compensation in the insurance and finance sector. Ideal for professionals with 6-9 years of experience, the role supports Symetra's remote-first model, requiring minimum internet speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.

Key Responsibilities

In this position, you will act as the primary contact for mainframe operations, ensuring daily health, stability, and performance of systems and tools. Key duties include bridging communication between application teams and the managed service provider for seamless issue resolution and change coordination. You will manage service requests and incidents, providing hands-on troubleshooting and escalating as needed. Oversee ESP Scheduler activities, optimizing job schedules, calendars, and dependencies in partnership with app teams. Coordinate mainframe application upgrades to minimize risk and downtime, while supporting tools like Endevor, Terminal Emulator, and Control-D. Additionally, contribute to audit compliance, architectural evaluations, real-time integrations, and mainframe modernization efforts toward agile, automated solutions.

Daily Operations and Troubleshooting

Monitor mainframe systems proactively, troubleshoot batch and on-demand workloads, and ensure efficient execution of scheduled jobs.

Collaboration and Leadership

Lead cross-team coordination, influencing best practices and guiding application teams on mainframe integrations and optimizations.

Qualifications & Requirements

Candidates must hold a High School Diploma, with a degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field preferred. 6-9 years of cumulative relevant experience is required, ideally in financial services. Strong working knowledge of mainframe technologies including ESP Scheduler, Endevor, ACF2, CICS, DB2, MQ, and COBOL is essential. Proven expertise in mainframe operations—system monitoring, job scheduling, and troubleshooting—is critical. Experience managing incidents, problems, and changes in enterprise environments, along with familiarity in web services and real-time integrations, is necessary. Agile/Scrum team exposure and DevOps practices are highly valued. Excellent communication, coordination, and documentation skills are a must, as is the ability to serve as a liaison across teams.

Technical Proficiency

Demonstrated hands-on skills in mainframe tools and support for key applications like Control-D and Terminal Emulator.

Benefits & Perks

Symetra Financial prioritizes employee well-being with tailored benefits that enhance life both at work and home. Enjoy flexible full-time or hybrid telecommuting arrangements in a remote-first organization. Plan for retirement with a 401(k) plan featuring immediate vesting and company matching up to 6%. Take advantage of generous paid time away, including vacation, sick time, flex days, and ten paid holidays. Give back to your community with doubled impact through company matching donations. Symetra's comprehensive perks reflect a commitment to work-life balance and professional success.

Career Growth

At Symetra, career development is a priority. Employees like Kerry S., Sr. Systems Analyst, praise the culture: "Symetra will spoil you... Failure is seen as integral to the learning process." VP Cris H. notes, "If you want to invest in yourself and build a career, this is a great place." Gain exposure to cutting-edge mainframe modernization, DevOps, and Agile practices while advancing in a supportive environment that challenges and rewards growth in insurance technology.

Why Join Symetra

Join Symetra Financial to be part of a forward-thinking company revolutionizing life insurance, retirement planning, and employee benefits through reliable infrastructure. Thrive in a collaborative culture that values expertise, innovation, and work-life harmony. With competitive pay, robust benefits, and opportunities to influence enterprise-wide initiatives, Symetra offers stability and excitement in the financial services industry. As a mainframe expert, you'll drive operational excellence and modernization, securing Symetra's technological edge.

Role FAQs

What mainframe experience is required?

6-9 years in operations, with proficiency in ESP Scheduler, Endevor, CICS, DB2, and related tools.

Is this role remote?

Yes, remote-first with hybrid options, requiring 100 Mbps download / 20 Mbps upload internet.

What is the salary range?

$103,300 - $172,200 annually, plus bonus eligibility.

Does Symetra support professional development?

Absolutely, with a culture embracing learning, Agile practices, and modernization projects.

How does Symetra handle benefits?

Customized programs including 401(k) match, PTO, holidays, and community giving matches.