Programming Specialist – OpenVMS

Freelance Programming Specialist – OpenVMS | Brussels

Start: October 2026

Duration: Until 30 September 2028

Location: Brussels – 50% remote

Languages: French or Dutch (C1) and English

We are looking for an experienced Programming Specialist / OpenVMS Specialist for a long-term freelance assignment within a critical public-sector environment in Brussels.

You will be responsible for the maintenance, development and evolution of an OpenVMS-based business-critical application, including kernel/API-related activities and the implementation and delivery of system evolutions.

🔑 MUST-HAVE SKILLS

• 10+ years of professional experience with OpenVMS programming
• 5+ years of proven experience with OpenVMS on Itanium environments
• 10+ years of hands-on experience with DCL scripting (system, batch and command line)
• 10+ years of experience with Oracle Rdb and SQL querying
• 10+ years of experience with OpenVMS tooling, including:
• CDD Dictionary
• Message Files
• IFDL
• MMS
• CMS
• Strong programming experience with one or more OpenVMS-supported languages:
• C, C++, Pascal, COBOL, Fortran and/or Java
• 10+ years of experience in governmental organisations and/or public transport environments
• 10+ years of experience with OpenVMS production environments, including operation, maintenance and troubleshooting
• 10+ years of experience with BEA MessageQ and Yacc/Bison
• Experience with Oracle Pre-Compiler and SQLMOD
• C1 level in French or Dutch + professional proficiency in English

🎯 YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain and troubleshoot business-critical OpenVMS applications in production
• Develop and implement application evolutions
• Work on kernel and API-related components
• Develop and maintain reliable OpenVMS code
• Create and maintain DCL scripts for system control and batch processing
• Work with Oracle Rdb and SQL
• Handle messaging and integration components
• Prepare and deliver software kits/releases into the OpenVMS environment
• Contribute to the gradual evolution and eventual decommissioning of the legacy application

📌 IMPORTANT

This is a specialist-level OpenVMS assignment. Candidates should be able to demonstrate their experience clearly through concrete projects and examples in their CV, particularly regarding OpenVMS, DCL, Oracle Rdb, OpenVMS tooling and public-sector/public-transport environments.

Interested? Send your CV with a short summary of your relevant OpenVMS experience and availability.