Please Note
- An estimate based on public data for similar roles. Not provided by the employer.
Lead Engineer (COBOL)
Role summary
Written by MyIslandJob from the job title and employer. See the employer's page for the full description.
The Lead Engineer (COBOL) role requires strong experience developing, maintaining and modernising COBOL applications within a banking or large enterprise environment. Candidates should understand mainframe technologies, JCL, CICS, DB2 and related development tools, with practical experience in software delivery, production support, testing and incident resolution. Familiarity with Agile practices, DevOps, change management and financial-services systems is valuable. The successful candidate is expected to provide technical leadership, review code, investigate complex problems, support application stability and work effectively with teams across technology and business functions. Strong communication, analytical thinking, ownership and a willingness to improve legacy platforms are important.
Can I work in Malaysia?
Never pay anyone for a visa or a job offer. A real employer pays the permit costs and never asks you for money.
How it works
How it works: Employment Pass with a Bank Negara letter; RM 5,000+ basic (about USD 1,150) after a 14-day MYFutureJobs advert (exempt at RM 15,000+); 10 years from RM 10,000.
Before you apply: Dealing, advising and senior roles usually need a regulator's licence or approval, which checks your honesty, skills and finances. Ask if your job does.
Watch for: Only basic pay counts towards the RM 5,000 floor, not allowances; from 1 January 2027 EP II and III applications need a succession plan to train a Malaysian.
Official source: Expatriate Services Division: ESD Online Guidebook 2025. Checked November 2026.
What the job usually comes with in Malaysia
Usual for Banking jobs in Malaysia, varies by employer. Checked November 2026.
| Housing | Not provided; senior expats may get a housing allowance |
|---|---|
| Relocation | Employer usually pays the pass fees (about RM 330 to 480) and any levy; relocation money for senior hires only |
| Flights | Not standard; senior packages may add a joining flight and home leave |
| Contract | Fixed term tied to the pass, up to 5 years each; EP I and II capped at 10 years, EP III at 5 (June 2026) |
| Leave | Peninsular Malaysia: 8 days a year, 12 after 2 years, 16 after 5; 11 public holidays; 45-hour week (by law) |
| Income tax | Flat 30% until 182 days in a year, then 0% to 30%; EPF pension 2% + 2% is mandatory since October 2025 |
| Health cover | Work-injury and invalidity cover via SOCSO (by law); no public health cover; employers add private insurance |
Senior staff often get more than line staff, for example a single room or a yearly home flight. Ask the employer what the job includes before you accept.
Guidance, not legal advice. Rules change; your employer confirms the details for your case.
About Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered is an international banking group headquartered in London, with a strong focus on markets across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The bank provides retail, private, commercial and corporate banking, wealth management, trade finance and capital-markets services. Malaysia is an important technology and operations location for the group, supporting regional and global banking platforms from Kuala Lumpur. Standard Chartered invests in digital banking, cybersecurity, data, cloud adoption and the modernisation of established mainframe systems. Its workforce is multinational, and roles commonly involve collaboration across countries, time zones and business divisions. The organisation generally values responsible banking, inclusion, innovation, risk awareness and professional development. Employees may work in hybrid environments, depending on the function and operational requirements.