RPG Developer (IBM i / AS/400)

Freelance or Permanent — 3 to 4 days per week — 100% on-site (Antwerp)

Join a stable, profitable family-owned business celebrating its 80th anniversary, where the IBM i (AS/400) platform is not a legacy system being phased out — it's the active, beating heart of the operation. The custom-built AS/400 environment runs everything from core stock management to interfaces with PHP-based webshops, and the company is investing in its continued development and modernization. You'll join an IT team of four developers with direct lines to department managers and company directors, in a flat structure with no corporate red tape. The role exists because the project backlog is genuinely exciting and growing — there's real work to do, and your impact will be visible from day one.

• Develop new applications from scratch on the IBM i (AS/400) platform, including native development with 5250 emulation
• Maintain, evolve, and modernize a portfolio of business-critical, custom-built RPG programs
• Build and maintain interfaces between the AS/400 and external systems, including PHP webshops and Windows-based applications
• Juggle 2 to 3 concurrent projects, switching context efficiently between new development, modernization, and maintenance
• Troubleshoot issues in existing programs and propose pragmatic, durable fixes
• Work directly with the technical lead, IT colleagues, and business stakeholders to translate needs into technical solutions
• Help shape the modernization roadmap and prioritize your own work across the active project backlog

• Senior-level, hands-on experience as an RPG Developer on the IBM i (AS/400) platform
• Proven track record of both maintaining existing programs and building new applications from scratch
• Extensive experience with native development, including 5250 emulation, in custom-built software environments
• Demonstrable experience modernizing legacy AS/400 applications
• Experience building and maintaining interfaces between the AS/400 and other platforms
• Comfortable managing 2 to 3 projects in parallel and switching context efficiently
• Pragmatic communicator who is at ease speaking directly with business stakeholders, including senior management
• Willing to work 100% on-site and value direct collaboration with your team
• Fluent in Dutch with a good professional command of English

Nice to have

• Basic command of French
• Working knowledge of PHP (the company's webshops are built in PHP and interface with the AS/400)
• Prior experience in retail, distribution, or wholesale environments

• Contract: Freelance or Permanent
• Workload: 3 to 4 days per week
• Location: 100% on-site, Antwerp
• Working hours: Flexible, between 07:30 and 17:30
• Start date: ready to onboard the right candidate as soon as possible