COBOL Architect | Aether Talent Solutions | Chicago, IL / Tampa, FL

Aether Talent solutions; Chicago, Tampa (IL, FL); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 262,000; Full time

Job summary

Aether Talent Solutions is seeking a COBOL Architect with 12+ years of mainframe experience to lead enterprise modernization initiatives. The role is hybrid in Chicago, IL or Tampa, FL, supporting W2 or C2C arrangements. You will design, modernize, and optimize COBOL environments and collaborate with executives to drive transformation.

Ideal candidates bring deep COBOL, z/OS, JCL, CICS, VSAM, and DB2 expertise, plus cloud integration and proven leadership in client-facing consulting settings.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12+ years of professional hands-on software development experience with COBOL and mainframe technologies.
• Minimum 5+ years in Solution and Application Architecture roles.
• Deep expertise across COBOL, z/OS, JCL, CICS, VSAM, and DB2.
• Contract availability in hybrid locations (Chicago, IL / Tampa, FL) with W2/C2C options.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-scale mainframe architecture and modernization initiatives.
• Design mainframe-to-cloud migration strategies and governance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and executives to deliver transformations.
• Establish standards, security, and high-availability practices for z/OS environments.
• Provide senior architectural guidance and mentorship in a client-facing setting.

Skills

COBOL

z/OS

JCL

CICS

VSAM

DB2

Mainframe Architecture

Enterprise modernization

Cloud integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

IBM MQ

z/OS Connect

REST APIs

CI/CD tools

DevOps practices

Job description

Position Summary

Aether Talent Solutions is seeking an experienced, highly technical, and accomplished COBOL Architect with 12+ years of comprehensive mainframe and COBOL engineering experience and 5+ years specializing in enterprise solution architecture to join our client team on a hybrid contract basis in Chicago, IL or Tampa, FL, open to W2 and C2C arrangements with no visa restrictions. In this specialized mainframe modernization and architecture leadership role, you will spearhead designing, modernizing, and optimizing mission-critical legacy mainframe environments. You will work closely with cross-functional software engineers, enterprise architects, and executive stakeholders to drive complex mainframe transformation initiatives, integrate z/OS systems with modern cloud platforms, and ensure high system resiliency. Ideal candidates bring a strong academic background in computer science or information technology, deep practical mastery of core mainframe stacks (COBOL, z/OS, JCL, CICS, VSAM, DB2), and immediate availability for contract engagement.

Detailed Job Description

As a COBOL Architect at Aether Talent Solutions in Chicago, IL or Tampa, FL, you will take full ownership of architecting, guiding, and executing enterprise-scale mainframe architecture and modernization roadmaps. Your day-to-day responsibilities encompass analyzing complex legacy codebases, designing mainframe-to-cloud migration strategies, establishing architectural governance, and developing high-performance applications utilizing COBOL, z/OS, JCL, CICS, VSAM, and DB2 databases. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate legacy systems with modern REST APIs, IBM MQ messaging queues, and z/OS Connect services, while implementing robust CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices for mainframe environments. Working in a collaborative client-facing consulting environment supporting flexible W2 and C2C contractors, you will troubleshoot critical system performance bottlenecks, conduct architecture reviews, and deliver executive-level technical leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-scale mainframe architecture, solution design, and legacy modernization initiatives across financial and enterprise systems.
• Architect and implement comprehensive mainframe transformation strategies, including mainframe-to-cloud migration pathways.
• Design, review, and optimize mission-critical applications utilizing COBOL, z/OS, JCL, CICS, VSAM, and DB2.
• Establish architectural standards, coding best practices, and governance frameworks for mainframe development squads.
• Integrate legacy mainframe systems with modern web applications, REST APIs, IBM MQ, and z/OS Connect endpoints.
• Collaborate closely with enterprise architects, product owners, and C-level stakeholders in Chicago and Tampa.
• Oversee performance tuning, capacity planning, security hardening, and disaster recovery preparedness for z/OS environments.
• Provide tier-3 architectural guidance, technical mentorship, and troubleshooting support for complex legacy code anomalies.
• Implement DevOps, CI/CD automated deployment pipelines, and modern testing frameworks for mainframe codebases.
• Maintain comprehensive technical architecture documentation, system integration blueprints, and migration runbooks.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum 12+ years of professional hands‑on software development experience specializing in COBOL and mainframe technologies.
• Minimum 5+ years of dedicated professional experience in Solution and Application Architecture roles.
• Deep specialized technical expertise across core mainframe environments: COBOL, z/OS, JCL, CICS, VSAM, and DB2.
• Proven track record leading enterprise mainframe architecture, system integration, and modernization projects.
• Strong stakeholder management, executive presentation, leadership, and cross‑functional communication capabilities.
• Practical understanding of enterprise security, compliance, data integrity, and high‑availability design principles.
• Professional availability for a contract engagement in hybrid locations (Chicago, IL / Tampa, FL; W2/C2C open, no visa restrictions).

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Professional certifications such as IBM Certified System Administrator or AWS / Azure Cloud Solutions Architect credentials.
• Hands‑on experience executing mainframe-to-cloud migration projects and containerizing legacy workloads.
• Technical familiarity with modern integration protocols including REST APIs, JSON/XML, IBM MQ, and z/OS Connect.
• Experience implementing DevOps tooling and CI/CD pipelines for mainframe development (e.g., Topaz, Endevor, Git).
• Prior consulting experience in banking, insurance, healthcare, or government sector enterprise IT environments.

Application Information

• Recruiter: Aether Talent Solutions Recruitment Team
• Contact Name: M. Khan (Technical Recruiter / Talent Manager)
• Email: [e-mail]
• Phone: Unspecified
• Application URL: Unspecified
• Salary/Rate: Competitive hourly/daily contract rate commensurate with experience
• Deadline: Open until filled
• Notice Period: Immediate to short notice preferred
• Contract Duration: Contract / W2 or C2C (Hybrid in Chicago, IL / Tampa, FL – No visa restrictions)

Recruitment Pro Tip

When applying for senior COBOL architect contracts, ensure your resume explicitly highlights your hands‑on experience designing mainframe-to-cloud architectures, optimizing DB2/CICS performance, and leading multi‑vendor modernization initiatives.