Director - Mainframe Engineering

Publicis Groupe; New York, Providence (NY, RI); On-site; USD 170,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Mainframe Engineering Lead to spearhead the modernization of large-scale mainframe systems. This critical role involves technical leadership in transitioning clients to cloud-native architectures, ensuring quality and compliance throughout the process. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with mainframe systems and a proven track record in modernization initiatives. Join a dynamic team that values innovation and collaboration.

Benefits

Flexible vacation policy

16 paid holidays

Generous parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Corporate gift matching program

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with mainframe systems (COBOL, JCL, CICS).
• Proven track record of leading mainframe-to-cloud modernization initiatives.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure-as-Code.

Responsibilities

• Lead modernization and migration of mainframe applications to modern platforms.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define modernization strategies.
• Guide design and build of modern systems aligning with performance goals.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Advanced degree

Tools

Micro Focus

IBM z/OS Connect

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Company Description

Publicis Sapient is a digital transformation partner helping established organizations get to their future, digitally-enabled state, both in the way they work and the way they serve their customers. We help unlock value through a start-up mindset and modern methods, fusing strategy, consulting and customer experience with agile engineering and problem-solving creativity. United by our core values and our purpose of helping people thrive in the brave pursuit of next, our 20,000+ people in 53 offices around the world combine experience across technology, data sciences, consulting and customer obsession to accelerate our clients’ businesses through designing the products and services their customers truly value.

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Mainframe Engineering Lead to spearhead the modernization and migration of large-scale mainframe systems for our enterprise clients. This is a critical leadership role that blends deep technical expertise in legacy systems with strong program leadership in modernization strategies—helping our clients transition to modern cloud-native architectures

Responsibilities

Your Impact:

• Lead the end-to-end modernization and migration of mainframe applications (e.g., COBOL, PL/I, JCL, VSAM) to modern platforms (e.g., Java, cloud-native, microservices, event-driven architectures).
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders (enterprise architects, cloud teams, app owners, and business teams) to define modernization strategies and roadmaps.
• Conduct detailed assessments of legacy mainframe environments, identifying technical debt and recommending phased migration strategies.
• Provide technical leadership in re-architecting, refactoring, or rehosting mainframe workloads to cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Guide the design and build of modern batch and transactional systems that align with scalability, resilience, and performance goals.
• Lead a team of mainframe and modernization engineers, providing mentorship, code reviews, and technical direction.
• Ensure quality, security, and compliance standards are upheld throughout the modernization lifecycle.
• Manage risks, issues, and delivery timelines across multiple client engagements.

Your Skills & Experience:

• Hands-on experience with mainframe systems (COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, IMS).
• Proven track record of successfully leading mainframe-to-cloud modernization or migration initiatives.
• Strong understanding of modernization patterns: replatforming, refactoring, rewriting, or replacing.
• Experience with tools like Micro Focus, IBM z/OS Connect, Raincode, or other modernization toolchains is a plus.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with a history of leading cross-functional technical teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent; advanced degree is a plus.

Qualifications

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, DevSecOps practices, and Infrastructure-as-Code (e.g., Terraform, Bicep).
• Exposure to enterprise integration tools (Kafka, MQ, APIs).
• Experience designing and building microservices and event-driven architectures using Java/Spring Boot or equivalent.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure , AWS or GCP ), and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).

Additional Information

Benefits of Working Here

• Flexible vacation policy; time is not limited, allocated, or accrued
• 16 paid holidays throughout the year
• Generous parental leave and new parent transition program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Corporate gift matching program

Pay Range: $170,000 - $275,000

The range shown represents a grouping of relevant ranges currently in use at Publicis Sapient. Actual range for this position may differ, depending on location and specific skillset required for the work itself.

As part of our dedication to an inclusive and diverse workforce, Publicis Sapient is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity without regard for race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us [e-mail] you may call us at [phone].

Your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.