Lead Mainframe CICS/MQ SRE

Burtch Works; Cary (NC); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Burtch Works is seeking a Lead Mainframe CICS/MQ Site Reliability Engineer to guide modernization and reliability across multiple locations. This hybrid role emphasizes architecture, strategic planning, and the orchestration of cross-functional teams to deliver scalable mainframe solutions.

You will drive modernization efforts, ensure high availability, and collaborate with business and technical stakeholders to align IT with evolving business goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in mainframe engineering, with leadership in service delivery, engineering, or architecture.
• Expertise in IBM z/OS, COBOL, CICS, and z/OS Connect.
• Demonstrated experience with mainframe modernization, integration, and migration projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, and implementation of mainframe solutions aligning with business goals and tech strategy.
• Provide technical leadership to mainframe development, operations, and modernization teams.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify requirements and deliver cost-effective mainframe solutions.
• Establish mainframe intake and change processes; tune CICS/MQ and z/OS Connect for evolving workloads.
• Evaluate emerging technologies to drive modernization of mainframe platforms.
• Develop governance, standards, and architectural roadmaps for mainframe environments.
• Ensure high availability, security, and performance by reviewing telemetry data with stakeholders.
• Participate in ITSM processes including Release/Change approvals and Incident/Problem resolution.
• Resolve CICS/MQ-related incidents during troubleshooting.
• Partner with enterprise architects on enterprise-wide technology strategies.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

IBM z/OS

COBOL

CICS

z/OS Connect

MQ

OpenShift

Ansible

Python

Job description

Job Title:

Lead Mainframe CICS/MQ SRE

Location:

Cary, NC | New York, NY | Tampa, FL | Bridgewater, NJ | Clarks Summit, PA | Greenville, SC (Hybrid - 3 Days In Office)

About The Role

This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in office. The position is available across multiple locations including Cary, NC; New York, NY; Tampa, FL; Bridgewater, NJ; Clarks Summit, PA; and Greenville, SC.

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled and forward-thinking Lead Mainframe CICS/MQ Site Reliability Engineer to join our Mainframe & Integration Technology team. In this pivotal leadership role, you will leverage your expertise to bridge the gap between the reliability of legacy systems and the demands of future-ready solutions, driving the modernization and optimization of mainframe platforms. You will be responsible for architecting, designing, and directing the modernization and optimization of mainframe systems to ensure they are reliable, scalable, and fully aligned with evolving business goals. The ideal candidate will bring extensive expertise in mainframe technologies, a strategic vision for IT transformation, and a proven history of successfully leading complex, enterprise-wide mainframe modernization projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, and implementation of mainframe solutions that support business goals and technology strategy.


• Provide technical leadership and guidance to mainframe development, operations, and modernization teams.


• Collaborate with business stakeholders, application developers, and infrastructure teams to identify requirements and deliver innovative, cost-effective mainframe solutions.


• Establish mainframe intake and change processes, and provide required performance tuning of CICS/MQ and z/OS Connect instances to support evolving workloads.


• Evaluate emerging technologies, tools, and methodologies to drive continuous improvement and modernization of mainframe platforms.


• Establish and enforce best practices, standards, and architectural governance for mainframe environments.


• Develop and maintain architectural documentation, roadmaps, and blueprints for mainframe systems.


• Ensure high availability, security, and performance of mainframe applications and infrastructure by reviewing CICS/MQ and z/OS Connect performance telemetry data and traces with application stakeholders.


• Participate in ITSM processes including Release/Change approvals and Incident/Problem resolution.


• Resolve CICS/MQ-related incidents during troubleshooting.


• Partner with enterprise architects and technology leaders to define and implement enterprise-wide technology strategies.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience.


• 7+ years of experience in mainframe engineering, with strong experience in service delivery, engineering, or architecture.


• Expertise in IBM z/OS, COBOL, CICS, and z/OS Connect and related mainframe technologies.


• Demonstrated experience with mainframe modernization, integration, and migration projects.


• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.


• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.


• Analytical, strategic thinker with strong problem-solving abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with cloud integration, DevOps, zLinux, OpenShift, and automation in mainframe environments (RedHat Ansible for IBM Z Collections, Ansible, Python).


• Experience with MQ.


• Knowledge of hybrid IT architectures and emerging technology trends.


• Relevant certifications such as IBM Certified System Architect or TOGAF.


• Experience in the insurance or financial services industry.