Lead Mainframe zOS Security & Performance SRE

MetLif; Cary (NC); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Healthcare coverage

401(k) with employer matching

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Stock-based long-term incentives

Job summary

MetLife seeks a seasoned leader to architect, design, and direct modernization of mainframe systems, ensuring reliability, scalability, and alignment with evolving business goals. The role emphasizes resilience, automation with Ansible, and strategic IT transformation across enterprise mainframe platforms.

You will lead cross-functional teams, shape governance, and collaborate with stakeholders to deliver innovative mainframe solutions while maintaining security, performance, and cost efficiency.

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, and implementation of mainframe solutions aligning with business goals.
• Provide technical leadership to mainframe teams across development, operations, and modernization.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify requirements and deliver cost-effective mainframe solutions.
• Establish mainframe intake and change processes with workload considerations and performance tuning.
• Assist in BCP design using Ansible & CSM and data center failover strategies.
• Evaluate emerging technologies to modernize mainframe platforms.
• Develop and maintain architectural roadmaps and governance.
• Ensure high availability, security, and performance with SMF & RMF telemetry and traces.
• Participate in ITSM processes and incident resolution.
• Resolve z/OS performance incidents and coordinate enterprise-wide strategies.

Skills

Mainframe architecture

Team leadership

Communication

z/OS

WLM

RACF

Performance tuning

OpenShift

Ansible

Python

RMF/SMF

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science

Tools

IBM z/OS Tools

OpenShift

Ansible

Python

RMF/SMF

Job description

When you join MetLife’s Global Technology team, you’ll be part of a forward-thinking group dedicated to shaping the future of digital solutions for customers worldwide. You’ll develop, maintain and support technology applications and delivery, leveraging AI, automation, and contemporary ways of working to enhance experiences and drive business outcomes. Your work will simplify complex processes, improve tech resiliency, and enable high-performing, seamless solutions that power life’s most important moments. In this dynamic environment, you’ll collaborate with talented peers across teams and functions, expanding your skills in impactful ways. Ready to push boundaries and set new industry standards? Join us and help drive the future of technology forward.

The Opportunity

In this leadership position, you will be responsible for architecting, designing, and directing the modernization and optimization of MetLife's mainframe systems to ensure they are reliable, scalable, and fully aligned with our evolving business goals. Design and assist in the automation of Mainframe resilience and BCP. 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

• Assist in leading the architecture, design, and implementation of mainframe solutions that support MetLife's 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.
• Help establish a new Mainframe intake and change processes that consider new workloads and provide required mainframe performance tuning of z/OS, zLinux, WLM & PR/SM.
• Assist in BCP design exercises using Ansible & CSM, metro mirror, global mirror safeguarded copies intra data center hyper swaps and fail & stay data center site swaps.
• 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 constantly reviewing relevant SMF & RMF performance telemetry data and appropriate application traces with application stakeholders.
• Participate in ITSM processes such as Release/Change approvals, Incident/Problem resolution.
• Proven experience resolving z/OS performance related incidents during troubleshooting.
• Partner with enterprise architects and other technology leaders to define and implement enterprise-wide technology strategies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, or related field experience.
• 7+ years of experience in mainframe engineering, with strong experience in service delivery, engineering or architecture.
• Expertise in IBM z/OS, WLM, RACF 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)
• Knowledge of hybrid IT architectures and emerging technology trends.
• Experience in the insurance or financial services industry.

Location Expectation: This is a hybrid role requiring a minimum of 3 days per week in office.

The expected salary range for this position is $111,000 - $180,000. This role may also be eligible for annual short-term incentive compensation and stock-based long-term incentives. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.

Benefits We Offer

Our U.S. benefits address holistic well‑being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families. We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no‑cost short‑ and long‑term disability. We also provide company‑paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more!

MetLife is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”). If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [e-mail]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process. MetLife maintains a drug‑free workplace.