Mainframe Infrastructure Architect

REKRUITD; United States; On-site; USD 165,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Rekruitd is seeking an experienced Mainframe Infrastructure Architect with a hands-on background in IBM z/OS infrastructure. The role focuses on infrastructure work, not application development, and requires leading migrations and complex initiatives while communicating migration requirements and risks to senior technical and business stakeholders.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across IBM z/OS and mainframe infrastructure, drive projects from planning through

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on Mainframe Systems Programming / Infrastructure experience.
• Must have personally performed systems programming and infrastructure work.
• Proven experience driving and leading mainframe infrastructure projects and migrations.
• Ability to articulate migration requirements, dependencies, risks, and technical approach.
• Experience installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting mainframe system software.
• Experience managing multiple senior technical and business stakeholders.
• Experience with managed service or outsourcing providers.
• Experience managing vendors against SLAs and SOWs.
• ITIL incident, problem, and change management knowledge.
• Bachelor's degree required.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across IBM z/OS and mainframe infrastructure.
• Lead mainframe infrastructure migrations, upgrades, implementations, and other complex initiatives.
• Assess environments and define migration requirements, dependencies, risks, and approach.
• Analyze, install, configure, maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot mainframe software.
• Drive projects from planning through implementation to completion.
• Coordinate initiatives across multiple technical teams and senior stakeholders.
• Provide technical oversight of managed service and outsourcing providers.
• Review infrastructure changes, releases, and implementation plans.
• Manage vendors against SLAs, SOWs, and delivery commitments.
• Provide direction during complex infrastructure issues and major incidents.
• Establish mainframe infrastructure best practices, standards, and governance.
• Communicate requirements, risks, and project status to senior leadership.

Skills

Mainframe infrastructure

IBM z/OS

Systems programming

Migration planning

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

RMF (Resource Measurement Facility)

HMC (Hardware Management Console)

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Mainframe Infrastructure Architect with a strong hands-on background in IBM z/OS infrastructure and systems programming.

The ideal candidate has personally performed the infrastructure work, progressed into leading complex technical projects and migrations, and can clearly articulate migration requirements, dependencies, risks, and approach. This person must also be comfortable working with and managing expectations across multiple senior technical and business stakeholders.

This is an infrastructure-focused role, not a mainframe application development position.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across IBM z/OS and mainframe infrastructure.
• Lead mainframe infrastructure migrations, upgrades, implementations, and other complex initiatives.
• Assess current environments and define and communicate migration requirements, dependencies, risks, and implementation approach.
• Analyze, install, configure, maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot mainframe system and infrastructure software.
• Drive technical projects from planning through implementation and completion.
• Coordinate initiatives across multiple technical teams and senior stakeholders.
• Provide technical oversight of managed service and outsourcing providers.
• Review infrastructure changes, releases, technical recommendations, and implementation plans.
• Manage vendors against SLAs, SOWs, and delivery commitments.
• Provide direction during complex infrastructure issues and major incidents.
• Establish and promote mainframe infrastructure best practices, standards, and governance.
• Clearly communicate technical requirements, risks, recommendations, and project status to senior leadership.

Required Experience

• 10+ years of hands-on Mainframe Systems Programming / Infrastructure experience.
• Must have personally performed systems programming and infrastructure work.
• Proven experience driving and leading mainframe infrastructure projects and migrations.
• Ability to assess an environment and clearly articulate migration requirements, dependencies, risks, and technical approach.
• Experience installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting mainframe system software.
• Experience managing multiple senior technical and business stakeholders.
• Experience working with managed service or outsourcing providers.
• Experience managing vendors against SLAs and SOWs.
• Working knowledge of ITIL incident, problem, and change management.
• Strong communication, technical leadership, and project leadership skills.
• Bachelor's degree required.

Please note: This is not a COBOL/application development or application architecture role. We are specifically seeking someone who has done the mainframe infrastructure work themselves, has progressed into leading projects and migrations, and can effectively communicate with senior stakeholders.