Solution Architect – Mainframe Modernization

International Software Systems, Inc.; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

International Software Systems, Inc. seeks an experienced Enterprise Architect to lead modernization of large-scale mainframe and COBOL workloads. You will assess portfolios, define roadmaps, and develop phased migration plans using Java, APIs, microservices, and cloud-native patterns.

You will collaborate with stakeholders, design secure API layers, and document data flows, business rules, and transformation strategies for complex legacy systems.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in enterprise application architecture or modernization
• 7+ years with mainframe technologies and COBOL-based apps
• Experience in Java, Spring Boot, REST APIs, microservices
• Experience integrating mainframe with cloud-native systems
• Strong knowledge of DevSecOps, CI/CD, IaC

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and technical strategy for modernizing mainframe and COBOL applications
• Develop current-state and future-state models and roadmaps
• Design solutions transitioning legacy functionality to modern platforms
• Define integration patterns between legacy and modern systems
• Create architecture diagrams, design docs, and data-flow models
• Collaborate with stakeholders across architecture, cloud, security, and program leadership
• Provide guidance to development teams through design, implementation, and production transition

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

REST APIs

Microservices

Event-driven architecture

AWS

Azure

Docker

Kubernetes

DevSecOps

CI/CD

Infrastructure as Code

Mainframe modernization

COBOL

JCL

CICS

DB2

VSAM

z/OS

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Azure

Job description

• Lead the architecture and technical strategy for modernizing large-scale mainframe and COBOL applications.
• Assess existing application portfolios, including COBOL programs, batch processes, databases, integrations, dependencies, and business rules.
• Develop current-state and future-state architecture models, modernization roadmaps, and phased implementation plans.
• Recommend the appropriate modernization approach for each system, including rehosting, replatforming, refactoring, rewriting, or retiring applications.
• Design solutions that transition legacy functionality to modern platforms using Java, APIs, microservices, cloud services, and containerized environments.
• Identify and document business rules embedded within COBOL applications, JCL, stored procedures, and batch-processing workflows.
• Define integration patterns between legacy mainframe systems and modern applications during phased migration.
• Architect secure APIs and service layers that expose existing mainframe functionality to modern applications.
• Develop strategies for modernizing VSAM, DB2, flat-file, and other legacy data structures.
• Ensure proposed solutions meet SSA requirements for security, privacy, availability, performance, accessibility, and regulatory compliance.
• Create architecture diagrams, technical design documents, interface specifications, data-flow models, and migration plans.
• Evaluate modernization tools and platforms, including automated code analysis, code conversion, dependency mapping, testing, and data-migration solutions.
• Establish standards for cloud adoption, microservices, DevSecOps, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, and infrastructure as code.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, enterprise architects, mainframe developers, cloud engineers, cybersecurity teams, data architects, and program leadership.
• Provide technical guidance to development teams throughout design, implementation, testing, deployment, and production transition.
• Identify architectural risks, technical debt, system dependencies, and potential service disruptions.
• Support proof-of-concept initiatives to validate modernization approaches before enterprise-scale implementation.
• Present architectural recommendations and modernization plans to technical and executive stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise application architecture, software engineering, or systems modernization.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience with mainframe technologies and COBOL-based applications.
• Strong experience with COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, batch processing, and z/OS environments.
• Demonstrated experience architecting or leading the modernization of large, mission-critical legacy systems.
• Strong understanding of mainframe application dependencies, transaction processing, scheduling, data structures, and system integrations.
• Experience developing modernization strategies using rehosting, replatforming, refactoring, rewriting, and hybrid migration approaches.
• Experience designing modern applications using Java, Spring Boot, REST APIs, microservices, and event-driven architecture.
• Experience integrating mainframe applications with distributed, web-based, or cloud-native systems.
• Experience with AWS, Microsoft Azure, or another enterprise cloud platform.
• Strong understanding of relational databases, data conversion, data migration, and reconciliation.
• Experience with containers and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Knowledge of DevSecOps practices, automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code.
• Experience creating enterprise architecture artifacts, solution designs, modernization roadmaps, and technical standards.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical decisions to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.