The Mainframe Migration to Cloud Solution Architect is responsible for defining the technical strategy, architecture, and blueprints for migrating and modernizing complex mainframe applications and data to a target public cloud platform (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).

This role ensures the resulting solution is secure, scalable, cost-optimized, and aligned with the client's business objectives.

Key Responsibilities :

Assessment and Strategy Definition :

- Lead the comprehensive discovery and assessment of existing mainframe applications, data stores (DB2, VSAM, IMS), batch processes (JCL), and transaction systems (CICS, IMS DC).

- Analyze application dependencies, complexity, and business criticality to determine the most suitable modernization strategy for each component (e.g., Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Retire, or Replace the "6 Rs").

- Develop the overall migration roadmap and high-level project phasing, including business continuity and rollback plans.

Architecture and Design :

- Define the target-state cloud architecture for the modernized applications, leveraging cloud-native services (e.g., Containers/Kubernetes, Serverless, Managed Databases).

- Create detailed architecture blueprints for all migration patterns, ensuring the design meets non-functional requirements (security, performance, high availability, disaster recovery).

- Design the data migration strategy, including tools and processes for extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL) mainframe data to modern cloud databases (e.g., Aurora, Azure SQL, Cloud Spanner).

- Design API gateways and microservices wrappers to decouple core mainframe business logic from modern front-end systems during hybrid migration phases.

Tooling and Governance :

- Evaluate and select mainframe modernization tools and frameworks (e.g., Micro Focus, Blu Age, AWS Mainframe Modernization, IBM Z systems tools) for automated code and data conversion.

- Establish DevOps and CI/CD pipelines for the modernized environment, enabling automated build, test, and deployment of cloud-native code.

- Define cloud governance and cost optimization frameworks, ensuring efficient use of cloud resources post-migration.

Leadership and Stakeholder Management :

- Serve as the technical subject matter expert (SME), presenting the solution architecture to client executives, development teams, and operations teams.

- Collaborate with business analysts to translate functional and non-functional requirements into technical designs.

- Lead and mentor technical teams (developers, engineers) during Proof of Concepts (POCs) and initial implementation phases.

Required Technical Skills and Qualifications :

Mainframe Expertise (Deep Knowledge) :

Languages & Components :

- COBOL, PL/I, Assembler, JCL, REXX.

Databases & Files :

- DB2 for z/OS, VSAM, IMS DB/DC.

Transaction Systems :

- CICS, IMS/TM.

Utilities :

- TSO/ISPF, SPUFI, mainframe schedulers (CA-7, Control-M).

Cloud & Modernization Expertise (Expert Level) :

Cloud Platform :

- Expert-level knowledge in at least one hyperscale cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP), with relevant certification (e.g., Solutions Architect Professional).

Modern Languages :

- Hands-on experience with modern development platforms (Java/Spring Boot, C#/.NET, Python, Node.js).

Architecture :

- Experience with Microservices, Containers (Docker, Kubernetes/EKS/AKS/GKE), and Serverless architectures.

Data :

- Expertise in relational and NoSQL databases, data warehousing, and real-time data streaming (Kafka, etc.

Education and Experience :

Education :

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.

Experience :

- 10+ years of overall IT experience, with 5+ years as a Solution Architect leading large-scale enterprise modernization, including significant hands-on experience in mainframe-to-cloud migration projects.