Description :
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 Responsibilities 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 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 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 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 Technical Skills and Qualifications Expertise (Deep Knowledge) & Components :
- COBOL, PL / I, Assembler, JCL, & Files :
- DB2 for z / OS, VSAM, IMS Systems :
- CICS, :
- TSO / ISPF, SPUFI, mainframe schedulers (CA-7, & 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 Languages :Hands-on experience with modern development platforms (Java / Spring Boot, C# / .NET, Python, :Experience with Microservices, Containers (Docker, Kubernetes / EKS / AKS / GKE), and Serverless :Expertise in relational and NoSQL databases, data warehousing, and real-time data streaming (Kafka, and Experience :Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical :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.(ref : hirist.tech)