Solutions Architect

Hello Everyone,

Title: Solution Architect – Mainframe Modernization*

Location: Baltimore, MD (5 days on-site, local candidates preferred)

Duration: Long-term

Key Skills Looking For:

Solution Architecture, Mainframe Modernization, COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, Java, Spring Boot, REST APIs, Microservices, API Architecture, Cloud Migration, AWS, Azure, Data Migration, Application Modernization, Legacy Transformation, Integration Architecture, Kafka, DevOps, Enterprise Architecture

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Solution Architect with strong expertise in mainframe modernization to lead the transformation of legacy mainframe applications into modern, scalable, cloud-ready technology platforms. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience assessing legacy mainframe environments, developing modernization strategies, and designing target architectures using modern application, API, cloud, and data technologies.

The Solution Architect will work closely with business stakeholders, application teams, developers, infrastructure teams, and enterprise architects to define modernization roadmaps, evaluate migration approaches, and guide the implementation of modernized solutions while maintaining business continuity and data integrity.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

• Lead architecture and technical strategy for mainframe application modernization and transformation initiatives.
• Assess existing mainframe applications, dependencies, interfaces, databases, batch processes, and business functionality.
• Develop modernization roadmaps and recommend appropriate approaches, including rehost, replatform, refactor, rewrite, or retire.
• Design target-state architectures using modern technologies such as Java, Spring Boot, REST APIs, microservices, cloud platforms, and modern databases.
• Develop strategies for transforming legacy COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, and mainframe batch workloads.
• Design integration solutions between modern applications and remaining mainframe systems during phased modernization.
• Define API, event-driven, data migration, and integration architectures to support modernization.
• Evaluate application dependencies and identify opportunities to decompose monolithic mainframe applications into modern services.
• Develop technical architecture documentation, solution designs, data flows, integration patterns, and modernization standards.
• Collaborate with development teams to ensure architecture and modernization patterns are implemented effectively.
• Evaluate cloud migration strategies and technologies for modernized workloads, including AWS and/or Azure.
• Address security, scalability, performance, resiliency, availability, and disaster recovery requirements.
• Develop strategies for data migration and synchronization between mainframe databases and modern data platforms.
• Support proof-of-concepts and technical evaluations of modernization tools and technologies.
• Provide technical leadership during application migration, testing, deployment, and production transition.
• Identify modernization risks, technical dependencies, and potential impacts to existing business processes.
• Work within Agile/Scrum environments and collaborate with cross-functional technical and business teams.
• Create and present architecture recommendations to technical leadership and stakeholders.
• Ensure solutions follow enterprise architecture, security, and development standards.

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in software/application architecture, with significant experience in enterprise modernization initiatives.
• Strong hands-on experience modernizing legacy mainframe applications to modern technologies.
• Extensive knowledge of COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, and mainframe application architectures.
• Strong experience with Java, Spring Boot, REST APIs, microservices, and modern application architectures.
• Experience designing mainframe-to-modern and hybrid architectures.
• Strong understanding of API, integration, messaging, and event-driven architecture.
• Experience with cloud architecture and migration, preferably AWS and/or Azure.
• Experience developing application and data modernization/migration strategies.
• Strong understanding of relational databases, SQL, data integration, and data migration.
• Experience with legacy application dependency analysis and application decomposition.
• Knowledge of CI/CD, DevOps, automated testing, and modern software delivery practices.
• Strong understanding of security, scalability, high availability, resiliency, and disaster recovery.
• Excellent architecture documentation, communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.

Nice to Have

• Experience with AWS modernization services, including AWS Mainframe Modernization.
• Experience with Azure modernization technologies.
• Experience with Kafka or other event-streaming platforms.
• Experience with containerization and OpenShift/Docker.
• Experience with API gateways and enterprise integration platforms.
• Experience with automated mainframe code analysis and modernization tools.
• Experience modernizing COBOL/CICS applications into Java or microservices.
• Experience with DB2-to-modern relational or cloud database migrations.
• Experience with large-scale government or financial-services modernization programs.