Solution/Modernization Architect (Mainframes)

We are seeking a dedicated Migration/Solution Architect (Mainframes) to join our team. In this role, you will be pivotal in designing and leading complex modernization and migration initiatives for enterprise clients, with a strong focus on legacy modernization, mainframe transformation, application replatforming. 
Location: Canada is desired but we also consider other locations with occasional business trips to Toronto, ON.
Engagement type: part-time on pre-sales activities, discovery phase; full-time as more load appears. Contract agreement.

What you will be doing: 
- Lead architecture and discovery phases for IBM mainframe modernization programs, covering application, data, batch, transaction, and infrastructure domains.
- Assess existing IBM z/OS environments, including COBOL, JCL, CICS, Db2, IMS, VSAM, GDG, flat files, MQ, and related integrations, to define modernization scope, risks, dependencies, and migration waves.
- Design end-to-end modernization strategies for legacy workloads, including replatforming, refactoring, decomposition, phased migration, and coexistence patterns.
- Define migration strategies across different modernization paths such as rehost, replatform, refactor, decomposition, and phased transformation.
- Lead technical assessments of legacy applications, including static and dynamic analysis, dependency mapping, batch/job flow analysis, transaction boundary analysis, schema conversion strategy, and business logic extraction.
- Design migration approaches for Db2 and IMS-backed data landscapes, including schema conversion, data transformation, CDC-based migration, reconciliation, archive/retention strategy, and cutover planning.
- Define modernization patterns for transactional systems, batch processing, event-driven architectures, API-led integration, and hybrid environments.
- Facilitate workshops and architecture discussions with customer stakeholders, delivery teams, and leadership, translating complex legacy platform constraints into practical modernization roadmaps.
- Prepare architecture documents, migration plans, discovery outputs, estimates, proposals, and solution narratives for IBM mainframe transformation engagements.
- Provide governance and architectural oversight throughout project delivery, helping teams make sound decisions during implementation, testing, cutover, and hypercare.
- Contribute to pre-sales and solutioning activities for mainframe modernization opportunities, including technical qualification, delivery assumptions, risk framing, and modernization roadmap creation.

A successful candidate will have: 
- 5+ years of experience in solution architecture, cloud architecture, or technical leadership roles.
- Proven track record of designing and delivering complex migration or modernization solutions in enterprise environments.
- Strong understanding of IBM mainframe application landscapes, including: COBOL, JCL, CICS, Db2, IMS. - Experience designing architectures for enterprise applications, distributed systems, and data platforms.
- Good understanding of legacy modernization challenges, including monolith decomposition, batch processing migration, data migration, and integration with on-premises systems.
- Experience working with relational databases and migration strategies, including schema conversion, data validation, CDC-based migration, and cutover planning.
- Ability to identify delivery risks, architecture trade-offs, and mitigation strategies early in the project lifecycle.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical topics in a structured and business-friendly way.
- English - C1/C2.
- Possibility to travel to Toronto, Canada if other location.

Will be a plus: 
- Familiarity with modernization and migration tools such as AWS SCT, AWS Transform, AWS Blu Age, CAST Imaging, vFunction, or similar assessment/refactoring platforms.
- Experience with modernization of batch workloads, job orchestration, and migration of online transactional systems.
- Familiarity with observability and APM platforms such as Datadog, Dynatrace, AppDynamics, OpenTelemetry, or similar tools.
- Experience in regulated industries such as financial services, insurance, healthcare, or public sector.