Hybrid Job Opportunity - Architect - Mainframe - Chicago, IL

Role- Mainframe Architect

Location: Chicago, IL - Hybrid

Duration: 12 Months – W2

15 yrs. of exp. Needed

Only locals to Chicago or Naperville within an hour's drive distance

Description Of Role And Key Responsibilities

This is a technical, team lead, and hands on role, with a primary focus on design and implementation of Mainframe Infrastructure changes; although you will be expected to support the Mainframe Infrastructure Engineering and operations team with complex troubleshooting of issues as required.

You will have experience of working in high impact, mission critical environments, where service matters, and exceeding expectations is the norm. You have lead critical projects, thrive in critical problem solving, and enjoy leading a team working on projects

Key Responsibilities

• The Mainframe System Architect’s primary areas of responsibility include ensuring there are defined standards in place, manage the technical lifecycle of products and services, deliver change/transformation against created designs; always ensuring a smooth transition/handover to Mainframe technology Operations with adjunct supported to the Operations as needed
• Perform and upgrade of a major product in a production like environment, evaluating any risks and taking actions to mitigate/ minimize these risks via proven back-out plan and knowledge of what could go wrong including effective testing.
• Defining and documenting Mainframe Infrastructure Architecture Standards and best practices
• Creation of Low Level Design documents to meet requirements outlined in the High Level Design
• Creation of detailed Implementation Plans for all Mainframe Infrastructure Engineering related activity
• Procurement activities relating to build and delivery of new services (Project)
• Ensuring the smooth Transition/Handover to Production Support Operations in line with agreed Operational Acceptance Process
• Supporting Architecture in creation and upkeep of a Mainframe Infra Delivery Roadmap
• Supporting the Architecture in scoping activities required to produce the High Level Design
• Supporting Architecture in undertaking Proof of Concept activities
• Ensuring skillsets are relevant and up to date in order to deliver change and provide a high level of support
• Providing escalation support with complex troubleshooting of Major Incidents as required
  
  

Core Skills & Experience

A mainframe architect's responsibilities include technical design of mainframe infrastructure projects and ensuring that hardware and software work together. They may also be responsible for:

• A minimum 12 years of hands on experience as Mainframe System Architect within a global enterprise scale organization
• Considerable first-hand experience of design engineering and building resilient and scalable solutions, ideally within finance or investment banking.
• The concepts of risk and compliance and how to translate these into effective security solutions.
• Appreciation of automation and orchestration and will have experience of scripting with Native Mainframe and modern technology stacks
• Strong understanding of IBM Mainframe technologies
• Familiar with a variety of testing tools and techniques to accurately troubleshoot and resolve complex technical problems associated with the service, application and Mainframe hardware and software.
  
  

Technical Skills & Experience

You will have expert knowledge and experience in several of the following areas:

• zOS System Programming
• Mainframe System administrator activities
• Modernization and migration: Analyzing, designing, and implementing code and database changes to move mainframe applications to the cloud or a modern cloud-connected mainframe
• Performance tuning, CoD Provisioning architecture, System Upgrades, Troubleshooting
• Technical hands-on experience on ACF2, SMP/E, VTAM, HMC
• Good to have knowledge on JCL, CICS, DB2, IMS, OPS-MVS
• Scripting language – REXX, CLIST, Python, UNIX Shell, VSAM
• System Management Support with SMP/E, SMF, RMF
• Knowledge on System Services support (storage management, job management, workload management, data sets, and data set management)
• Awareness on ISV products, install products and services, perform upgrades, IPL, DR/SR activities
• Knowledge on zOS System libraries, zOS Components and Mainframe system hardware architecture
• Disaster planning and recovery: Planning for and recovering from disasters
• Mentorship: Applying programming techniques to mentor developers and review code
• Product roadmaps: Maintaining product roadmaps that include modernization, cloud solutions, and technical debt
• Security and compliance: Ensuring compliance with industry standards for security and audit
• Problem determination and resolution: Identifying and resolving system level problems
• Disaster planning and recovery: Planning for and recovering from disasters
• Mentorship: Applying programming techniques to mentor developers and review code
• Modernization and migration: Analyzing, designing, and implementing code and database changes to move mainframe applications to the cloud or a modern cloud-connected mainframe
• Client support: Providing strong client support and transformations
• Hardware and software: Configuring hardware, installing software products, and upgrading and migrating hardware and software
• Security and compliance: Ensuring compliance with industry standards for security and audit
• Problem determination and resolution: Identifying and resolving system level problems
• Disaster planning and recovery: Planning for and recovering from disasters
• Mentorship: Applying programming techniques to mentor developers and review code
• Product roadmaps: Maintaining product roadmaps that include modernization, cloud solutions, and technical debt
  
  

Qualifications (must Haves)

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or IT related field, and/or equivalent work experience
• Excellent verbal and written skills are required