Mainframe Modernization Senior Manager

Job Description

About the Role

As a Senior Manager in our Mainframe Modernization practice, you will lead high-impact transformation programs that modernize clients' mission-critical legacy mainframe environments. You will combine deep mainframe expertise with executive-level client engagement, strategic vision, and people leadership to guide cross-functional teams from assessment through go-live. This is a senior leadership role with direct accountability for delivery quality, client relationships, and practice growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

* Define the strategic direction for mainframe modernization programs in collaboration with client executives and internal stakeholders.

* Develop comprehensive transformation roadmaps-covering rehosting, reengineering, refactoring, re-platforming, and hybrid approaches-that align with client business objectives and risk appetite.

* Stay ahead of industry trends in mainframe modernization, cloud migration, and emerging technologies, applying new thinking to continuously elevate practice capabilities.

Client Engagement & Advisory

* Build and sustain trusted advisor relationships with C-level and senior client stakeholders across the engagement lifecycle.

* Provide expert counsel on modernization strategies, clearly articulating business value, technical trade-offs, and risk.

* Represent the practice in business development activities, contributing to proposals, client workshops, and industry events.

Program & Delivery Management

* Lead cross-functional teams-architects, developers, QA, and business analysts-in executing mainframe modernization projects on time, within budget, and to quality standards.

* Establish and own the program governance framework, including reporting cadences, escalation paths, and change management protocols.

* Identify and proactively mitigate risks across technical, operational, and organizational dimensions.

* Ensure compliance with applicable security, regulatory, and data governance requirements throughout transformation programs.

Solution Design

* Partner with technical architects to design modernization solutions tailored to clients' unique environments and constraints.

* Evaluate existing mainframe ecosystems, identify optimization opportunities, and propose migration architectures leveraging modern cloud-native patterns and Dev Ops practices.

* Oversee quality assurance and validation processes to confirm that modernized systems meet performance, reliability, and functional requirements.

People & Practice Development

* Lead, mentor, and develop a team of modernization professionals, fostering a culture of continuous learning, accountability, and innovation.

* Define talent and capability development priorities for the practice, identifying skill gaps and sponsoring targeted growth initiatives.

* Communicate complex technical and program status to both technical and non-technical audiences with clarity and confidence.

This role may require up to 100% travel based on client engagement requirements.

Qualification

Basic Qualifications:

* Minimum 8+ years of consulting experience including leadership of mainframe modernization or large-scale legacy transformation programs.

* Minimum 8+ years of experience with mainframe technologies and modernization strategies (rehosting, reengineering, refactoring, re-platforming).

* Minimum 8+ years of experience working with Mainframe Migration and Modernization partners and vendor ecosystems.

* Demonstrated experience with microservices architecture, Dev Ops practices, and CI/CD pipelines as modernization targets.

* Bachelor's degree, or equivalent minimum 12 years' work experience. (Associate's Degree requires minimum 6 years' work experience.)

Preferred Qualifications:

* Strong leadership track record with demonstrated success managing large, geographically distributed teams on complex transformation programs.

* In-depth knowledge of legacy mainframe platforms (IBM z/OS, CICS, DB2, COBOL, IMS) and their modernization pathways.

* Hands-on familiarity with major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) as modernization destinations.

* Experience with Dev Ops tool chains (CI/CD, automated testing,…